Chapter Eight ~ Long Timers: People Who Have Always Lived Simply. Notwithstanding the recent media and public attention on the simple living trend, living simply is not a new discovery. There are people who felt a calling to live in this manner from the beginning. This chapter introduces people who have lived simply for many years, often starting in their childhood. Some of the people profiled in this chapter include:

• A 49 year old single woman who has lived simply for 20 years, always working about 20 hours a week. She always knew that freedom and time were more important than money and is quite content in her 900 square foot home. She thrives on independence and enjoys her self-employed business of business writer, teacher and newsletter publisher.
• A married man with two teenage children who retired two years ago at age 47. He taught high school for 23 years and never believed in "chasing the Almighty Dollar". Instead he bought a 10 acre lot in Alaska in 1974 for $4,000, built a home on it for a cost of $10,000 in materials and stayed put when all his friends traded up to bigger homes and higher mortgages. He is enjoying his retirement lifestyle immensely, working on his land, spending more time with family, volunteering, and walking on the beach with his wife.
• A single woman in her mid 30's who has always lived simply. She learned to focus on living in the moment from her mother. She experiences overwhelming joy, peace, and contentment in her life, even though her income is fairly low. She appreciates the charm and aesthetic beauty of her small home, which she shares with a roommate and is passionate about her work as a writer, web designer, and facilitator of personal growth workshops. She also loves to travel, often staying in hostels where she can meet interesting people.

Chapter Nine ~ Starting Out Simply: Generation X Takes a U-Turn. This chapter reveals that the simple living is not reserved for burned-out yuppies who use their nest eggs to reinvent their lives. In this chapter, we hear the stories of young people in their twenties and early thirties who are not attracted to the all-American dream of "work-n-spend-til-you-retire-or-die." These young people are starting out their adult lives convinced that the principles of simple living make sense. Some of the people featured in this chapter include:

• A 22-year-old married woman who rents an apartment in a large city with her husband and who has adopted many attributes associated with the simple living. She cares deeply about societal and environmental issues, eats a vegan diet, values time spent talking with her family and friends, reading, gardening, and bird watching, limits her material possessions to just what she really needs, and walks, buses or bicycles instead of driving a car.
  
• A single woman in her early thirties who bought a home right out of college, paid off the mortgage in a few years, and recently quit her job as a research assistant because she now has sufficient savings to live on.
  
• A 26-year old single woman who shares a TV-free home with three other single people of like mind, all of whom enjoy living a simple life. These young people work in conventional jobs and spend their leisure hours in conversation, reading, cooking, hiking, biking, and camping.

Chapter Ten ~ Having Enough: Living Simply With Financial Freedom. This chapter debunks the myth that simple living is only relevant to people who live a meager lifestyle from a material point of view. The principles of simple living can be equally relevant (perhaps more so) for people with high incomes as for those of us whose incomes are moderate or low. The stories of the people in this chapter illustrate the point that simple living is not so much a question of living at a certain income level; rather it is about how you live. It is about how you spend your time and how you spend the money that you do have. Some of the people profiled in this chapter are:

• A self-described "computer geek" who made a fortune in the computer industry and who continues to work at home about 20 hours a week. A serious motorcycle accident led to a practice of meditation which in turn led to a desire to simplify his life. He views the real measure of wealth as how much one can afford to give away, not how much one has or spends on oneself.
  
• A single woman in her late 50's who reached financial independence three years ago, moved to a small coastal town on the Atlantic seacoast and now spends her time volunteering, writing memoirs, and engaging in activities that for her have a deep spiritual basis, including yoga, meditation, running, hiking, and spiritually related reading.
  
• A dentist who works all over the world on a contract basis, taking plenty of time off for family, friends and travel, and who lives in a RV when he is in the states to keep his expenses down.

Chapter Eleven ~ Living Well on Very Little: Amazing Stories of Courageous People. This chapter shares the experiences of those who truly have taken the less traveled road. These people live in ways that many would consider to be extreme in that their living expenses are often below the poverty level. Yet, they report a high level of joy and satisfaction in their lives, and even though most readers may not want to emulate their lifestyles, they undoubtedly will be inspired by these stories. Featured in this chapter are:

• A single man who recovered from multiple sclerosis, rents a room from a friend in Los Angeles, rides his bicycle for transportation, sometimes up to 50 miles a day, and spends all of his time helping others recover from MS, living on small donations given to him.
  
• A single man who lives in a homeless shelter and spends his time tutoring disabled students at a local college while he himself is taking a full time student load, earning a 4.0 grade point average.

Chapter Twelve ~ Community: Are We Our Brothers' Keepers? In this chapter we meet people who find their purpose of life in serving others. Their concept of simple living is inextricably bound with contributing to the well being of other people. Some of the people profiled in this chapter include:

• A single man in his mid 40's who made radical changes in his life after experiencing the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. His priorities have changed from making money as an entrepreneur to engaging in music and social justice ministry through the Catholic Church. He chooses to live in a poor neighborhood with few material possessions, working to further social justice, including organizing food and clothing distribution to those in need.
  
• A couple whose desire to understand the meaning of life led them to voluntary simplicity, which in turn led them to a much deeper spiritual experience, which for them is centered in their church and in service to others. They now see their lives as ones of giving instead of getting.
  
• A single man who was laid off from his job and now spends most of his time operating an on-line, non-profit, educational outreach program for children. He also volunteers at many schools in his community. He earns a small income working on a funded research project, and has reduced his expenses substantially to engage in his life's passion.

Chapter Thirteen ~ Environmental Champions: A Passionate Love for the Earth. This chapter discusses the relationship between simple living and concern for the earth. Many people start out living simply for more personal reasons (e.g., relieving stress, reducing debt), but then later develop a strong interest in preserving the earth's resources. For the people profiled in this chapter, love of the earth is the raison d'être for living simply. Some of the people who provide inspiration for this chapter include:

• A single woman whose love for the earth was evident as a child, and has only strengthened as an adult. She struggles to find meaningful work that contributes to the well being of the earth, while also paying the bills. She lives in a studio apartment over a barn in the mountains of Colorado.
  
• A couple who are passionately and genuinely concerned about the ability of our planet to survive. They are building a biogenic living structure and hope to model a way of life that will inspire others, especially young people, to consider alternatives to the American lifestyle of consumption.
  
• A single man in his mid-fifties who has lived in a 500 square foot mobile home on his farm land for twenty years and who honors the environment in which he lives, in part by spending long hours removing litter from the roads.

Chapter Fourteen ~ The Pierce Simplicity Study: Reflections and Inspiration. This chapter provides an overview of The Pierce Simplicity Study. The author summarizes the basic demographic information about the participants, including factors such as age, gender, marital status, number of children living in the home, geographical location, occupation, religion, race, income, and years of education. This chapter also focuses on recurring themes that appear in many of the survey responses, including issues relating to:

• The impact of simple living on a person's relationships with family and friends.
  
• How people tend to spend their leisure time, including what they do and how they feel about watching television.
  
• The effect on a person's health regime, including diet, exercise and any other health practices.
  
• A person's feelings about being self-reliant versus dependent on others for their basic needs.
  
• What forms of transportation they use and how they feel about their choices.
  
• Whether they spend time in nature, and the connection between experience in nature and simple living.

For a descriptive summary of Chapters 1 through 7, click here.