Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

Essays on the spiritual power of an uncluttered life from Henri Nouwen, Richard J. Foster, Juliet Schor, and others, with an introduction by Bill McKibben.

Every day we are bombarded with messages that imply we need more: more money, more clothes, more food, more cars, more everything. But despite technological advances, proliferation of resources, and a general increase in what the average person has, our happiness has not grown at the same rate as our stash of stuff. Perhaps the key to a good life isn't found in quantity but in quality—and in a simple, honest approach to existence.

In Simpler Compassionate Living, Michael Schut brings together brilliant essays on the topic of modest lifestyles from twenty-three luminaries, including Terry Tempest Williams, Cecile Andrews, Wendell Berry, and Evy McDonald . Delving into topics such as time as a commodity, money in modern society, international economics, social and environmental responsibility, and the ever-widening global community, these compositions present a framework for examining and reforming how we view our place in a world obsessed with commerce and consumerism.

With a study guide and an appendix of further resources for those who want to take steps to change their lifestyle, Simpler Compassionate Living is a comprehensive look at how to step outside of the madness of materialism and rediscover the peace and fulfillment within—replacing the fleeting rush of acquisitiveness with a genuinely sustainable joy.

Also includes essays by: Shantilal Bhagat, Frederick Buechner, John B. Cobb, Jr., Michael Schut, Alan Durning, James T. Mulligan, William Gibson, Gerald May, Timothy Weiskel, Calvin DeWitt, Duane Elgin, Philip Sherrard, William Stringfellow, Jerome Segal, David Shi