Better Off
Would a
life without electricity and time-saving modern conveniences be full of
relentless toil or a surprising amount of leisure? Eric Brende
left MIT to live in a semi-Amish community for eighteen months and find
out.
In Better
Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology, Brende relates his
experience living in a "chow-chow" community --- a group consisting of
renegade Amish, Mennonites, and even some typical Americans who relish
the simple life. He nicknamed the community Minimites since their
lack of technology went beyond that espoused by most Amish and
Mennonite groups, avoiding all motors and sticking solely to human and
animal power. The author expected relentless toil to take over
his life, but discovered instead that he was working shorter hours than
a typical American with a full-time job. Since the group didn't
pay for tractors or much heavy machinery of any sort, they had plenty
of time for visiting, courting, barn-raising, and other community
activities. Meanwhile, while his body was working in the field,
he had plenty of time to think and talk to his new wife and neighbors.
Mark and I have
discovered the same thing in our quest toward simplicity. By
keeping our expenses low, it doesn't take many work hours to pay the bills. Then we can spend the
rest of our time experimenting with permaculture, growing our own food,
and just having fun. If you were intrigued by Your
Money or Your Life's
hypothesis that the typical American should only need to work three
hours or less per day to make a living, but were too afraid to forego
your modern conveniences, Better
Off should be on
your reading list.
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