Almost Amish

by Nancy Sleeth

Have you ever stopped to think, Maybe the Amish are on to something ? Look around. We tweet while we drive, we talk while we text, and we surf the Internet until we fall asleep. We are essentially plugged in and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Rather than mastering technology, we have allowed technology to master us. We are an exhausted nation. No one has enough time, everyone feels stressed out, and our kids spend more hours staring at a screen each week than they do playing outside.

It’s time to simplify our lives, make faith and family the focal point, and recapture the lost art of simple living. Building on the basic principles of Amish life, Nancy Sleeth shows readers how making conscious choices to limit (and in some cases eliminate) technology’s hold on our lives and getting back to basics can help us lead calmer, more focused, less harried lives that result in stronger, deeper relationships with our families, friends, and God.

Genres: Nonfiction, Amish, Christian, Memoir, Christian Living, Religion, Biography Memoir

268 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Nancy Sleeth and her husband, Matthew, are cofounders of Blessed Earth, a faith-based environmental nonprofit. After an environmental and spiritual conversion experience, Nancy and her family radically altered their footprint, giving away half their possessions and reducing their energy use by more than two-thirds. Prior to heeding this environmental calling, Nancy served as communications director for a Fortune 500 company and as an educator and administrator, most recently at Asbury University. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds a master’s degree in journalism. Nancy and Matthew are the parents of Clark, a medical resident preparing for missionary work, and Emma, the author of It’s Easy Being Green (Zondervan), which is a call to teens to live sustainable lifestyles. The Sleeths live in Lexington, Kentucky.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author knows everything, has perfect children, never has problems or does anything wrong, is a perfect follower of Jesus, and is as green as the day is long. Oh. And she'll remind you of all of this over and over throughout the book.

If you can't tell, I find her annoying and self-righteous. Does that mean the book isn't chocked full of truth and good stuff? No, because it is. It was really difficult to hear past the author so you could soak in the truth, but that's how it felt. She also doesn't do herself any favors by painting the Amish as a people without problems and perfectly in line with God. They've got major issues, and she glosses over them to turn them into the perfect model of living.

I agree with most of the content of this book, but I'm pretty sure I'd want to fight this lady if I ever met her.

[Kristen]

This book caught my eye at my local library and since I am certainly interested in living more sustainably I checked it out. It turns out that this is written from a pretty Christian perspective; idealizing a sustainable life FOR GOD. But I decided to keep an open mind as long as it remained a positive, inclusive message.

Fifty pages in it got really hard to take this woman seriously. She tells a story about her husband having her old bicycle fixed up for their 30th wedding anniversary gift. She rides it directly from the bike shop to her daughter's apartment, parks it, pops in to say hi, comes out and the bike is gone! Stolen! Now she's mad and goes to the police etc. but eventually looks on it as some kind of message from God or something. Here is the quote that really got me: "While having the bike stolen certainly was not Matthew's intention, it was the actually the best birthday present that he could have given me; a yearly reminder that real security comes from God alone."

Seriously, THAT was the message you got from the experience? Here is the REAL message from God, "Hey lady, get a $20 U-lock. I do not have time to watch your bike."

BTW- for those of you who put the Amish on pedestal of morality, the Amish are responsible for some of the largest disgusting puppy and kitten mills in the United States. "Subjugating God's creations for human use" and all that crap. So beware of "adopting" a pet from the Amish. There's are good chance the animal's parents are suffering in a barn out back.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ah, the lure of the Amish. For whatever reason, the Amish way of life evokes feelings of simplicity, peace and perfection. When we moved to this area of Pennsylvania four years ago, I was intrigued by the Amish. I read lots of Amish fiction and rushed to the window every time I heard the sounds of a horse and buggy.

Nancy Sleeth draws on this fascination with the Amish for her book Almost Amish: One woman's quest for a slower, simpler, more sustainable life. I, too, long for simplicity and greater sustainability, so I was eager to read what the author had to say.

Sleeth's family had what they call a spiritual and environmental conversion about a decade ago. Not only did they align their lives with Christ, they significantly and drastically changed their lifestyle. They gave half their possessions away. They learned to live with less. They made caring for the earth their job.

In Almost Amish, Sleeth uses 10 Amish principles to offer ways the rest of us who aren't Amish can learn from their examples.

I really wanted to like this book, but by the second chapter -- on technology -- I was angry. And that attitude tainted the rest of the read for me. I think Sleeth has a lot to offer those of us who want a slower, saner, earth-friendlier life, and I look forward to adopting some changes in our home and life.

But I have two major issues with the book.

First, tone. Sleeth is a highly educated woman who also has been an educator. I can appreciate her passion for this topic, but I felt guilty more than inspired by her words. For each of the principles, she offers a practically perfect example of the life of someone she knows. So close to perfect, they almost don't seem real, and even though I trust that these are real people, I don't know if I'd want to hang out with them. They seemed unapproachable, and many of the principles, though practiced by Sleeth's family, seem unattainable by regular folks.

I often felt like Sleeth was talking down to readers. I don't know. Maybe it was just my interpretation.

Secondly, Sleeth seems to idolize the Amish, painting them as perfect examples of simplicity and living out God's intended way of life. Even the more controversial aspects of their culture, like shunning, she justifies as necessary discipline. I find it hard to believe that a woman with a master's degree education would say we all need to be like a group of people who don't educate their children past eighth grade.

In defense of families, Sleeth quotes these statistics about the Amish: "the divorce rate is less than 1 percent, illegitimate births are nearly unheard of and the suicide rate is less than half the American average." That all sounds good, but bear in mind, that's the stuff that's reported. I'm not saying Amish communities are dens of iniquity but let's not pretend that bad things don't happen to them, too. Those statistics made me wonder how many miserable Amish women were trapped in abusive marriages because divorce is rare or whether there were cases of rape or incest among the brethren.

The Young Center at Elizabethtown College, which Sleeth references in the book, provides a partial answer.

Q: Do the Amish have problems?
A: Yes. They are humans and, like all human societies, have their share of problems. Sometimes rebellious youth act out and abuse alcohol or use drugs. Some marriages turn sour. There are documented cases of incest and sexual abuse in some families. Although such problems do exist, there are no systematic studies to enable comparisons with other groups or mainstream society. In general, the Amish way of life provides many sources of satisfaction for most of its members.

Don't miss this point: "there are no systematic studies to enable comparisons with other groups or mainstream society." And a key word at the end: "most." I don't doubt that the Amish way of life is satisfying and fulfilling. For most people. And that emulating an Amish lifestyle might provide the same for some non-Amish. But they are not a utopian society nor are they perfect.

In the end, I think I'm mostly disappointed with this book, although it has given me some guidelines for simplifying my life.

[Liesl · Rating 1 out of 5]

To sum the book up in one word: Preachy.

I only got about forty pages into the book before I gave up. I flipped through to different sections to see if maybe it was late-bloomer. Unfortunately it isn’t. The author had a great opportunity to inspire folks (even non-Christian ones) but instead just ended up coming across holier-than-thou. There isn't as much mention of the Amish as I thought, apart from shallow facts. Instead there is a lot of touting her own family's achievements. (Glad she was inspired by that Amish pride!)

What really gets me is the deceptive cover. (This could be the publisher's fail and not the author's.) I see a hip woman with jewelry and a tattoo (!), rocking an apron and a holding a loaf of homemade bread. So I was hoping for a fresh new take on leading a simpler life---being Almost Amish.
There are plenty of other books out there that fit this bill---making homemaking and sustainability into an art, inviting you into their story and in turn inspiring you to take small (or big!) steps towards a more wholesome life. In my opinion, this just isn't one of them.

I’m just glad I borrowed it from the library and didn’t drop ten bucks on it.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book. The tone is so condesending and smug. And preachy.

[Jillian (Peapod Historical Bookery) · Rating 2 out of 5]

{ I received this as an ebook from NetGalley. Full review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. }

I wanted to read this book because I've been fascinated with the Amish way of life for as long as I can remember. The idea of making my own life slower, simpler, and more sustainable really appealed to me, so I was interested to read what Sleeth had to say in Almost Amish. Unfortunately, what she said and the way she said it completely turned me off.

Simply put, there is not enough about Amish life in this book for me. There are little tidbits of information here and there about how the Amish live and what they believe, and then there is a whooooole lot of detail about how Sleeth and her family transformed themselves and their lives.

There are some smaller changes suggested by Sleeth that readers could easily put into practice, such as starting a garden, giving away unneeded material possessions, and disconnecting from social media a bit. But for the most part, the changes that the family made are not small things that everyone could adopt in their own lives; this family gave up their jobs and reworked their entire existence to pursue a drastically different way of life. The way even the smaller ideas are presented and the way the family seems to take everything to the extreme kind of pushed the ideas themselves to the background; the focus throughout the book was on the family, not on encouraging change for good.

I'm sure Sleeth didn't intend to come across this way, but page after page read like, "Look at us! Look at the sacrifices we have made! We are such good Christians! Don't you want to be like us?" There are underhanded little hints at how privileged and fortunate they were before they went "almost Amish"; lines like "my son the doctor" and "we give so much away!" pop up quite frequently. It came off as boastful to me, and it really turned me off of this family.

I suppose I could just be bitter because this book was so far from what I expected. If I had known that Almost Amish was a book about this family and why they think they've got life figured out and why you should be more like them, rather than a book about Amish living and how to make realistic changes in your own life, it wouldn't have been on my to-read list.

[Brigid · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every single page has religious references and quotes. Didn't even get past skimming the first chapter. I have very little respect for a woman who says in referencing cleaning out her medicine cabinet, 'Get rid of all your anti-aging creams, (well almost all of them)."

Not enough 'Amish' in this book, too much 'Almost'.

[Khrista · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked:
The first few chapters were immensely convicting in the matters of 'Technology' and 'Finances'. I took quite a few notes in these chapters. The chapter on 'Service' was good as well. I highlighted this quote: "Service to others reduces loneliness and isolation. The very act of getting outside of our selfish, small concerns enriches us."
It may be that I put this book down for a couple months before finally finishing it, but the end of the book seemed rather repetitive and I grew rather tired of hearing about the authors family and their "accomplishments." I'm sure her intent was not to brag, but that's how it came across to me. I guess I do not place as much value in higher education as the author seems to.
I found myself highlighting like mad in the last few pages. Subject - Forgiveness and Peace. Whew! So very convicting!
I really did enjoy the facts that were included about the Amish and the Amish proverbs shared throughout the book. The acronym JOY was particularly neat - J esus first, Y ourself last and O thers in between -
All-in-all this is a book I will keep and re-read when inspiration and conviction are needed!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I participate in a program that distributes books for blog reviews, and I was instantly intrigued when this book came up on the list. I’ve written about several similar books in the past, including Better Off and Living More with Less. I enjoyed both of those books, and knowing that Nancy Sleeth (author of Almost Amish) wrote the forward for Living More with Less made this book more intriguing.

In Almost Amish, Mrs. Sleeth covers many aspects of Amish life and then tries to show ways that we can apply the same principles in our lives. She discusses the ways that Amish homes are run, what their church life is like, how they view their families, why buying local is important and how they view technology. The chapters are easy to read and relatively short, and she includes a lot of real-life applications. I was inspired in small ways by each of the chapters, even if it wasn’t the first time that I was reading these concepts.

The book is arranged around 10 principles that the Amish live by, and Sleeth weaves stories from her life into each one. The first principle is that “Homes are simple, uncluttered, and clean; the outside reflects the inside”. This chapter was really encouraging and includes sections on keeping stuff out of the home, buying quality items, making the kitchen the heart of your home, cleaning out your closets and organizing your storage areas. I think that these ideas are really attractive in our culture, as it seems like most people are realizing that we don’t need to have so much junk, and the idea of an uncluttered, practical home sounds really nice.

The chapters on spiritual life were also very encouraging. I appreciated Sleeth’s focus on small groups and home churches as well as building community with neighbors. She discusses sharing meals and opening your house up to others, and it really moved me to want to allow the neighborhood kids to play in our house more (rather than everyone playing outside) and to reach out even more to our neighbors. I finished those sections with new ideas and ambitions for how to live out what I’d learned.

Another thing that I really liked about this book is that there is a huge focus on forgiveness and kindness. Sleeth doesn’t just encourage hospitality, she goes on to give ideas for ways to go above and beyond when the rest of the world would tell you that you’ve done enough. I was really inspired by these sections.

The main criticisms that I’ve read about this book were in reference to Sleeth’s attitude and how she can come across as holier-than-thou. I understand why people feel that way. Sleeth does come across as someone who has always had perfect kids (she mentions more than once that her kids would NEVER ask for toys or junk food when waiting in the check-out line), always has a perfectly clean, decluttered home in which she entertains most nights of the week, and is all-around fantastic. Despite this, I think that the reason she writes this way is because this book is about what has worked for her, and she just chose to include the successes. It isn’t like a Sally Clarkson book, though, where she shares very many of her ups and downs.

In addition, there were sections in there that made me cringe a bit. Sleeth seems to have a particular lack of fondness for bloggers and feminists, so, yeah… She even quotes Proberbs 18:2 “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.” and then she adds her commentary of “Think of blog posts here, or comments to blogs.” While I appreciate the food for thought, it would be no less of a stretch to say that people who want to write books about how awesome they are would fall into the same Proverbs 18:2 description. Her views on child training focus mainly on the typical punitive verses that you see quoted so often, and she skips over the grace-filled ones. I can understand, though, that the Amish are pretty hard-core about child training, so that’s probably why. Despite this, I appreciate that she doesn’t specifically encourage corporal punishment or even punitive parenting, even if she hints at it.

My only other criticism is that Sleeth seems to paint a very rosy view of the Amish life. One of the things that I really enjoyed about Better Off and some of the other books on the subject is that they showed the challenges of an Amish life, and how they still have difficulties. I can imagine that she might’ve chosen to omit this part because it would undermine the basic premise of the book, which is that the Amish are to be emulated. ;)

Overall, I think this book is good. I would recommend it to someone looking for additional reading on voluntary simplicity. I think that I would still choose Living More with Less or one of the other books on the subject if someone only wanted to read one book on the subject, but this is a good book if you want a little nudge to continue along the path. It was just what I needed right now, and it was good enough to overlook the parts that I didn’t like as much.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blerg. This book was both cheese-balls and super preachy. I didn't even make it half-way through. Also, it was more about this woman and her family and how awesome they are and how much they gave up (her husband was a doctor! they had a super nice house with a fancy fireplace! etc, etc) to live a simpler life because they are the best Christians around (apparently) instead of how the Amish live (run-on sentence for the win). Or maybe I was just grumpy when I picked this up and wasn't expecting a sermon on how the mall is of the devil and how I shouldn't have a smart-phone (I don't have one, but still) or a flat-screen TV...

[Marianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Preachy. In my opinion panders to our cultures interest in the Amish and reduces their culture to a caricature.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

So over the weekend in an effort to beat the heat I went to the library and picked up the book ALMOST AMISH One Woman's Quest for a Slower, Simpler , More Sustainable Life and I thought oh I am going to love this as I picked it up opened the book to a recipe. The book is written by Nancy Sleeth. In the book she gives you her thoughts on sort of living off the grid living, or extremely green living depending on how you view it .She was worried about the carbon foot she was leaving so she took on the Amish ways of life for her own .She also wanted to live the more of the way of the Bible way. I found myself torn while reading this book; her life change was just too extreme for me. An example is her husband Matthew was a doctor and he just quit his job (my thought was what if God gifted him with being a doctor?). What I loved about the book was the Amish History as I am fascinated by their life style. I love the recipes of course and some money saving ideas in the book as well. I have to say like Mrs. Sleeth I do agree with a simpler life. I love the some of the principals of the Amish that are mentioned in the book. Here are a few that I agree with
Technology serves as a tool and does not rule as a master.
Service to others reduces loneliness and isolation.
Time spent in God's creation reveals the face of God.
Saving more and spending less bring financial peace.
The chapters address the Top 10 Principals of the Amish and the author tells you the stories of her family in reference to the principals. I enjoyed her stories and even marveled at them. They seemed so perfect as family sort of like the Donna Reed show in this day in age. She talks of buying locally from family owned business owners and not from big box stores that are cheaper on the same things that the local business has. I totally agree with her in theory and if I won a million dollars I would have no problem with that however I am just one of a lot of people when it comes to the pocket book I must be frugal . It goes to that principal of the Amish for me that saving more and spending less brings financial peace. I found this family to be one of goodness and I admire their journey but I am reminded that as we read our Bibles we can interpret things individually. We may read the same verse or chapter and get different lessons or as I like to think of it is God speaking to our own heart. This family is full of goodness. Their life style change is one that I admire but not for me. I can still put these principals into my life. The author’s writing was good and I did enjoy this book .My star rating for this is three and half. It is a good book and really makes you think.

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I came across this book searching my local e-library. There was a waiting list, and I threw it in my queue to see what it was about.
I agree with many other people who have reviewed this book. I WANTED to like it, I WANTED to give it a chance. I was not expecting such a preachy work from someone who claims they want to live an "Almost Amish" life. I do not feel that an Amish person would really think more of this book than I (an atheist) do. People should lead good lives by example because it makes people feel good, it makes a contribution to the world, and it is good to be good. The author misses this point. Making the world a better place solely because you think there's an award in the afterlife is not acting selflessly.

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw this book while cruising overdrive and had high hopes for it. The concept is good and I get the fact that she is highly educated and they gave up a rather affluent lifestyle to 'live their dream of preaching living on nothing'. But her writing style came off as really pretentious and I quit after the 2nd chapter.

[Jennifer Honeycutt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read the first 2 chapters, but I felt like this woman was tooting her own horn a bit too much. Maybe I should have given her more of a chance, but I just couldn't get into this book and didn't like that she was making me feel guilty.

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Way too religious for me. I was looking for more on uncluttering my home, living on less etc. I got tired of hearing how perfect her kids and husband are....

[Katie Followell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not love this book and it was completely the author's fault and not the message she was trying to give. For the most part, every point she was trying to make-- I agreed with but it began to get very repetitive. She humble bragged about 10 times about how she shops local and she's helping the community. I'm all for shopping local, but it was repeated in almost every chapter.

My biggest gripe about the book is Nancy Sleeth's attitude. It comes off very condescending and egotistical, which is the opposite of what she was going for. I am happy for you because you got perfect angel children who didn't mind eating your homemade bread everyday (because I swear to God she talks about her bread constantly) and you're so lucky that your kids liked playing outside. Not everyone has the same lifestyle, but that doesn't make them a bad parent or a sinful person because of it.

Other gripe: There's not one interview with someone from the Amish or Mennonite community. I have no idea if any of their lifestyle choices and reasons for them are true as she describes them, but I'm left feeling like I have to believe it because she's went to more Amish gatherings than me.

Overall, the book is thought provoking and has some good suggestions of how to simplify your life but you have to read through her judgemental crap to get to it.

[Ashley Judge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was prepared to hate this book, seeing a lot of comments about the holier-than-thou attitude of the writer. I didn't see that though because i found it to be sensible; or perhaps the sensible parts stood out to me. and I did gain a few insights from reading the book that made me reflect. Added bonus: the recipes at the end!

[Melissa Corrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! This goes along with everything that I've been thinking lately. We focus so much on social media and the internet and all this stuff that takes our minds from focusing on Christ. My family is already taking steps to simplify and I can't wait to do more.

[Lisa of Hopewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not one for many self-help books, or popular religion books either, but when a group I belong to wanted to read it, I joined in. This book really struck a cord with me. I remember buying my second house and needing a lawn mower. I was overwhelmed by Lowe's and Wal-mart. I went to the hardware store on the square in the small town where I was then living. They had a choice of lawn mowers: This one, that one, or the other one. Perfect! [For the record, I bought "that one"]. Nancy Sleeth writes such readable prose and puts such sincere emotion into her words that I was swept along just reading the story. But something else happened. I stopped all along the way to reflect, to remember and, best of all, the VALIDATE the choices I have made along the path to a saner life. No cable, satelite or broadcast tv. (We do watch dvds). No wi-fi (though this is changing -- we have up-to-date phones now and make due with our data plan at home), cooking at home, eating real food, etc., etc.

I did feel that she glossed over some of the problems in Amish life--emotional claustrophobia, genetic defects from closely related people marrying and lack of "new blood," the harsh shunning of those who do not choose to join the church, the mistrust of outsiders, the running of puppy mills, and the often semantic games played over what is and is not allowed. (No electric appliances, but propane stoves and fridges are fine--really??). The rigid structure of occupation, both paid and unpaid, by gender. I felt this needed a more serious discussion, though she did at least look at some of these issues.

I did giggle a bit at her taking it for normal that, just like in her cool neighborhood in a big-college town, everyone should shop at farmer's markets and support local craftsmen, etc. That's fine and I do--when its available. But we can't all walk where we want to go due to distance. Some farmers markets are overpriced and not well stocked. CSAs are province of the upper-middle class for the most part and much of the country has never heard of one. I'm sure they are the be-all and end-all in a big-college town and I KNOW they are in affluent suburbia, but in the rest of America they are a luxury.

She also seems to forget that all of us do not have husbands how can walk away from a thriving medical practice and the money that he justifiably earns with his talents (I do not begrudge doctors a dime of their earnings--I simply cannot think the way they do and am grateful for their perseverance in all that schooling!) to bankroll our moves to a slower life in a place where a car isn't necessary or at least is only rarely necessary. Many of us WOULD love that, but how do we make it happen? Many of us ARE working toward that, but it may not happen or it may not happen until retirement.

These are small things--I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for a less hectic, more reflective life, for a more caring life, for more community. I also highly recommend Asbury College--a great little college for anyone, but especially for those interested in Communications majors. State of the art facilities for would-be movie makers, recording artists, writers and other creative types, but in a Christian environment. (And the food is Good!!!) And, I second her recommendation of the More With Less Cookbook and the book Living More With Less.

Almost Amish: One Woman's Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life by Nancy Sleeth.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful memoir of a woman and her husband that decided to create a more simplistic, wholesome, de-cluttered life for themselves. It wasn't about how they dropped everything and became Amish, but it discusses what makes the Amish a great people and why they are so happy and successful in their lives. It is because they lead a God and Jesus-centered life. The author originally grew up Jewish so this is a unique take coming from a "born-again" Christian's perspective (boy I hate that term). I spent some of the Clemson vs Auburn game (Lord forgive me) reading his book as well as my entire Labor Day Sunday. One thing that I am going to pick up automatically is "no work on God's Day." Normally I poot around the house on Saturday and then spend Sunday zoom cleaning the house and getting my lessons ready for the next week. But this book has taught me to get everything done before so that you can have a day with God, Family, and Reflection. No tv. No school work. Nada. She was also a woman after my own heart because along the way they became super-green. There are other books by this author that I am going to definitely check out. If you want a heart-warming book with true-stories and real advice for your life, read this book. You will feel better just reading it.

[Katherine Salinas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was confused by this book. The cover photo shows a stylish woman (cute apron, trendy jewelry, tattoo (?!?!) and nail polish) when the book preaches everything against those things. In this constantly busy generation, most would welcome the Amish ideals of a "slower, simpler, more sustainable life." However, I felt the author painted all of the ideals in a light that were not at all appealing.
As for the Scriptural and Christian basis for many of her arguments, they seemed forced and not necessarily the best support for her cause. Some of her ideas were good but the execution was poor. I kept thinking of the similarities to the book "The Happiness Project", though I much preferred that book. Unfortunately, this book did not draw me in, keep me or win me over to make me recommend it to anyone.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

While somewhat predictable in that you do indeed read here what you might expect to find, Nancy Sleeth is a thoughtful and enjoyable author who speaks from her beliefs. She presents a call for simplicity in the form of less technology, more family dinners and projects, less distraction and more contribution. Her audience is the mainstream person who wants more meaning in one's own life while also caring for the earth and supporting other Christian/Green efforts. Suggestions are simple such as invite people over for soup & salad to create community, get to know your neighbors so you can share skills & materials, walk more, etc. Good for those of us who'd like to step out of the busy lifestyle we find ourselves in.

[W · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the rare books that I gave up on when I was well over halfway through. It definitely wasn't what I expected - waaaaay too much Scripture in it for me. Like other reviewers said, she spent way too much time talking about how awesome the Amish were (not saying they're not) and very little talking about what I thought the book was about - making changes to live a slower and simpler life. Wouldn't recommend.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved most of the ideas in this book. Maybe it's not the most well written, or entertaining, but her goal- to simplify- is one of our goals. This book inspired me to make bigger changes in our family towards a simple, family-centered life. Focusing on what's important.

[Becky Cook · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very pretentious and just too out there for me! I am a Christian and after reading it I felt like I was the worst Christian woman ever. I could never live up to this woman's expectations.

[Heather Kennedy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first couple of chapters were interesting but after that it went down hill.

[Deanna Norris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. I just really disliked the author's tone.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you ever stopped to think, Maybe the Amish are onto something?

So asks the back cover of the new book, "Almost Amish: One Woman's Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life", by Nancy Sleeth.

"Almost Amish" is an interesting quick read about the lifestyle changes the Sleeth family made following a "spiritual and environmental conversion experience" several years ago. Nancy's husband, Matthew, chose to leave his career as an ER doctor, chief of staff, and director of emergency services, and he then wrote a book, which led to the start of their nonprofit organization, Blessed Earth; the family gave away half their possessions, moved to a smaller home the size of their former garage, and reduced their energy usage by two-thirds.

Explaining the simple, quiet life of the Amish, Sleeth suggests that Amish principles {related to each chapter's topics: Homes, Technology, Finances, Nature, Simplicity, Service, Security, Community, Families, Faith} are beneficial and important for the rest of us to adopt in order to downsize and simplify the typical American Dream lifestyle, "get back to basics", and lead a more focused and relational life.

It sounds good. Who doesn't want a more peaceful, less harried life {and maybe a little self-satisfaction because you're recycling}?

In this sense, I do think there is a lot of truth in "Almost Amish", and I agree at least to a point with many of the principles and suggestions on how to implement them. The focus of "Almost Amish" tends less toward "going green" and more toward the emotional and especially relational benefits of a simpler, slower life. And Sleeth includes not only "real life" examples but also helpful, practical thoughts and tips for simplifying, becoming more environmentally friendly, and building community.

For the most part, though, I wasn't overly intrigued or impressed by the content. To me, the concepts are primarily plain common sense, which is neither new nor inherently "Amish". So really, the Amish aren't "onto something", they just apparently uphold common sense principles in a time when good sense seems to be a rare find. Also, Sleeth fails to paint any different image of the Amish than the stereotypical glossy one, and this rosy, idyllic portrayal of Amish life tended to beg the question whether the author actually knew much about it, rather than convince me of its benefits. {I know the Amish aren't immune to the struggles and sin-issues that we "outsiders" face!} On another note, I found it tiring, and somewhat of a tone of holier-than-thou, to continually read throughout "Almost Amish" about the impressive Sleeth family, whether how seemingly perfect their two children are or how many times a week they invite people over for supper. Honestly, I consider their story ironic: how many families can still afford to "support local" by avoiding big-box stores after the husband leaves {or loses} his job? or pick up and move to within walking distance of campus when their two kids both enroll in college at the same time?

Reading through "Almost Amish", I found myself thinking, what about the rest of us—the normal, everyday families whose garages are smaller than any houses on the market?

After reading all the ways the Sleeths have drastically changed their lifestyle and how they advocate living differently, what can we take away from "Almost Amish" without feeling pressured into doing more than we can really handle or guilt-tripped into being someone we're not? There are several good truths, based more on my personal reaction to the book, that I find valuable to keep in mind. Continue reading...

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The core of her message is good: she shares a lot of principles followed by herself and, apparently, by the Amish; they're good principles, worth adopting.

The meat around the core drives me crazy. She romanticizes all things old, demonizes all things new, barely giving a nod to the downsides of old-fashioned survival and the upsides of the modern lifestyle. I don't think that going back to the 1800s is the only, or best, way to be an effective human being. Frankly, I think that taking yourself out of the world entirely in order to live a decades-old lifestyle is a really good way to find yourself ineffective in reaching the majority of people who aren't interested in starting their own backyard farm.

Those principles she shared, things like community and depending on God and only adopting technology if it serves you: those can be adopted in modern ways. You don't have to be Amish, or almost Amish, to live a "slower, simpler, more sustainable life".