Nancy Sleeth

This book was about a family and how they made "responsible" changes in their lives to benefit the environment. The theme of Amish wisdom and information about the Amish culture were interesting but seemed like a vehicle to show how great this family is and how we all should be doing what they are doing. I can read other books about the Amish that are more to my liking. The whole thing came off as superior and probably unrealistic for most people. I scanned most of the book after the first few chapters. It just was not what I expected.… (mais)

While I liked the book, I couldn't help but think, "wow, Nancy, not everyone has the perfect life like you do!!" While the ideas in the book are great and will lead to a slower, simpler more sustainable life, most people can not do the things that she is doing. Yes, we can garden, yes, we can be more involved with our community and neighbors, but, some of the stated ideas just aren't feasible for most people. Most people could only dream of her life. It seems to me that this is a "June Cleaver" book. Great ideas and wonderful stories, I was just looking for something more substantial that would apply to more people.… (mais)

I'm not sure what to say about this book. Another one that wasn't bad, but wasn't great. I suppose this sounds dumb, but it was far more religious than I expected. I know, I know...it's about the Amish, a religious group. Yeah, I probably should have figured it out. Somehow, though, (probably based upon the subtitle), I expected more about simplicity, less about God. (The author, I'm sure, would argue that they are inextricably connected.)

Also, as others have said, it seems like a lot of the book was about the author's incredibly privileged life. It's fabulous that she's been able to make so many positive changes, but many (if not most) of those changes would not have been possible were it not for her husband's doctor's salary.

Not terrible, just not what I expected.… (mais)