When you tell your friends you're thinking of ditching your cellphone and cutting up your Visa, they may think you're nuts. Be strong and read the Ten Principles of Simple Living, which include Consume less; Love people, not things; Put people before things; and Live from your vision. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Simple Living is about evaluating your consumer-choked life and learning to live happily with what you need--not what you think you need or just plain want. Cutting back and reconsidering your time, relationships, and especially spending isn't going to be easy. "Simple living is about making choices that put you in the position of being more in control of how you choose to spend your money," says author Georgene Lockwood, "not shunning money altogether." Focusing on what you like to do, rather than on what you have to do (or think you have to do), is a way to simplify. The book is divided into five sections: What is Simple Living?; Your Money IS Your Life; Simple Living Basics: Food, Clothing, Shelter; Family, Friends, and Community; and What if Everybody Did It? The sections are broken down into chapters that question and challenge you to reduce, reuse, and reflect. Convincingly written, this book is very practical and encouraging. "It's for people who want to have more time for relationships and for doing things they really enjoy," says Lockwood. "It's for those who are looking to go beyond simply organizing and decluttering ... to a lifestyle that's more sustainable for the future of this planet and our civilization." --Dana Van Nest