Customer Reviews

Making the Good Life Last: Four Keys to Sustainable Living

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I definitely enjoyed Michael Schuler's Making the Good Life Last with his four keys to sustainable living. His suggestion to pay attention, especially how paying attention to diet and exercise to minimize health problems, to family and friends can actually encourage enduring relationships and make the good life last.
The author's suggestion to stay put. Especially staying put to become competent at our work and to develop a sense of neighborhood and a church that sustains us.
His suggestion to exercise patience. Especially exercising patience to slow down in life and not overdo our busyness. You don't have to reach your goal tomorrow.
With parents from New England, I especially enjoyed the author's suggestion to practice prudence. I was always taught to spend less than I earned so practicing prudence has made it possible for me to avoid the overspending that has caused our current recession and to have a bit of a surplus to retire and with practicing continuing prudence enjoy a sustainable good life.
I highly recommend everyone to read this book, to think about its many recommendations, and follow them to live a more abundant life.

Who doesn't want to live the good life? And who hasn't gotten confused or fooled about what this requires? Thanks to Rev. Schuler, we now have a thoughtful and practical guide to help us prioritize and preserve what matters the most during our time on this planet. Inside "Making the Good Life Last" is solid and timeless advice, with an eco-friendly and values-driven mindset, from an ordained minister who is effective because he persuades through gentle nudging instead of righteous preaching. Adults of any age and any religious denomination (or lack thereof) will find useful perspectives to ponder.

Sometimes when we hear about adopting a sustainable lifestyle, it seems we have to sacrifice in one way or another. However, the premise of this intriguing and very well written book shows that this is not the case. It explores the values, attitudes, and behaviors that comprise a good life. Then it demonstrates that these are also what lead us to want to live in a way that contributes to the sustainably of our communities, country, and world.

The author recognizes that we are all in this together and that by looking out for that of which we are a part, we look out for ourselves as well.

The book includes an intriguing chapter that explores the things get in the way of making sustainable choices. These include what the author calls "The Christian Conundrum," "Humanism's Unconfirmed Optimism," the compromises of capitalism, and the "Broken Promise of Technology." It's not a critique of these broad themes of modern life, but a look at how, unexamined, they lead us to do damage to our communities and our own well being.

The heart of the book is the author's four keys: pay attention, stay put, exercise patience, and practice prudence. He explains each of these concepts, synthesizing writings from a wide variety of thinkers and doers. It's really stimulating stuff. He is asking us to act like adults, take responsibility for our actions, and, by the way, create more fulfilling lives for ourselves.

I especially enjoyed the last chapter, "A Sustainable Code of the Soul," where the author reminds us of Teilhard de Chardin's quote, "We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey." While the focus of the book is clearly on our human journey, it is good to remember that living sustainably, as Schuler explains it, is very good for our souls as well.

I highly recommend this book.

I have worked in the field of environmental protection for my entire career. Too often folks looking for planet protection measures look for technological fixes. This book expands the conversation on how we might best attend to our planet in peril. It is a thoughtful guide which gives pertinent examples of actions people can take individually that will make a difference to sustaining our environment over the long haul. Many people give up on trying to improve the plant because they think it will involve a life full of nothing but sacrifice. Michael Schuler's book beautfully illustrates that our own lives can be more meaningful and happier when we pay attention, stay put, exercise prudence and practise patience. If more people evaluated their own lives and attended to these key steps, our human community would be much better able to address the environmental challenges that face us.

I believe to be the best we can be for the world, each of us needs to find a way to nurture and balance our physical, intellectual and spiritual needs. This book gives great examples in each of those areas. I found the last chapter, A Sustainable Code of the Soul, particularly inspiring. I believe it will serve me well as I work to maintain balance in my own life and continue to work in my chosen career path. Thanks to Michael Schuler for bringing the concept of sustainability home and into our hearts as well as our minds.

MAKING THE GOOD LIFE LAST: FOUR KEYS TO SUSTAINABLE LIVING comes from the leader of the nation's largest Unitarian Universalist congregation and discusses short-term gratification, long-term denial, and the paths that lead to strong communities and restorative activities. Sustainability is promoted as a path to building core values, with chapters discussing four basic behavioral principles for living a sustainable lifestyle. Perfect for any library considering modern social issues and values.