Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter [Paperback]

Elaine St. James (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 1, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0786880007 | ISBN-13: 978-0786880003 | Edition: 1

For everyone who is overwhelmed by the increasing demands in their lives, here is the ideal guide for slowing down and finding peace of mind. In separate chapters covering career, household, health, social, finance, and personal affairs, this thought-provoking book offers one hundred proven, practical steps for creating a simple but elegant lifestyle.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elaine St. James is a bestselling author and has been acclaimed by the New York Times as the leader of the simplicity movement. She has appeared on Oprah and Good Morning America. She lives in Santa Barbara, California. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (May 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786880007
• ISBN-13: 978-0786880003
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.7 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 119 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a gem! December 29, 1999

By Tim Carlson

Format:Paperback

There's a few recent naysayers who reviewed this book and were very negative, but remember, a lot of people are very defensive about any suggestions that go against the grain of how they've lived their entire lives. Also, a lot of people are consumed with keeping up with the Jones'.

This book is not about being a hermit, being cheap, or giving away all your possessions. It's about keeping those things that contribute positively to your life and discarding the rest. Getting to the essence of things if you will.

Most people wear 20% or less of their wardrobe. Why not then give the other 80% to friends and charities and enjoy a clutter free closet where you can easily find what you are looking for?

If you find yourself stressed out going to 10 holiday parties, then try going to only 2 and see how you feel.

I came across this book in 1994, and have gradually employed a lot of the ideas. I've found a few things that I tried that weren't for me, but overall it's been a huge positive in my life. It's great not being choked with possessions and clutter. It's freed up so much time to do volunteer work, exercise more, enjoy the outdoors more, and just to drink my coffee slow in the morning.

This book is fantastic for those who wish their lives to focus on doing and contributing and experiencing, rather than buying, consuming, storing, moving, weeding-through, tripping-over, collecting, and trying to impress.

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A mixed bag February 10, 2003

By lindyjulie

Format:Paperback

You'll enjoy this book if you are just getting started in the process of simplifying your life, or if you're looking for a little extra inspiration. However, the book is too limited to use an an overall guide.

To understand why, remember that this is really a collection of ideas that St. James and her husband have already put into place in their lives. They were hard core yuppie materialists in the 80's and decided to simplify their lives to have more time for each other. The author's recommendations reflect this orientation. "Get rid of your boat" is obviously not going to apply for everyone. Some of the suggestions to limit your time with others also probably assume that you've already found a life partner; single folks should keep this in mind as they read.

The format of this book also makes for a strange alternation between huge, life-changing choices (move to where you can be close to your workplace), and weirdly specific recommendations (stop using nail polish). I found this to be a little odd, but if you are just looking for ideas, it probably won't bother you. I also found the suggestion to "change your expecations", which turned out to mean, "avoid doing difficult things" to be defeatist and unhelpful.

There are some great ideas in this book in every section. Some of the suggestions are challenging, but could yield great results. Each one, although not helpful to EVERYONE, will probably be helpful to SOMEONE. For these reasons, I'm giving it three stars. The book could be very useful as a way to provoke thought about what is really necessary in your life. Just don't look to it as an all purpose guide, and keep in mind the backgrounds of the authors as you read.

51 of 58 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars simplistic simplification September 4, 2001

By Timothy H. Mansfield

Format:Paperback

The book reads like a collection of household tips, e.g., "Hints from Heloise".

Truly simplifying your life takes a lot more thought and effort than the tips in this book would imply. We live in a society that strongly encourages us to consume and/or strive for status. Real life simplification for many people, myself included, has meant painfully recognizing and kicking away many ego crutches, summoning up the discipline to let go of a lot in order to focus on what really matters.

To her credit, the author has a significantly deeper take on this whole process in her later book, "Living the Simple Life". That is recommended as a complete replacement for "Simplify Your Life"; don't waste your time on it unless your intent is just to free up a few hours in an otherwise unchanged lifestyle.

Also consider "Voluntary Simplicity" by Duane Elgin. It offers a sociologist's perspective, which is a bit dry but includes opinions of dozens of people he encountered in his research on the nationwide movement toward a less materialistic, more relationship-oriented style of living.