The Simple Living Guide: A Sourcebook for Less Stressful, More Joyful Living

This is a great book to read in sections for motivation to lead a simpler life or read cover to cover for a big picture on simplifying life.

I bought this book years ago and keep going back to it for inspiration. I feel there has been an evolution in these types of books. Stephanie Winston's book on how to get organized was one of the first books that discussed how to gain control of what was becoming an increasingly complicated life. Other organizing books followed. Then came the "how to get rid of clutter books"- because it was no longer about just organizing but people just had too much stuff. Then came the simplifying books which discussed how to get rid of clutter, how to organize and how to simplify. This book is here. Lastly, books on minimalism such as Marie Kondo's book hit the market because life had just gotten too complicated...This book, in the simplifying genre discusses how to get rid of clutter, how to organize, how to slow down and how to enrich your life. It is filled with people stories- which some dislike, but I love. It reminds you of a simple way and the book feels timeless. This is also my favorite "HYGEE" book, because reading it makes me feel so serene. It is one of those books that covers such a wide variety of topics- and is quite hefty, that you can just pick it up and read about any topic that appeals to you at the moment- money, family, cooking, travel, clutter and inner peace. I have had this book for over 10 years and have read many books in the above listed genres ( organizing, decluttering, simplifying, minimalism and hygee) and this book not only combines them all, but is one of the best, if not the best. Love it!

Excellant Price ~Well packaged~ Fast Shipping ~ Would definitely reccommend and will be a repeat customer

This book is full of great ideas for people following the simple living path. The author's essential thesis, although never explicitly stated, is that to live simply, we must consciously consider every consequence of the every decision we make. If we are unhappy with our current money/family/housing/health conditions, we need to realize that these conditions are the result of decisions we made in the past. To live a better life, we need to make better decisions and often a simpler option is the better choice.Along these lines, the author points out how going along with the average American middleclass lifestyle of large house, large debts, high fat diet, and too much TV is neither fun nor healthy. She suggests countless alternatives, but more importantly, stresses that each person needs to make the choice himself or herself. Even if a person chooses to go along with the usual average American habit, that's not necessarily bad, as long as he or she makes the choice consciously and is content with all of the consequences.This book doesn't have a lot of specific money advice on how to live a simple life. For this, a reader might look to a book like "Your Money or Your Life". Instead, its strength lies in helping the reader to develop a personal philosophy towards living simply, as well as providing ideas. To provide encouragement, each chapter ends with a short case history of a successful simplicity family story.

The key to simple living is to simplify your life.I don't think the author has really figured that out yet, because this book tries to cover sooooo much information and sooooo many ideas that it just misses the whole notion of simplicity. It made me tired just to try to read it (and I am a very avid reader!).While the author means well, and has some good advice for those just beginning to try to find a simpler way of life, she tries to retain ALL the facets of life you may possibly want to ever consider trying to "simplify". It reminds me of those alternative "light" recipes for overly rich foods: the real point isn't to create less caloric forms of the recipes, the point is to stop eating that kind of food.Simplify, simplify! I am afraid as an old practioner of voluntary simplicity I was confused and depressed by this book, which seems to offer very little in the way of true simplification and much in the way of things-I-didn't-know-I-should-be-worrying-about.Simplicity:Get rid of anything you haven't used within the past year.Pay off your credit cards and just keep one or two for real emergencies.Be monogamous.Give your time instead of money to those you love.Turn off the TV.Think about how to live with only half of the possessions you have and then DO IT.Eat fresh, simple, whole [organic] foods. Drink water.Create a garden and spend time in it (instead of watching TV).Let other people worry about "getting ahead", status trips, newer cars and bigger houses, trendy clothing.Read: How To Make Your House Do The Housework.If your kids don't like it, they can complicate their lives all they want when they grow up, but at least they will know how to LIVE first.Oh, yeah. Read 'Walden' By Henry David Thoreau - often.

Like the book. I am just getting into the mindset of simple living (minimalism) and soaking up all the information I can. It isn't what people think initially-no fun, boring, no color, straight lines, etc. Minimalism is living intentionally and deciding how far you want to go with it yourself. What minimalism is to you may not be the same as the next person. You get to choose how far you want to go with it. But you live more intentionally and you learn to not spend money on needless "things" when you don't really need those things. It is the ability to just say "enough is enough" and rethink the way you live. It is less clutter, less stress, and more time for the things that actually matter to you (hobbies, family, relationships, etc). Doesn't that sound awesome? If so, you would benefit from reading this book. I know it benefitted me.

This book is absolutely fantastic and prompted me to write my first Amazon review. Although all the stories are American and not all the ideas are suitable to put into practice in the UK - it is still inspiring and has really motivated me to change my lifestyle.I had to wait absolutely ages to get this from Amazon- they emailed my to ask me if I still wanted them to try and get it for me!- i did - and i'm so glad i did. It was worth the wait and I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to re-evaluate their lifestyle. I wish she did more books on the subject. Such a lovely read.

I'm passionate about Simple Living, and this book really inspired me and cemented my Simple life. I've recommended it to other members of my family and they found it really helpful and inspiring too. I'd highly recommend you read this book if you're interested in simplifying your life and living more true to yourself.

Love it, excellent book. It covers so much.