The Luxury of Less

by Karol Gajda

Luxury of Less is about how to live an extraordinary life without the physical and mental excess pervasive in our society today. It's my story of deep depression and incredible happiness.

The title and contents are very loosely based on The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi.

What others have said (about the PDF version I sell on my website LuxuryOfLess.com):

I love the Luxury of Less because it’s so much more than an ebook on minimalism. The Luxury of Less is about living a healthy life filled with joy. Karol gives great advice and ideas to change your life in simple, practical ways that make a big difference. Anyone can benefit from the ebook, not simply someone who wants to live with less than 100 things and travel the world. The Luxury of Less is written for a mother of 3, a single twenty something and a retiree. With it’s dirt cheap price, I highly recommend the Luxury of Less to anyone who is looking to pare down their life and focus on what is most important.

- Kristen Sloan

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In the Luxury of Less ebook, Karol walks you through how you can examine your life inside out through minimalism. It’s about examining not only one’s relationship with stuff but also relationships with people and relationship with one’s self.

I really enjoyed reading the ebook as Karol’s authenticity shines when he used his life experiences as an example and an inspiration to answer the question on why be a minimalist. The luxury of less is not about depriving oneself, it’s about making room for the things that matter to you and using them as tools to go for your dreams and live your best life. Whether you’re a long time minimalist or new to the concept of minimalism, this ebook will certainly inspire you to clear the clutter in your life, remove toxic relationships, be a friend to yourself and most of all enjoy life to the fullest by working on what you’re truly passionate about.

If there’s one book on minimalism that you should read, this would be it.

- Anna Zalazar

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An inspiring reflection on the truly important things in life.

- Antonio Serrano

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Philosophy, Ebooks, Cultural

71 pages, ebook

First published October 4, 2010

Reviews

[Jennifer Garoutte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read quite a few books and blogs on minimalism lately and this was the one I least related to. I could not connect with the author who seemed to be alternating between telling me how awful his life was and how wonderful it is now without giving me any real good reasons for the change. On his key major points of minimalism, such as living without a car or tv and being vegan, I found his arguments far less than persuasive. I felt like I was watching Tom Cruise jump up and down on Oprah's couch shouting about how wonderful life is without being able to share in the joy of moment because his path to happiness was not something I was "getting".

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book - I just didn't. The first "ring" (health) was 40% of the book! It was basically a manifesto for Veganism. I also felt my hackels rise when he dismissed walking as a form of exercise - for some of his readers with chronic illnesses (cough) walking is the only exercise we can get - and it comes doctor recommended, BTW!

Then the rest of the book felt rushed and incomplete. It should have been titled "The Minimalist Guide to Eating".

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Premise was intriguing. Execution was insulting. Preachy and self-aggrandizing don't begin to cover it.

[Kurt Gielen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bollocks. Total and utter bollocks. And I'm not talking about minimalism, I'm sure for a lot of people that's a great philosophy, however for people that have already disconnected their happiness from materialism, you are already done and can consider yourself a minimalist.

What is really annoying me in this book, is the guy's overconfident tone that his way is the only way. However, in a weird way to try to please people (out of a fear of pissing too many people off?), he's constantly saying that you got to live your own life. So often is he refering to the fact that it's not up to him to tell you this or that, but then when it comes to stuff that is really up his ally (like getting rid of TV), all of a sudden there is no grey; the only way is to get rid of it completely.
Screw that, I live a full life filled with experiences (like moving an entire family to Norway), I spend many evenings working out, reading or listening to music, but whenever House M.D. comes on, I'm in front of my TV BECAUSE SOME TV IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT AND MAKES ME HAPPY.
And for other people, like my wife, TV is a source of happiness altogether.

In short I'm sure the guy has found happiness, good for him, but what he doesn't get is that happiness is different for everybody.

The good thing is that when you aspire writing an e-book, and you read this one you realize you can actually do it as good or better than this guy. Which is exactly what I'm doing.

So thanks for that Karol!

After my second reading I have to admit that his overall concept of the five rings is good, but what he clearly has not let go of is his discomfort with luxury. Just because he was unhappy with his six figure income doesn't mean all money is evil. He just had his balance wrong. And unless he sees that, one day he will wake up and feel the same way about experiences. It seems to me that he may be on the verge of suffering from experiences overload. I hope I'm wrong though.

[Thehobbyseeker · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning i would like to make clear that I am sort of a fan of lifestyle called minimalism or neominimalism. I always feel that consumerism makes our lives empty, staff and money is not the purpose of our life. Because of that few months ago I bought "The luxury of less" which is very simple manual of minimalism. There is no unnecessary words, repetition and other irritating things which only function is to make book longer. Yet despite its size the book cover 5 areas of well balanced life. Those chapters are health, wealth, relationships, experiences and void. If you ask me I will add specific mental, spiritual aspect of life to this list but this is only my opinion. For most people this book will be the very good start of the escaping from too much consumerism. Some of them may even find the joy of life.
In fact my interest in minimalism is not the only reason why I've used my credit card. Inside the book author put something that make me curious. What is it? There are some challenges proposed in every chapter which should made each aspect of our life better. They usually helpful but I would like to encourage you to think twice before you do them all because it is not good to follow this path blindly. Please remember that author is a single man without children (or even long term girlfriend during this stage of his life) so he don't know everything. Be aware but still know that this book is very good motivational kick and tool that may be used to change life into better one.
Edited: now you can buy the Kindle version of 'Luxury of Less: The Five Rings of Minimalism' on Amazon

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karol Gajda is a man on a mission. His quest is to live a ridiculously extraordinary life, and along the way, help the rest of us do the same. Author of the blog, RidiculouslyExtraordinary.com, Karol consistently challenges his reader to live the best life they can, right now, no excuses.

In The Luxury for Less, Karol outlines a way to achieve the best life we can have. Many bloggers who promote the "less is more" lifestyle focus a lot on pumping up their readers, penning rather vague bromides about decluttering one's life, stripping down to 100 things owned (or less), and/or evolving into new cybernetic creatures whose "live anywhere" status and technological know how will propel them into a prosperous, peaceful future above the ignorant masses.

Karol is different. Instead of just challenging his reader through energetic words and ideas, he actually lays out a plan to help one achieve a life that is built upon less, but rich in experience. His thesis comprises five "rings" of minimalism, the moniker given to this particular "less is more" movement. Guiding through each step, Karol offers exercises to step through these rings and progress to the next one. He offers much in the way of personal experience, all with the intent of providing a map for the reader to follow.

Reading The Luxury of Less is a delight, as Karol writes as if he were sitting next to you in a bar in old Europe somewhere, exploring future action while keeping an eye on the present. He's funny, smart, and makes you want to be his friend. The best part of all is that there's no bull or filler here. It's about an hour's read, but you have to pay attention. This is not one ebook to breeze through like a cheap romance novel. Read, comprehend, practice what he writes. It's not easy, but then most challenges in life aren't, right?

this review was also published on amazon, and references the Kindle edition.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has shied away from minimalist writing in the past, I was hesitant at first to read Luxury of Less. Many minimalist books and essays promote a way of life that simply doesn't fit me -- I'm not super frugal, and I'm not going to start counting the items in my suitcase. However, I have great respect for Karol's writing, ideas and business-savvy, so I purchased my copy anyway.

Once I started the book I couldn't put it down! Karol's writing style is relatable and direct, with just the right amount of personal anecdotes and outside sources to make a strong case for each of his key points, leaving flexibility for the reader to test and adjust based on what fits for him or her. What I really loved about Karol's style is that it is strong but not preachy, and promotes an overall lifestyle that will help a person feel balanced and deeply fulfilled in five key areas: Health, Wealth, Relationships, Experiences and The Void. What's the Void? You'll have to read to find out!

Overall, I loved the format of the book and the concise, compelling case for how to live a life of luxury without the social striving or excess that typically follows (at least in America).

Living according to the Luxury of Less can truly change your life. Study this well!

[David Ranney · Rating 1 out of 5]

"For the most part I don't eat soy. It's not because I think it's unhealthy. Claims that soy is unhealthy are incredibly overblown. (Again, I ask that you research it yourself. Don't believe anything I state.)"

Take a small mess like this excerpt, extrapolate it over 70 pages, and you have a substantial mess. For a supposed text on minimalism, there's about 68 wasted pages here. Here are the cliffnotes on minimalistic philsophy: "Abandon extraneous possessions, achieve clarity through meaningful purusits, live in the present." This book adds nothing to those basic tenents, and often muddles the issues with his own pseudo-philosophies.

[Elie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gajda's book about minimalism felt like being preached at, and the parts about the superiority of vegans pushed me towards dislike. I enjoy the topic and the extremes to which some, like Gajda, have taken it--living out of a backpack or with less than 100 things--but attraction, and not lectures, make the best promotion strategy.

[Ann Figory · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shut up, shut up, oh my god, shut up. There's repeating yourself for reinforcement then there's repeating yourself for filler; this was the latter. Less of a dive into a philosophy, more some guy rattling off things he'd say to rope in — and lose — a girl.

[Alexandria Blaelock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Working from the premise that it is better to have a few high-quality items than many of low quality, the Gajda takes you on a decluttering journey inspired by the five rings of Miyamoto Musashi.

It's not clear how the rings of health, wealth, relationships, experiences and void are linked, or how the challenges help you develop them, and this reduces the overall usefulness of the book. Particularly given you need all five for a happy life.

It includes substantial quotes from the work of others.

According to its Amazon page, the author has increased the price astronomically to discourage sales. He chooses not to revise or remove it from sale as he wants it as a live show of his work.

[Amy G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some helpful ideas scattered throughout but I thought this seemed like a book just for the author rather than for other people - like someone with a spouse and children for instance. It was very black and white - you "HAVE" to get rid of your TV or you are just another worthless sheep - no excuses! Yeah, it just didn't quite fit in with my family's personal journey towards living with less. However, if you are living the single, bachelor lifestyle, can get by fine without a job and can store some stuff at your parent's house so you can backpack through India for the summer then maybe this is the book for you.

[Daphne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh, this wasn't for me. Minimalism sounds good, but the author's tone seemed rather smug. I'm more of an "all things in moderation" type of person and the focus of owning very little, couch surfing and dictating what you eat, etc. are all very preachy.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

’m still a wanna-be minimalist.

[Charmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minimize your demands to maximize your life.

There are five key areas: Health, Wealth, Relationships, Experiences, and The Void. 30-Day Challenges (10) are given to jump-start simplifying your life (e.g. Drink only water, eliminate processed foods, start your own business).

HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Wealth= Never worrying about basic necessities.

2. Starting Own Business= find the cross-section of what you love and what people would pay you for.

3. You can create informational websites if you don’t want to create a product or blog (*note to self*).

4. Every day, work toward improving what you’re doing and affecting more people (*great life mantra*).

5. Relationships = spending time with people who don’t contribute to your growth leads to stagnation and regression.

6. Make friends with yourself so you’ll never be alone.

7. Have deeper conversations with fewer people.

8. Don’t grow relationships with superficial limitations.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good, simple, short read full of excellent food for thought. Although I do not agree with everything written (namely, the push for veganism) it's a great book to jumpstart your OWN thoughts and goals towards minimalism. I am very pleased the author made sure to point out that simple living and minimalism need not mean CHEAP. It is okay to purchase items you really, truly long for and appreciate...and if you are going to spend your money...do so wisely and not frivolously.

A good read, fast read, and well written. I'd like to read what this author might write later in life once he's lived a few more years...as it did at times have a sanctimonious attitude to it at times, but a good book.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to introduce the idea of minimalist living to the beginner. The author's style of writing is interesting to say the least. He writes like someone would chat online. With emoticons and everything. Just an FYI.

That being said, it has a lot of great thoughts in it. I especially like the 30 day challenges that he has in there. They are great for getting you beyond getting rid of your belongings. As people said to me when I told them that I was going to live a minimalist lifestyle, they all said "Aren't you already? I mean, you don't have a lot of stuff," I let them know how it's much more than just how much you own. This book helps you with that "much more" part. A recommended read.

[Ivanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I read this 10 years ago with 2 measly stars, and I still feel the same about it 10 years later. He mentioned that purchasing this book means I have access to good food, technology and probably don't live in a third world country. Dude, educate yourself. Third world countries do have access to good food, and technology.

He reeks of privilege with points contradicting himself.

And for someone at peace with himself being a minimalist, he was surely triggered with all the negative reviews he got. Only goes to show how much of an ass he is. These are your readers, take that constructively. 😅😅 He was not at peace living in luxury, he is still not at peace with being a minimalist. Umm look elsewhere like your attitude.

[Andy Nicholson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting little read.

It's not a long book - though perhaps a tome on minimalism would be missing the point somewhat.

While I don't subscribe to the worldview behind Gajda's philosophy, I do find the practicalities quite attractive.
A really good kick-starter to asking oneself the following questions:


* How much stuff do I *really* need?
* Why do I buy what I buy?
* What should I choose to invest my limited emotion, energy & money into?
* What goals do I want to work towards?

and those are all useful.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't see myself ever embracing minimalism. I do aim to be less of a maximalist and thus downloaded this book. It's a short book, but I almost stopped reading several times: when the author said about clearing a room that there was no "keep" pile, when he quoted for the second time at great length from another author rather than coming up with his own content, when I got the feeling that his writing this book was mostly about him making money. I was hoping for a more thoughtful, persuasive approach to the subject than I got.

[Filip · Rating 2 out of 5]

While not ridiculously extraordinary and it has more of a huge blog post feel, this is a great introduction to setting on the path of cleaning up your life in every aspect. If you had a huge "why" hanging above your head about the minimalist movement, this book will most likely answer this question.

I didn't get much out of it because I'm a regular at zenhabits/Karol's site/minimalists, but if you're new at this, by all means, get it - it's a quick read.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not bad for a first effort. With a better editor, it could have rated three stars. I also think that I read it about 5 years too late. While I appreciate the practical advice sections of the book with self-help tips, the financial health section felt a bit like a scam to me (hence the 5 years too late comment), and I realized it was because so many people started eBay businesses that I began to see them as suspicious. I plan to clean out my closet(s) again this weekend though!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Potential there but the fact of him being 28 (edited 5 Aug 2013 age changed from 25 to 28 years) at the time of writing does not allow the wisdom of years lived to fully develop the book.. Good on him for his achievements so far, definitely agree with him on giving up television, what a time waster.

[The Farmer's Wife · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far, my favourite minimalism as a lifestyle choice book...and, I've read my fair share. The main question he asks his readers when deciding what to cling to and what to walk away from is worth the buying and reading of the whole book! I could have done with less of the eastern mumbo jumbo religious talk.

[Lisa Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Completely irrational for an older person with a family.

[Giber Becerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the 5 Rings of Minimalism that Karol mentions in this book. It's a great concept that shows us how to live a well-rounded and simplistic life.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ponder much of this.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very good ideas/food for thoughts and I do believe people don't need a lot to be happy and fulfilled. I did not care much for the drawn out info on starting own business - jobs can be good.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few interesting perspectives on various areas of living a minimalist life....but a lot I didn't agree with, or just find ridiculous.

[TD · Rating 2 out of 5]

disappointing