Books on voluntary simplicity, gearing down, or just saving money I've read lately.

Complete Idiot's Guide to Simple Living - Georgene Lockwood

Like most Idiots or Dummies books, it's well organized, clearly written, split into easily digestible chunks, and includes plenty of little tips & suggestions beside the main text to provide further food for thought. The book begins with an overview of the philosophy behind simplicity, and then provides an excellent introduction in some of the changes that a newcomer can make to their life. There is a great deal, however, that might help to inspire those who've been living the simple life for some time, or provide good ideas to help us along the way.

The sections on finance make frequent reference to Your Money or Your Life, and act as an excellent primer to basic debt reduction, thriftiness and conscientious investing. Further on are some well written chapters on the community, the political impact of simplicity, and the environmental aspect.

The text is encouraging, never admonishing, reasonable, and doesn't confine itself to any particular political or religious view. Overall, I think this would be one of the best introductions to give a friend who is interested in gearing down, as well as a good read for anyone already doing so.
10/10 July 2001

Living the Simple Life - Elaine St. James

Of the many books on downshifting and focussing on the important aspects of life that are out there, this is definitely one of the best. While the author doesn't quite embrace the frugality aspect of simple living as much as some others, she very aptly leads the reader into a simpler lifestyle through a series of very helpful tips, suggestions, and ideas. For those who've never even considered the idea of leading a simpler life, or for those who are almost there, a very well written book.
9/10 February 2001

Enough - Lifestyle and Financial Planning for Simpler Living - Betty Jane Wylie

Meandering, aimless text spotted with uninteresting anecdotes, making it quite tedious to find the few good suggestions available. Aimed at being an introduction to the simple lifestyle, I found it tiresome to read and not very original.
5/10 January 2001

How to Survive Without a Salary: Learning How to Live the Conserver Lifestyle - Charles Long

An excellent introduction to the frugal lifestyle, from a master of the art of living cheaply. Full of sensible, practical and well-presented advice on extricating yourself from the rat-race, reducing your material needs, and finding ways to get the things you still need as inexpensively as possible. How to get and maintain a home, feed yourself, find income, and build worthwhile investments. Not a guide to slackerdom, but rather a manual of self-sufficiency. It is possible to live your life, in control of your income and expenses, without being beholden to the marketplace!
10/10 January 2001

30 Days to a Simpler Life - Connie Cox, Cris Evatt

I've been more & more adopting the principles of voluntary simplicity; that is, not buying things which are unnecessary or of limited use, giving away, donating, or recycling those possessions which serve only as clutter. There's a wealth of information on the web related to this topic, and many good books as well. Some of the books tend a little much into the new-age realm, others are fairly sensible. This particular one seems to have been written with a female audience very much in mind, and the authors both have a background in household organizing. There are quite a few very good tips offered for reducing your possessions and curbing your shopping patterns, but I found in many places that the authors themselves didn't quite get the idea... going out and buying closet organizers may be helpful, but not necessarily simple. They also seem to contradict themselves a little, suggesting on one hand to rid ourselves of photos & nicknacks, on the other to store them in newly purchased boxes. One chapter is devoted to attitudes & beliefs, simple psychology if you will, which ends up just being simple minded. Of course, you can't fit Zen in just a few pages. The book offers a great introduction I think for anyone moving out of a particularly middle-classed, home-in-the-suburbs lifestyle, but for those who are already on the path, it may just be a little tiresome, and might be viewed as another example of people cashing-in on those who are trying to cash-out.
6/10 November 2000

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