"In this book, I relate the pleasures, as well as the virtues and
difficulties of a perhaps simpler than average North American
life." So begins ecological thinker and writer Stephanie Mills's
"Epicurean Simplicity," a thoughtful paean to living, like Thoreau,
a deliberate life.Mills's account of the simple life reaches deep
into classical sources of pleasure -- good food, good health, good
friends, and particularly the endless delights of the natural
world. Her musings about the life she desires -- and the life she
has created -- ultimately led her to the third century Greek
philosopher Epicurus, whose philosophy was premised on the
trustworthiness of the senses, a philosophy that Mills
wholeheartedly embraces. While later centuries have come to
associate Epicurus's name with hedonism, Mills discovered that he
extolled simplicity and prudence as the surest means to pleasure,
and his thinking offers an important philosophical touchstone for
the book.As the author explains, one of the primary motivations for
her pursuit of simplicity is her concern about the impacts of a
consumerist lifestyle on the natural world. Mills touches on broad
range of topics relating to that issue -- social justice,
biological extinctions, the global economy, and also more personal
aspects such as friendship, the process of country living, the joys
of physical exertion, the challenges of a writer's life, and the
natural history and seasonal delights of a life lived close to
nature. An overarching theme is the destructiveness of consumerism,
and how even a simple life affects a wide range of organisms and
adds strain to the earth's systems. The author uses her own
experience as an entry point to the discussionwith a self-effacing
humor and lyrical prose that bring big topics to a personal
level."Epicurean Simplicity" is beautifully crafted, fluid,
inspiring, and enlightening, examining topics of critical
importance that affect us all. It celebrates the pleasures, beauty,
and fulfillment of a simple life, a goal being sought by Americans
from all walks of life, from harried single parents to corporate
CEOs. For fans of natural history or personal narrative, for those
concerned about social justice and the environment, and for those
who have come to know and love Stephanie Mills through her speaking
and writing, "Epicurean Simplicity" is a rare treasure.
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