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Books & Videos on Simplicity:
Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth
by Jim Merkel
 Jim was a super-conservative arms trader until he saw the light and became one of the most radical green people I’ve ever met. In Radical Simplicity, he shows how the most important thing we can do to make our lifestyle sustainable for the planet is to shrink our footprint. In order for us to use only as much as the planet can support, we’d have to be living a much simpler life—economically equivalent to the lifestyle of many third world countries. But he writes this book with a lot of encouragement and hope, assuring us that if we can just start moving in that direction, rather than enlarging our footprint, we’re on the right track.
BBC’s Happiness Link: If you think that you must own something expensive to make you happy, or if you ever have trouble remembering what the point of life is, check out this link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/happiness_formula/4663572.stm
Voluntary Simplicity: Toward A Way Of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich
by Duane Elgin
One of the original classics of the simplicity movement.
The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream
 This award winning film, that probably isn’t showing in your local theater lit a fire under my butt towards rebuilding the resource base of our small town, in a similar way to reading “Radical Simplicity” got me to rethink my own use of resources. If you don’t see this film, you may find yourself stranded in the suburbs, without food or gas sometime in the next 10-20 years… You can order it online at their website: http://www.endofsuburbia.com/
Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence
by Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin
 This is Jim Merkel’s favorite book on downsizing. By downsizing your spending, you can cut back on the time you need to be earning money, therefore having a lot more quality time for community, family, creativity, activism, or whatever floats your boat. (Check out the BBC happiness link if you need any ideas as to how to spend all the extra time you’ll have after following the premises of this book.)
If you’d like to read more about the philosophy of the book, you can go to their website and click on the articles section. http://www.yourmoneyoryourlife.org/fom-default.asp
How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously
by Jerrold Mundis
 This is a slightly different take on the subject of money. Written before the simplicity movement took off, this is essentially a textbook from Debtors Anonymous, a 12-step program for those who have fallen into trouble with credit cards and other debt. It is a wonderful book about the process of getting one’s finances under control, and how to prioritize one’s use of money when it does come in. (ie if you get a big lump sum of money, should you use it all to pay off a big chunk of your credit cards? Answer, no. You’ll have to read the book to find out why, but it makes a lot of sense.)
Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui
by Karen Kingston
 I have read a lot of books on clutter clearing and organizing, and a lot of books on feng-shui (the asian art of creating harmonious spaces). This little book is the best book on both subjects that I have found. It is simple and easy to read and follow—obviously written by an uncluttered mind.
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