What do you think?
Rate this book
Real Simplicity
What if you could . . . You can! Real Simplicity reveals how to make all of these things a reality. Not by working faster or having more gadgets, but by simply choosing a lifestyle of conversation and community over a lifestyle of accumulation. The Frazees' practical, motivating insights call you back to the kind of relationships and life rhythms you were created to enjoy. In Real Simplicity , Rozanne and Randy show you how--and why it's so important--to balance work and play, establish healthy boundaries, deal with children's activities and homework, bring Jesus to your neighbors, and build authentic bonds with a circle of close friends. Share these insights with those around you and help usher in an amazing transformation: your life and the lives of others blooming, in the midst of the chaos and fragmentation of today's culture, into communities of purpose and peace.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2011
21 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Read
August 6, 2011This is one of the better modern books on simplicity. I like the focus on simplicity for the sake of relationships and the emphasis on natural rhythms that correspond to the times and seasons. They call this "The Hebrew Planner" approach to real simplicity.
June 12, 2020
I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for productivity books, and when this was loaned to me (thanks Mom!) it didn’t take much for me to work through it. A lot of the normal “productivity stuff” but a few unique things that make it worth looking at.
I was challenged but the “Hebrew Planner” workday approach, 6am to 6pm for work, 6pm to 10pm for relationships, and then sleep. There are lots of practical suggestions for how to do this.
The detailed description of the dinner table, particularly “Convivium” (latin for “feast”) was very helpful.
FInally, the focus on living in your neighborhood was unique and very needed. Of course, I’m very “local church” minded and am not going to step away from that, but often neighborhoods can be neglected, so this is a good focus sharpener. Great stuff! Highly recommended!
I was challenged but the “Hebrew Planner” workday approach, 6am to 6pm for work, 6pm to 10pm for relationships, and then sleep. There are lots of practical suggestions for how to do this.
The detailed description of the dinner table, particularly “Convivium” (latin for “feast”) was very helpful.
FInally, the focus on living in your neighborhood was unique and very needed. Of course, I’m very “local church” minded and am not going to step away from that, but often neighborhoods can be neglected, so this is a good focus sharpener. Great stuff! Highly recommended!
June 9, 2021
Different perspective than I anticipated. Would definitely recommend for a church reading group.
September 29, 2025
A great book filled with inspiring, practical ideas.
November 26, 2025
good review on what is truly important in "living life" ... much to ponder, and much to change
April 1, 2021
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Our mission is to express who we are, not prove to others who we are.
2. Hebrew Day Planner: 6am-6pm = productivity. 6pm-10pm = Relationships. 10pm-6am = sleep.
3. Seek to consolidate the highly effective four hours of work a day within a tight framework.
4. Results-oriented people are the kind of people whom bosses should seek to hire, every employee should seek to be a results-oriented person.
5. When our relationship time is unbalanced, our life doesn’t work.
6. We strive to extend the hours of daylight and starve ourselves of wonderful relationship time so we can get more done, but in the end, it reduces our productivity.
7. For those who look to their work for a sense of identity, their lives become pitiful as that of dogs begging for table scraps.
8. If teamwork could be formed on the basis of a balance of gifts and if everyone knew and respected each other’s gifts and unique contributions, more work could be done in less time.
9. There is a longing inside everyone to connect with God and the community. Belong-Grow-Serve.
10. The American way of life is choking connectivity to others right out of our lives.
KIDS: Children prefer more hanging out time, more unstructured time, more time with parents. Kids want open-ended child-let and unstructured time together. Teach kids to introduce themselves to adults. “Arranged friendships” with other kids in suburbia. Children’s activities are not family-friendly. It is a gift to our children to enable them to realize that they are part of a team and that their skill set is needed and valued. The unbalanced diet of age and gender friendships intolerance for children of different ages and inability to hold a conversation with adults.
1. Our mission is to express who we are, not prove to others who we are.
2. Hebrew Day Planner: 6am-6pm = productivity. 6pm-10pm = Relationships. 10pm-6am = sleep.
3. Seek to consolidate the highly effective four hours of work a day within a tight framework.
4. Results-oriented people are the kind of people whom bosses should seek to hire, every employee should seek to be a results-oriented person.
5. When our relationship time is unbalanced, our life doesn’t work.
6. We strive to extend the hours of daylight and starve ourselves of wonderful relationship time so we can get more done, but in the end, it reduces our productivity.
7. For those who look to their work for a sense of identity, their lives become pitiful as that of dogs begging for table scraps.
8. If teamwork could be formed on the basis of a balance of gifts and if everyone knew and respected each other’s gifts and unique contributions, more work could be done in less time.
9. There is a longing inside everyone to connect with God and the community. Belong-Grow-Serve.
10. The American way of life is choking connectivity to others right out of our lives.
KIDS: Children prefer more hanging out time, more unstructured time, more time with parents. Kids want open-ended child-let and unstructured time together. Teach kids to introduce themselves to adults. “Arranged friendships” with other kids in suburbia. Children’s activities are not family-friendly. It is a gift to our children to enable them to realize that they are part of a team and that their skill set is needed and valued. The unbalanced diet of age and gender friendships intolerance for children of different ages and inability to hold a conversation with adults.
May 10, 2011
book review: Real Simplicity, Making Room for Life by Rozanne & Randy Frazee
These days many of us find ourselves caught up in the flurried cyle of life, with no idea of how to slow things down, even if we wanted to. Real Simplicity by Rozanne & Randy Frazee reveals practical ways to make this longing a reality. Last year, I spent about six months researching and delving into the topic of simplicity and I can tell you that this is not your typical take on “simplicity”.
“There is among Americans a common illness called ‘leisure sickness’. This malady manifests itself in several forms, such as flulike symptoms, headache, sore throat and muscle aches. Essentially, our bodies and emotions are so stressed out during the week that in the evenings and particularly on the weekends we fall apart.”
Have you ever wondered about this? Notice how these days we don’t even allow ourselves to take a day off if we are sick? This is not isolated to individuals, rather there is a greater issue being unveiled. In this book, the authors question whether historians will look back on this era and find that it is marked by “the death of community and perhaps even of the family”. They identify key traits of “crowded loneliness” “isolation undermining health” “work imbalance””accumulation addiction” and so much more. All of these issues are culminating to cause a decline in the overall health of our families and society as a whole.
visit my blog for the full review: http://frequencyofwords.tumblr.com/po...
These days many of us find ourselves caught up in the flurried cyle of life, with no idea of how to slow things down, even if we wanted to. Real Simplicity by Rozanne & Randy Frazee reveals practical ways to make this longing a reality. Last year, I spent about six months researching and delving into the topic of simplicity and I can tell you that this is not your typical take on “simplicity”.
“There is among Americans a common illness called ‘leisure sickness’. This malady manifests itself in several forms, such as flulike symptoms, headache, sore throat and muscle aches. Essentially, our bodies and emotions are so stressed out during the week that in the evenings and particularly on the weekends we fall apart.”
Have you ever wondered about this? Notice how these days we don’t even allow ourselves to take a day off if we are sick? This is not isolated to individuals, rather there is a greater issue being unveiled. In this book, the authors question whether historians will look back on this era and find that it is marked by “the death of community and perhaps even of the family”. They identify key traits of “crowded loneliness” “isolation undermining health” “work imbalance””accumulation addiction” and so much more. All of these issues are culminating to cause a decline in the overall health of our families and society as a whole.
visit my blog for the full review: http://frequencyofwords.tumblr.com/po...
March 31, 2014
This book acts as a good reminder to simplify not just clutter (of which there are many books) but time and relationships. Today's families have been seduced by activities - to enroll in multiple sports for kids, lessons, birthday parties, etc. When do you really rest and spend time together. I recommend this read to families thinking about having children and families with children to rethink the "pack the schedule" mentality.By filling the calendar with events in such a manner you are eating fast food at the ballpark or swim-meet while your other kids do their homework in the bleachers doesn't make for good training on life. Multi-tasking is a fallacy that gives us permission to give everything significantly less than 100%. I really liked the mindset of the Hebrew calendar and looking for relationships that are "geographically attractive." I'm not sure how well it works when one or both parents are traditional working professionals (8-5 workday) but it's definitely worth reading for the contemplations alone.
Currently reading
April 22, 2013Randy Frazee pastors at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio with Max Lucado. He and his wife have spent many years trying to find the "simple life"and they share their experiences with readers who have the same goal. They show you how you can choose a life style that is quieter, less stressful and allows for more meaningful relationships. It isn't a matter of re-organizing the house and list of activities. It's a matter of adopting a lifestyle that is more in tune to the way God created us.
Their solution is based on the Hebrew calendar and restructuring our time to the way God designed on the sixth day of creation to function in harmony and rhythm with what He created the first five days.
I believe their strategies for a balanced lifestyle are realistic. I plan to make some changes in my life based on what I learned from this book.
Their solution is based on the Hebrew calendar and restructuring our time to the way God designed on the sixth day of creation to function in harmony and rhythm with what He created the first five days.
I believe their strategies for a balanced lifestyle are realistic. I plan to make some changes in my life based on what I learned from this book.
February 15, 2014
OK, I felt like this book tried to force several different themes under the umbrella of simplicity, and they didn't gel. I loved chapters 4 and 11 about the concept of consolidating relationships into a neighborhood emphasis; it's something I've been contemplating, and hearing the authors' experiences was helpful (a more in-depth book on this topic would be appreciated - sounds like "Connecting Church" might be their expansion on it) Much of the rest revolved around the ills of suburban family life and how to rebalance our time, but there weren't a whole lot of new or specific ideas, and Bible verses were sparsely sprinkled.
August 11, 2013
Creates in me a longing to return to this simple lifestyle where most of our activities are within our own neighborhood. A new concept for small groups, one created on my own street. Good suggestions on how to transition back to this way of living. For example, when signing children up for sports and extracurricular, choose those where the neighbor children will participate.
I find the Hebrew calendar concept particularly appealing. Work stops at 6PM. Dinner around a table from 6-8PM (This includes clean up), and time together from 8-10PM. Returning to family, neighbors-such rich benefits.
I find the Hebrew calendar concept particularly appealing. Work stops at 6PM. Dinner around a table from 6-8PM (This includes clean up), and time together from 8-10PM. Returning to family, neighbors-such rich benefits.
May 7, 2013
This is actually an updated version of Randy Frazee's book "Making Room for Life" with additions from his wife Rozanne. Her contributions add a lot to the book. There are some radical ideas in this book, but all of them are worth considering in order to reverse the trend toward busier and busier lives with little time together as a family or pursuing real relationship in the communities in which we live.
March 25, 2013
A wonderful, simple book. And it all starts at home, focused on the family, the cornerstone. Oh if we could put into practice all that Randy and Rozanne have embraced in this book, I know our homes would be better places and in turn that would filter out into the rest of our everyday lives....churches, schools, work......try it...I double dog dare ya!
blessings to you both!
blessings to you both!
September 25, 2011
Loved the concept of the Hebrew day and stopping outside life by 6 PM! Would love to adopt it here in WW!
November 11, 2011
Typical self-help book, but with a Christian bent.
April 17, 2013
Good, common sense advice, about how to and why you should make home the center of your life.
October 14, 2013
Thought provoking and practical. This is a must read for anyone wanting to slow down their pace of life without sacrificing relationships.
September 20, 2016
When you recovering from burnout a gem of a book to read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews