Customer Reviews

Small Town Bound: Your Guide to Small-Town Living, from Determining If Life in the Slower Lane Is for You, to Choosing the Perfect Place to Set Roots, to Making Your

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Small Town Bound holds itself out to be a cultural guide to small towns and succeeds fairly well. Author John Clayton starts out by helping the future emigrant analyze his or her stirrings about leaving a metropolis, and describes life in small towns attribute by attribute. The next two chapters discuss factors to consider in evaluating a locale and how to earn a living in a small-town economy. Clayton then asserts that "the hardest part of moving to a small town comes after you get there." He is referring to the crucial element of social adaptation--meeting new people and gaining acceptance--because without this, a move is likely to fail. Here the author shares his knowledge of small-town culture and mentality, and makes insightful suggestions as to how to fit in and, thus, succeed. John Clayton's background as a technical writer shows through in the organization of his book according to a traditional outline format, although he is repetitious at times. There are sidebars containing illustrative interviews, anecdotes, reports from the media, and groups of "20 Questions" for the reader's self-test. There are also numerous cautionary tales illustrating pitfalls of small-town life, which help convey a sense of reality and balance. Although there is some overlapping, this book and William Seavey's Moving to Small-Town America are complementary. Clayton emphasizes social adaptation in a new community as the most important criterion of prosperity. Seavey, while not neglecting this aspect, focuses more on the practical details of the migration--how to disengage from the old place, the actual moving, and the settling in in the new place. Both books have appendices listing many useful resources.

I suppose this book contains helpful info for anyone thinking about making the move from the city to a small town, but I really felt all it did was confirm everything you already knew (or thought you knew) about small towns -- the community is closer, everyone knows everyone else, the rumor mill glows hot, the pay is smaller, etc. Clayton lists all the things you think you know about small towns and then dissects them one by one; he says that some things are true and some are not -- but it seemed to me that they were ALL true. I also felt a lot of this was obvious. Does a person really need to be told to get out and talk to people if they want to introduce themselves to a new community? Some of the advice here reminded me of what you'd tell a young kid transferring to a new school.

Where I think the book helps, though, is for people who have just gotten the idea to make the move. The one plus of the book is that it really makes you consider your decision. There's a couple of good exercises to elaborate on your choice.

Clayton's writing is clean and easy to read, though I did at times think he trawled in clichés. City life is presented as something it is not (or at least not always). Clayton at times writes about it as though all cities are criminal wastelands.

The information and advice is pretty simple and obvious, but if you're considering a move you might want to take a look.

I am acquainted with the author, so I expected a good book. What I found was a superb book. This is a very thoughtful work about the essence of small-town living. It has helped me greatly in thinking about my own proposed move to a small town in the West. Although the book offers a great many practical suggestions, there is much more than "how to make friends" or "how to find a job." This book has helped me think about whether my character, personality, and values are suited for small-town life. With frank comments about all aspects of small-town life, it has helped me understand, for example, that gossip is the other side of neighborliness. It has helped make my expectations more realistic--and that in turn will lead to greater satisfaction with the move. The writing is friendly and conversational, and the organization is very helpful. Without hesitation, I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in small-town life. Susan Bury, Washington, DC