Rating: 
Summary: ANYONE WHO BUYS THIS BOOK NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE
Review: ALMOST CONSTANT BIBLICAL AND RELIGIOUS MESSAGES. I could not get farther than a few pages. I am sure that for someone looking for a "voluntary simplicity" book with this religious slant would give this book 5 stars. But I prefer my books to be WAY more secular. I have nothing against this author and her message, in fact, i OWN the more with less cookbook that she wrote. This book had bible references also but i didnt feel it was too distracting. But I felt like in this book I was gonna read the bible weather i wanted to or not. I dont have alot of money for books and when i buy i need them to be able to be sure that i get what i am buying.
Rating:
Summary: ANYONE WHO BUYS THIS BOOK NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE
Review: ALMOST CONSTANT BIBLICAL AND RELIGIOUS MESSAGES. I could not get farther than a few pages. I am sure that for someone looking for a "voluntary simplicity" book with this religious slant would give this book 5 stars. But I prefer my books to be WAY more secular. I have nothing against this author and her message, in fact, i OWN the more with less cookbook that she wrote. This book had bible references also but i didnt feel it was too distracting. But I felt like in this book I was gonna read the bible weather i wanted to or not. I dont have alot of money for books and when i buy i need them to be able to be sure that i get what i am buying.
Rating: 
Summary: outdated but still useful
Review: I first read this book in the early 1980s. I still reread it occasionally today, partly for its practical tips (which are more reasonable than the Indianapolis viewer below suggests) but largely because it helps remind me to take a break from materialistic culture. In this book, Doris Janzen Longacre has compiled an anthology of mini-essays on world living. The text is not about the evils of materialism, but rather focuses on how simple living increases the preciousness of everyday life. The stories, and the ideas they suggest, remind us to enjoy experiences and people rather than things. One suggestion, for example, is to have a dinner party in which the food is simple. This helps remind us to have solidarity with our world neighbors, and helps us focus on friendship, not on making an impression through fancy food, wine, and presentation. In postmodern America, nothing could be more refreshing, or more clearly a testament of faith.
This is a humble, unglamorous, life-changing book.
Rating: 
Summary: More is less. For everybody!
Review: I first read this book in the early 1980s. I still reread it occasionally today, partly for its practical tips (which are more reasonable than the Indianapolis viewer below suggests) but largely because it helps remind me to take a break from materialistic culture. In this book, Doris Janzen Longacre has compiled an anthology of mini-essays on world living. The text is not about the evils of materialism, but rather focuses on how simple living increases the preciousness of everyday life. The stories, and the ideas they suggest, remind us to enjoy experiences and people rather than things. One suggestion, for example, is to have a dinner party in which the food is simple. This helps remind us to have solidarity with our world neighbors, and helps us focus on friendship, not on making an impression through fancy food, wine, and presentation. In postmodern America, nothing could be more refreshing, or more clearly a testament of faith.This is a humble, unglamorous, life-changing book.
Rating:
Summary: A great source of inspiration!
Review: I read this book frequently in order to keep me "on track" in my journey towards simplifying my life and living frugally. I was shocked to read about the contrast between how wastefully North Americans live and how people in other nations are much more careful with their resources. This is much more inspiring than the usual frugality books, which teach how to save money for money's sake. This book made me realize how being frugal and careful with the resources I have can have an impact on the world and others' lives. I am much more appreciative of what I have and use my resources much more carefully now. Some may be turned off by the biblical quotes, but I didn't find them to be intrusive while reading the text. Readers need to remember that this is a book written by a Mennonite woman, whose faith was integral to the way she lived her life, and that most of the testimonials are from missionaries in other countries. I found the approach refreshing and insightful.
Rating:
Summary: A great source of inspiration!
Review: I read this book frequently in order to keep me "on track" in my journey towards simplifying my life and living frugally. I was shocked to read about the contrast between how wastefully North Americans live and how people in other nations are much more careful with their resources. This is much more inspiring than the usual frugality books, which teach how to save money for money's sake. This book made me realize how being frugal and careful with the resources I have can have an impact on the world and others' lives. I am much more appreciative of what I have and use my resources much more carefully now. Some may be turned off by the biblical quotes, but I didn't find them to be intrusive while reading the text. Readers need to remember that this is a book written by a Mennonite woman, whose faith was integral to the way she lived her life, and that most of the testimonials are from missionaries in other countries. I found the approach refreshing and insightful.
Rating:
Summary: Getting more from life with less material goods
Review: Living More with Less is a very practical book about living simply and being less attached to wealth and material possessions. It is full of hundreds of small and workable suggestions for making do, getting by, reusing old materials into new ones, and generally changing your attitude about more-more-more and must have the latest. Unlike a lot of other books about simple living, this one is not primarily about saving money for the sake of having more money. You won't find elaborate schemes for tracking your purchases like in "Your Money or Your Life", and there's nary a word about investments at all. (The author, a Mennonite, quotes from a lot of people who give generously to their church. If you find that off-putting, you might find the whole book difficult to read.) Instead there's a focus on activities and interests that don't require a lot of money to begin with. It was written in 1980, after the energy crisis and during a relatively non-prosperous time. A lot of the suggestions require significant time commitments that are hard to imagine now 20 years later, if even back then. But it's such a rich source of ideas I thought I should pass it along.
Rating:
Summary: Getting more from life with less material goods
Review: Living More with Less is a very practical book about living simply and being less attached to wealth and material possessions. It is full of hundreds of small and workable suggestions for making do, getting by, reusing old materials into new ones, and generally changing your attitude about more-more-more and must have the latest. Unlike a lot of other books about simple living, this one is not primarily about saving money for the sake of having more money. You won't find elaborate schemes for tracking your purchases like in "Your Money or Your Life", and there's nary a word about investments at all. (The author, a Mennonite, quotes from a lot of people who give generously to their church. If you find that off-putting, you might find the whole book difficult to read.) Instead there's a focus on activities and interests that don't require a lot of money to begin with. It was written in 1980, after the energy crisis and during a relatively non-prosperous time. A lot of the suggestions require significant time commitments that are hard to imagine now 20 years later, if even back then. But it's such a rich source of ideas I thought I should pass it along.
Rating:
Summary: outdated but still useful
Review: This book has extremely outdated statistical information about world hunger, basic nutrition, and energy use. It also has an odd antagonism toward America (surely we aren't to look to Japan for non-materialism?). However, it is a good Christian resource for those who seek to live more like "the lilies of the field" and the Good Samaritan. I found the section questioning the extravagance of church buildings and projects the most useful (and as a Lutheran, I prefer my churches with plenty of stained glass and candles!). In today's age of the "megachurch" with dozens of activity rooms and even a coffee bar near the sanctuary, this makes for challenging reading. This book contains more spiritual insight than practical "how-to" information, but is worth reading nonetheless. As stewardship chairman at my church I have found it helpful.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring, but. . .
Review: This book is certainly inspiring in that it points out shocking ways in which we consume much more than our neighbors in less wealthy countries. However, I didn't find many practical ways to accomplish frugality that I consider acceptable. One woman's helpful hint is that plain water is generally sufficient to wash oneself as dead skin cells are sloughed off anyway. Another tip begins by saying that this is probably against the law in North America, but in their country, they resterilize disposable syringes hundreds of times and reuse them. I realize the copyright of this book is 1980 and although this tip serves to show us how much we have, I hope no one actually thinks this practice is a good idea. Other areas of interest are directions for making sandals out of rubber tires, using leftover construction materials in your woodburning stove (certainly not treated lumber I hope!), and dumpster diving. A few possibly useful tips include directions on making a comforter out of old blue jeans and recipes for homemade cleaning supplies. Personally, I found a few gems, a little inspiration, and lots of things for the recycle bin. I guess I am too materialistic.
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