The Simple Living Guide: A Sourcebook for Less Stressful, More Joyful Living: Amazon.ca: Janet Luhrs: Books

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I read the most heartwarming letter in the newspaper once. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index

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42 Reviews

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4.5 out of 5 stars (42 customer reviews)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best simple living book, April 6 2004

By

Anya (Provo, Utah United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Simple Living Guide: A Sourcebook for Less Stressful, More Joyful Living (Paperback)

This is really the best book if you are trying to simplify your life. I have read many others, and although they all have good points, this book gets to the heart of the matter. There are also many examples of how to make your life more simple and enjoy it more.

If you are looking to join the simple living movement, start with this book first. Then, if you are hooked get some others, they will just help you with what you have already learned. I wish everyone would read this book, we may just have a better world if they did. It is nice to have the focus off of consumer spending and keeping up with the latest trends, and putting the focus back on the simple pleasures in life.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Living in the Sidebars, July 20 2002

By

Virginia Lore "rumtussle" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Simple Living Guide: A Sourcebook for Less Stressful, More Joyful Living (Paperback)

Janet Luhrs brings her experience as the editor of Simple Living: The Journal of Voluntary Simplicity to the Simple Living Guide. Over 400 pages, this compendium of ideas for "less stressful, more joyful living" is heavy on the many philosophical ideas that fall under the simple living umbrella. In 14 topical chapters ranging from Money to Virtues Luhrs balances her occasionally redundant reflections with sidebars highlighting case studies, offering tips, and providing the nuts & bolts how-to's. Some of these are tremendously helpful and/or interesting. For example, in the chapter on Simple Pleasures and Romance, there is an article by Kirk S. Nevin about his family's decision to live without electricity or plumbing; and the chapter on Inner Simplicity includes a very practical article on dealing with insomnia.

Other sidebars are less helpful, more a mish-mash of 12-step generalisms, such as Luhrs' list of the 28 secrets to happiness, including "get organized," "be humble" and "learn from the past, plan for the future, and live in the present".

My two primary criticisms are that most of the ideas in this book are available elsewhere (see The Tightwad Gazette or Your Money or Your Life) and that some ideas aren't included. There is almost nothing here about permaculture, for example, and very little attempt at introducing serious or radical sustainability.

This book is a great primer for people who may have never encountered simple living philosophies before; however, those steeped in an already-intentional lifestyle will find little here that is new.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly An Excellent Sourcebook, Oct 15 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Simple Living Guide: A Sourcebook for Less Stressful, More Joyful Living (Paperback)

This is by far the best and most comprehensive guide I've read on the subject of simple living. If you're looking for something more in a deeply religious, Zen or philosophical vein, you should go elsewhere. But what I appreciated most about Luhrs' approach was her constant reminder that BALANCE is the key for most of us. She avoids the preachy tone many authors fall into on this subject, and tends to stay on the practical plane. The resources listed at the end of each chapter are worth the price of the book alone, where I found many titles I didn't know about. So if you want to go deeper, go lighter, or in another direction, you'll certainly find something in the resource guides. Very nicely written, too.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Penny pinchers delight
Yes, you will find lots of money saving ideas here, but this book and the lifestyle it promotes, will appeal mainly to miserly types. Read more

Published on Feb 19 2003 by yv88

5.0 out of 5 stars Life altering info contain within these pages
Simply put, this book, along with The Complete Tightwad Gazette, have changed my life radically. The best part of this book is the constant reassurance that each journey is... Read more

Published on Oct 29 2002 by Dena R. Sigman