The Abundance of Less: Lessons in Simple Living from Rural Japan. This item is unavailable.The Abundance of Less: Lessons in Simple Living from Rural Japan

In an evocative and intimate narrative that captures the texture of ordinary--yet exceptional--lives, Andy Couturier tells the stories of ten men and women who left behind mainstream existences in urban Japan to create new lives deep in the rural mountains. He relates the ways they found to live simply and sustainably, in harmony with their environment, surrounded by the luxuries of nature, art, friends, delicious food, and most important, an abundance of time in which to enjoy it all. The ten people describe the profound personal transformations they underwent as they escaped the stress, consumerism, busyness, and dependence on technology of modern life to establish fulfilling lives as farmers and artists who rely on themselves for happiness and sustenance. Their journeys show us how we too can travel a meaningful path by living simply, growing rich in a whole new way, and discovering true success by having a life that matters. This updated edition is supplemented by evocative photos that contextualize the stories.

Andy Couturier, an expert in Asian philosophical systems, spent four years living in rural Japan. There, he wrote for the Japan Times, worked with local environmentalists on preservation projects, and studied the connections between Japanese aesthetics and writing--essentially, he studied and lived the culture of rural Japan. Couturier has also traveled extensively in Africa, Southeast Asia, and India, been a researcher for Greenpeace, and taught writing for more than a decade.