A Simpler Life: a guide to greater serenity, ease, and clarity by The School of

Description: A Simpler Life by The School of Life Exploring ideas around minimalism, simplicity and how to live comfortably with less. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description The modern world can be a complicated, frenzied and noisy place, filled with too many options, products, ideas and opinions. That explains why what many of us long for is simplicity: a life that can be more pared down, peaceful and focused on the essentials.But finding simplicity is not always easy; it isnt just a case of emptying out our closets or trimming back commitments in our diaries. True simplicity requires that we understand the roots of our distractions - and develop a canny respect for the stubborn reasons why things can grow complex and overwhelming.This book is a guide to the simpler lives we crave and deserve. It considers how we might achieve simplicity across a range of areas: our relationships, social lives, work routines and our approaches to possessions and media. Along the way, we learn about Zen Buddhism, modernist architecture, monasteries, psychoanalysis, and why we probably dont need more than three good friends or a few treasured belongings.It isnt enough that our lives should look simple; they need to be simple from the inside. This book takes a psychological approach, guiding us towards less contorted hearts and minds. It suggests that once we truly know who we are and what we want, we will be able to live with far less than we currently believe we need. We have for too long been drowning in excess and clutter from a confusion about our aspirations; A Simpler Life helps us tune out the static and focus on what properly matters to us. Author Biography The School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives. Through our range of books, gifts and stationery we aim to prompt more thoughtful natures and help everyone to find fulfilment.The School of Life Press brings together the thinking and ideas of the School of Life creative team under the direction of series editor, Alain de Botton. Their books share a coherent, curated message that speaks with one voice: calm, reassuring and sane. Table of Contents I. Simpler Relationships i. Becoming more straightforward ii. Simpler dates iii. Simpler relationships iv. Simpler families II. A Simpler Social Life i. What others think ii. How many friends do we need? iii. How often do we need to go out? III. A Simpler Lifestyle i. How to live in a hut ii. How to enjoy a provincial life iii. Why we need quieter days iv. How to go to bed earlier v. How to be a modern monk vi. Good materialism IV. Work and Simplicity i. Thinking rather than doing ii. Voluntary poverty iii. The terror of simplicity V. Culture and Simplicity i. How to be less pretentious ii. How to read fewer books iii. How to care less about the news iv. How to travel less Conclusion Review ***What Readers are saying: ***"A perfect meditation on a simpler life. I absolutely love this book. The perfect manifesto for streamlining the clutter exist in most of our lives. I highly recommend." - NetGalley review"An interesting and thoughtful book that breaks down different aspects of life and how to simplify [it]." - NetGalley review"If you feel overwhelmed, then you will find solace with this book." - NetGalley review"Readers searching for recommendations for simplifying their lives will find food for thought in this [book]." - NetGalley review"I enjoyed this well written book about improving the quality of life and creating a more peaceful existence by simplifying some areas ... The book in itself is simply laid out, with short, concise chapters and lends itself well to the reduction of our carbon footprint and re-focusing in a stressful world." - NetGalley review"This book is my favourite to date. Every chapter made me stop and pause. Thank you, The School of Life, for your work. Its inspirational." - NetGalley review"A well written and thoughtful book. Short chapters that can be read and understood with ideas that you are able to put into practice." - NetGalley review"An enjoyable read that prompts self-exploration and personal growth." - NetGalley review"Packed full of information, this book is written in easy to read, straightforward language that gets to the point quickly without waffle." - NetGalley review"What an excellent book on both the absurdness of modernity as well as the value of living with intention and simplicity. Give this a read and you surely wont be disappointed that you did." - NetGalley review"As we come out of a global pandemic and are pulled back into a busy life [with] work [and] family commitments, this book is great to dip in and out of to remind us of how to slow down, what is important and isnt." - NetGalley review"A superb and timely overview on how to lead a simple life. I particularly enjoyed dipping in and out of this guide. As someone whose word for 2022 is simplify, I found the advice and philosophy on these pages fascinating and useful in trying to resist the onward march of consumerism and the must haves in our modern world. Recommend for anyone wanting to switch off and reconfigure whats important in their life." - NetGalley review"A wonderful book exemplifying the virtues of living a simpler life. Just reading this book was so calming and motivational to tweak areas in my own life that could benefit from more simplicity. This book would be a lovely gift and the cover is gorgeous too. The perfect book to curl up under a blanket with a pot of tea and meander a Sunday afternoon away with." - NetGalley review"I love The School of Life books and this one is amongst the best as its full of food for thought. I think we all want a simpler life and this book was useful to help me reflect." - NetGalley review"A thought-provoking read to help you live a simpler life. Sometimes we dont realise how we complicate our lives and this book will help you disentangle what you can change and what you have to accept. A book you will return to again and again." - NetGalley review Promotional Exploring ideas around minimalism, simplicity and how to live comfortably with less. Long Description The modern world can be a complicated, frenzied and noisy place, filled with too many options, products, ideas and opinions. That explains why what many of us long for is simplicity: a life that can be more pared down, peaceful and focused on the essentials.But finding simplicity is not always easy; it isnt just a case of emptying out our closets or trimming back commitments in our diaries. True simplicity requires that we understand the roots of our distractions - and develop a canny respect for the stubborn reasons why things can grow complex and overwhelming.This book is a guide to the simpler lives we crave and deserve. It considers how we might achieve simplicity across a range of areas: our relationships, social lives, work routines and our approaches to possessions and media. Along the way, we learn about Zen Buddhism, modernist architecture, monasteries, psychoanalysis, and why we probably dont need more than three good friends or a few treasured belongings.It isnt enough that our lives should look simple; they need to be simple from the inside. This book takes a psychological approach, guiding us towards less contorted hearts and minds. It suggests that once we truly know who we are and what we want, we will be able to live with far less than we currently believe we need. We have for too long been drowning in excess and clutter from a confusion about our aspirations; A Simpler Life helps us tune out the static and focus on what properly matters to us. Review Quote ***What Readers are saying:*** "A perfect meditation on a simpler life - I loved it." - NetGalley review "An interesting and thoughtful book that breaks down different aspects of life and how to simplify [it]." - NetGalley review Excerpt from Book I. Simpler Relationships i. Becoming more straightforward When discussing our aspirations for simplicity, there is something fundamental we should seek, long before we focus on simpler houses and clothes, simpler social lives and holidays: simpler kinds of people. A simple person is someone who speaks plainly about what they really want and who they really are. What makes simple people gratifying to be around isnt that their intentions are always unproblematic for us, its that we know exactly what those intentions are from the start. Around simple, straightforward people, there is no need to second-guess, infer, decode, untangle, unscramble or translate. There are no sudden surprises. If they dont want to do something, they will, politely and in good time, explain that its really not for them. If theyre unhappy with our behaviour, they wont smile sweetly while developing noxious stores of envy or hatred in the recesses of their minds; they will immediately provide a gentle but accurate statement of how we are frustrating them. If they are worried a project is going awry, they wont pretend that all is well until a catastrophe can no longer be denied; they will speak up and try to fix the problem. If they are attracted to someone, they will find kind and inoffensive ways of making their feelings clear. And in bed, they may want to please, but they can also be honest and unashamed about what actually excites them. People become frustratingly complicated when they doubt the legitimacy of their desires - and therefore dont dare to tell the world what they properly want and feel. They may appear to agree with everything were saying but it is likely to emerge that they have a host of reservations that will require an age to uncover and resolve. They will ask you if youd like another slice of cake when they are pining for one themselves. They will swear that they want to join you for the dinner you suggested, when in reality, they are aching for an early night. They will give every impression of being happy with you while crying inside. They will say sorry when they want you to apologise. They feel overlooked but wont ever push themselves forward or raise a complaint. They are longing to be understood but never speak. When they are attracted to someone, the only outward evidence might be a few sarcastic comments - which leaves the object of their affections bemused or unimpressed. And with sex, they go along with what they feel might be normal as opposed to what actually interests them. What could explain such confusing complexity? The root cause is poignant; it springs not from evil or cold manipulativeness, but from fear; the fear of how an audience might respond if ones true intentions were to be known. There is, as is so often the case, likely to be a childhood origin to this pattern of behaviour. A child becomes complicated - that is, underhand, roundabout or even deceitful - when their earliest caregiver gives the impression that there is no room for honesty. Imagine a child whose needs (for another biscuit, for a run around the garden, for help with homework or for a chance not to see Granny) might have been received with obvious irritation or open anger. This child would never quite know when its parent would get annoyed or angry - or why. Or else the child might sense that a parent would be unbearably saddened if they revealed too many authentic aspirations. Why would any of us say how we feel or what we want, if the result were to be shouting and tears, or a complaint from a loved but fragile grown-up that this was a betrayal or all simply too much? And so this child would grow expert at speaking in emotional code; become someone who prefers always to imply rather than state, who planes the edge off every truth, who hedges their ideas, who gives up trying to say anything that the audience might not already want to hear; someone who lacks the courage to articulate their own convictions or to make a bid for the affection of another person. Fortunately, none of us is fated to be eternally complicated. We can untangle ourselves by noticing and growing curious about the origins of our evasiveness and inadvertent slyness. We can register how little of our truth was originally acceptable to those who brought us into the world. Simultaneously, we can remind ourselves that our circumstances have changed. The dangers that gave birth to our coded manner of communicating have passed: no one is now going to shout at us, or feel inexplicably hurt, like they once did. Or if they do, we now have agency - we can, as a last but crucial resort, walk away. We can use the freedoms of adulthood to own up to more of who we actually are. We can also recognise that our complicated behaviour doesnt please people as we might have hoped. Most of the people we deal with would far rather be face frustration head-on than be sold a fine tale and then have to suffer disappointment in gradual doses. Human interaction always carries a risk of conflict: we are never far from misaligned goals and divergent desires. The simple and straightforward ones among us are lucky to have known enough love and acceptance early on in their lives to bear the danger of ruffling feathers; they invest their energies in trying to deliver their own truths with thoughtful diplomacy rather than in clumsily burying them beneath temporary saccharine smiles. We discover the joys of simple communication when we can accept that what we want is almost never impossible for others to bear; its the cover-up that maddens and pains. Description for Sales People Advises us on how to reduce our psychological load by adopting a simpler, more straight-forward mindset. Acknowledges the burden that abundance of choice can place upon us and explores ways to declutter everyday life. Sections focus on how to simplify your life in all areas, including: Simpler Relationships, A Simpler Social Life, A Simpler Lifestyle, Work and Simplicity and Culture and Simplicity. Details ISBN1912891689 Short Title A Simpler Life Language English Year 2022 ISBN-10 1912891689 ISBN-13 9781912891689 Format Hardcover Publisher The School of Life Press Imprint The School of Life Press Country of Publication United Kingdom Publication Date 2022-01-06 AU Release Date 2022-01-06 NZ Release Date 2022-01-06 UK Release Date 2022-01-06 Pages 216 Author The School of Life DEWEY 158 Audience General Subtitle a guide to greater serenity, ease, and clarity We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:134138654;

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