Sustainable Living

I've always been green in philosophy (and in try to be in action)  and I've always been attracted to the Simple Living movement and adopting a sustainable lifestyle.  My first attempt at blogging was a little space called the green librarian.  If you visit you will see I've not posted there for some time.

In today's economic situation anything that can make daily obligations less stressful, save money, and most importantly is friendly to the environment is something worth pursuing.  I've just finished reading Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle by David Wann. Wann is also the Coauthor of Affluenza, a book and PBS program (1997).  What is Affluenza?

Af-flu-en-za n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth. 4. A television program that could change your life.

Simple Prosperity is a follow up to Affluenza, it provides solutions and answers to the problem of overconsumption with consideration for the environment.  It lays out the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle and gives guidance on how to live this new American Dream.  Wann's quirky humor is peppered throughout.  I really enjoyed this book because it gives ideas and solutions instead, like many contemporary books on the subject, bogging me down with the immensity of the problem and leaving me to find all of the solutions.

"This is a valuable and concise digest of much that we've figured out in recent years, about health, stress, joy, community. The only thing it won't tell you how to do is make more money; instead, it will let you see that you may already have enough." - Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future and Maybe One (I really enjoyed this book too.)

So give Simple Prosperity a try. Check it out at your local library or buy your own copy.  I'll have my copy up for sale on my website by next week sometime.  And if you have already read the book or are part of the Simple Living movement, leave a comment below.  Tell us how we don't have to keep up with the Jones.  

Catherine @ Reading In Montana