Slow is Beautiful: New Visions of Community, Leisure, and Joie de Vivre

by Cecile Andrews

Speed kills―slow how we can recapture a life of joy, leisure, community, and well-being. We're hammered, we're slammed, we're out of control. Happiness is on the decline in the most affluent country in the world and Americans are troubled by the destructiveness of a lifestyle devoted to money and status. Yet no-one seems to have a clue how to exit from the Fast Lane... Slow Is Beautiful analyzes the subtle consumer, political and corporate forces stamping the joy from our existence and provides a vision of a more fulfilling life through the rediscovery of caring community, unhurried leisure, and life affirming joie de vivre. The book Offering inspiration and concrete ideas, Slow Is Beautiful will appeal to a broad audience of Baby Boomers nearing retirement, harried professionals with a social conscience, the one-time "middle class," and 20-30-somethings who are now facing the sobering realities of constricted choices.

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Self Help, Sustainability

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

Reviews

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an opinionated musing on what is wrong with America in the author's eyes. She strongly conveys her concern over our time-starved lifestyle and urges us all to slow way down to create meaning, health, and community. Mostly this is good advice and it is hard to argue with most of the content. However, she also strongly points to government policies and the religious right as being the cause of all our angst and this seems a bit unfair. She is a protestor and she doth protest loudly here. Seems like it would have a bit more authenticity if she urged people to go inward to slow down and simplify.

[Diane Jensen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This sounds like a lovely book, but then you begin to read it and realize the author cannot stop ranting about how conservatives have caused every problem in this world. I'm very liberal, but her bashing bored me after awhile - it took the place of substance. I wanted to read a book about slowing down and learning how to enjoy my life at a slower pace. What I got was a political book that was really shrill in tone. If I want to read about conservatism and it's faults, there are better books out there. I can't tell you how disappointed I was in this. I cannot recommend it.

[Artemisia Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow Is Beautiful is a comprehensive follow-up to Cecile Andrews' 1988 book The Circle of Simplicity. Andrews has long been a strong and determined voice in the voluntary simplicity movement, advocating for an alternative to the consumerist lifestyle that drives our modern lives socially and politically. Published in 2006, Slow Is Beautiful may be even more relevant today than it was 12 years ago, and Andrews discusses in great detail the social, personal, political and environmental aspects and implications of our hectic, materialistic ways of living. Beyond this, she also lays out detailed suggestions and examples of ways she has found to slow down, connect with others, build community and find simple, sustainable pleasures, and that offer real tried and true alternatives to the rat race existence so many of us are living. Andrews may seem a bit preachy at times, but as someone who clearly walks her own talk, her books are authentic, inspiring and well worth reading.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

good message, boring and pedantic writing.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It is not a how- to kind of book in this world of minimalism, decluttering books, but more a why. Why slowing down life is or can be a good thing. Andrews has done a great deal of research on happiness, consumerism and all the accompanying tendencies. She cites studies and other books and has a rather lengthy bibliography. She does through in politics now and again, having written the book in 2006 and having strong feelings about the Bush white house, but it's mostly as asides. It's a thoughtful and thought-provoking book.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the parts of this book that dealt with happiness - what it is, where its found, how it is manifested. However, the author of this book uses a negative tone throughout the book and does a lot of republican-bashing. I'm not a republican, but I didn't feel that it was appropriate or necessary for her to get her point across. As I have read in other reviews, a more appropriate title would be 'Fast is Ugly'.

[Lisalis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw Cecile Andrews speak at the Green Festival in SF and was so inspired by her. I read a few chapters of this book... really great stuff for anyone who is interested in the voluntary simplicity movement and for anyone who is interested in just slowing down to have more meaningful relationships with others and the earth.

[Kaitlyn Townsend · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. I’m sure Cecile Andrews has something important to say, but I couldn’t finish because I was unable to get through her polarizing, finger-pointing comments and felt annoyed by her flipping between academic and casual language. This book felt more like a tirade than an invitation to push back against cultural norms of over-businesses towards a life of simplicity and joy.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I heard this woman speak at the Green Festival in Seattle and she was hysterical, inspirational and intriguing. I bought the book and can not wait to read it! :)

[Karen A.]

After taking a look at the first two reviews below - I realize I don't have time for this. Enticing title though...

[Karen Hipson · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay read. More politics than I expected, and it felt more academic than relatable.

I was very put off by the author's constsnt negativity toward conservatives and religion in general, and her seeming need to blame them for all of society's ills.

She makes some good points, but I would point people to other books if they are looking for actual advice.

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much ranting. I really wanted to push through it, but I stopped about 20 pages short when she suggested placed the blame for a school shooting on a student prayer groups who were the target.

Slow is, indeed, beautiful. But don't read this book if you want to know why.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept of slowing down our lives and becoming more about community to enjoy the essence of life. I found it was a bit of a slow read for me.

[Ella Martindale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice read. Couldn’t get into it.

[Erika RS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished Slow is Beautiful: New visions of community, leisure, and joie de vivre by Cecile Andrews. In this book Andrews motivates the idea of the "slow life" and discusses some way of slowing down your own life.

The central claim of this book is that the "fast" life does not lead to happiness. The constant chase after more money, more status, and more stuff decreases happiness rather than increases it. Some people find the fast life satisfying, but it is increasingly clear that the universal emphasis on the fast life is harmful to individuals and communities.

Andrews supports this claim with an overview of some of the recent research on happiness. This research supports the conclusion that the things that make us happy are the things that we have less time for in our overworked, over scheduled lives. For most people happiness comes from spending time with people they care about, participating in activities where they can achieve a state of flow, and having enough free time to do these things.

Andrews concludes that we need to slow down our lives to make room for the things that make us happy. She gives a number of tips for this, but she also emphasizes the importance of social change to allow more people to choose to slow down their lives. Andrews realizes something that much of the happiness literature misses: in American society today, slowing down your life is a privilege that few can take advantage of. Even those financially able to work part time have a hard time doing so in the career of their choice because many careers do not offer part time opportunities (part time software engineers are few and far between; I have heard stories of lawyers who were asked to leave their practice when they asked for a "part time" 40 hour week). Those who can find part time work that they find interesting usually have to sacrifice health care. Andrews recognizes that slowing down society (or at least giving all of its members the choice to slow down) will more than individual life changes.

Despite all the good things about this book, I can only give it a middling recommendation overall. The parts that were on topic were quite good. However, Andrews would occassionally go off into a political rant that was, as often as not, only tangentially related to the topic at hand. These political rants rarely added to the discussion. Even reading this in April of 2009, the frequent criticisms of George W. Bush seemed dated. Sadly, these digressions were frequent enough to seriously detract from the quality of the book.

This book is a valuable read, but you have to be willing to leave behind the dirt and take home the gems.

[Araby42 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a really interesting discussion of the research about happiness, and the message about dropping out of the consumerist, materialistic, work-driven society resonates with me. I liked that about it, if for no other reason than it was preaching to my choir. I'm not very into New Age type stuff, so the discussion of the universe was vaguely annoying, but not awful. I think one can promote the idea of slowing down from a purely pragmatic perspective, without having to discuss being one with the universe and whatnot. The last chapter, however, was more problematic for me.

The last chapter discussing Slow Life as a counterculture, and what a slow life included, were turn-offs to me. The rundown of what someone who lives the slow life looks like was awfully hippy-ish and New Agey. Again, not necessarily a bad thing. Some of her ideal life aspects were things that have nothing to do with living a slow life, and their inclusion felt wrong. Prioritizing personal experience over data to me doesn't have anything to do with living a slow life, nor does preferring alternative medicine over conventional medicine. She lost me with the counterculture business. I don't buy the idea that alternative medicine by definition = slow or that personal experience as a better thing than data = slow. And so she lost me with that turn into woo-ville.


For a book that resonated so much with what I believe in the first chapters, the end chapter is the one that is staying with me, which is unfortunate.

[CynthiaA · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment. I approve and applaud the principles that the author is promoting, but she wrapped them in such contempt for conservative values and made outrageous assumptions about how conservatives "might" behave if only they werent, you know... conservatives. I was looking for a book with pragmatic suggestions for balancing work-life demands. I didn't find anything pragmatic in this book. Her idea of building community amounted to organizing political and socialist activities -- and while I have no objection to any of those activities, they don't resonate for me. In fact, i still view political and socialist activities as work.

The only thing I took from this book is a recognition for greater relationship connections. And this isn't new news to me -- just a neglected piece of my life. So. As a result of reading this book, I recognize that I need to work harder at sustaining my existing friendships, and even at building new friendships. And that is not a bad thing. In fact, I will think I probably do a better job of it than Cecile Andrews does, since I don't have such prejudiced opinions of people who have different priorities than me.

[AnandaTashie]

Checked this one out from the library and decided not to delve too deeply into it after reading the intro. The title's purpose is pretty fantastic. The intro? Judgmental and negative, with big presumptuous leaps. (And this is coming from a non-conservative who also doesn't drive an SUV. ;D) She even deemed laughing yoga participants sad, tsk. When I flipped through the book, each sentence I landed on seemed to be much of the same, but I didn't read enough to give it an accurate, truthful review. The author does shift to a more positive tone for the last chapter. I liked this: "So we begin by learning to savor our food, the source of life, but we go on to savor all of life. We savor a walk in the woods, we savor a good book, we savor a visit to the art museum. In all cases, we're going slowly enough to notice, appreciate, enjoy, reflect, remember, and imagine." And, "...If we move at an unhurried pace, we experience the ultimate in contemplation that we experience true leisure: The universe breaks into our consciousness."

[Kelly]

I like this book. I really really like this book. She has also written books on Voluntary Simplicity. One things I like about this book is the fact that it is a compilation of information on what makes people happy and it shows that it is not about how much money you have. It really hard to describe it it quickly. I don't have a whole lot of time, right now to say it eloquently. One important point she makes is that people in countries where there is not a large gap between the rich and poor, even if the countries GNP isn't as high, the average lifespan is longer. People are happier. I guess its all that striving, or fear of losing your job. Anyway, I highly recommend this book. I read a book on something called Flow about 9 years again and this ranks up there. Anyway, its a book that encourages me to question the status quo of consumerism and strive to continue to move more towards Voluntary Simplicity

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Yes, we're bored...we're all bored now. But did it ever occur to you, Wally, that the process that creates this boredom we all see now may very well be the result of a self-perpetuating, unconscious form of brainwashing created by a worldwide totalitarian government based on money, and that all of this is much more dangerous than one things, and that it's not just a question of individual survival, but that someone who is bored is asleep, and somebody who's asleep will not say so?...
I think New York is the model for the new concentration camp, where the camp has been built by the inmates themselves, and the inmates are the guards, and so they exist in a state of schizophrenia where they are both guards and prisoners, and as a result they no longer have the capacity to leave the prison they've made or even see it as a prison."
- Andre Gregory in My Dinner with Andre (by Wally Shawn)

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Cecile Andrews explores why we (Americans) are so unhappy, and how we can begin to live a more joyful and fulfilling life. The problem I had with this book is that, for a Portlander, her arguments are as obvious as breathing. We're all used to eating locally and organic, being green, enjoying leisure time, etc. No one I know here fits her description of the typical American "victim": the overworked corporate type who relaxes by watching TV and going to the mall. However, it would make a great gift for a clueless, stressed out family member..
Andrews' way of summarizing research and other books she has read is a bit cumbersome, but it gives you good resources to look into (I now have about 12 other books I want to read).

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book ok and a blend between the 'slow living' literature and the 'simple living' literature. However, I would not say that it was the best book in either genre. Sometimes the points made seemed to be tangentially linked to research and/or more opinion or paradigm/slant of the author. Where the book does seem to excel is in the well sited historical references pertaining to leisure; the slow life; etc. Overall, I’d say this is worth a read if you’ve already several books on both the slow living and voluntary simplicity movements. Some places to start first would be: ‘In Praise of Slow’ by Carl Honore / ‘Choosing Simplicity’ by Pierce / ‘Voluntary Simplicity’ by Duane Elgin / and ‘A Reasonable Life’ by Ferenc Mate.

[Jeff Rice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am 16 pages in and the author has made a point to mention on every single page that she is the biggest liberal in the nation. Regular jabs at Republican Presidents and passive aggressive comments about wealthy folks...

"about 35 percent of people in this country believe that they will one day be among the top 1 percent of income earners! (Obviously it's one of the reasons that people haven't risen up to oppose the multiple tax cuts given to the rich and privileged during the Bush administration.)"

Book should be renamed "How to be a liberal and hate on people that have more money than you"

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure this writer is practicing what she preaches because she spent a lot of time bashing republicans. Too much time in my taste. However, I do like the ideas presented about building community and she is constantly quoting other books she's read on the subject, many of which I would now like to read.

[Amy Buringrud · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's really nothing wrong with this book except that the title is misleading - it should be "Fast is Ugly" since I think the author is much more concerned with the ills of our society than the potential for joy in choosing a "slow life."

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know... I've been trying to read this book for years, as in I pick it up for a few days, but it always feels like a bit of a chore. There are a few good ideas and facts in there, but I just don't find it engaging.

[Dan Jardine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of solid, commonsensical ideas about how to slow our lives down so that we live authentic and meaningful lives. Andrews is not the most polished prose stylist, but she makes up for it with a thesis that is well researched and clearly defined.

[Jackie]

About 1/2 done and quitting. I don't have the energy to listen to all that complaining. Seems quite at odds with a supposed topic. I kept waiting to get to the beauty and joie de vivre and still hadn't found it. I can get more joie de vivre reading a novel.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little heavy on the anecdotes. Lots of good stuff lifted from great writers/thinkers.

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great book, written by a local (Seattle) author about why Americans are so unhappy and how they can reclaim their overworked lives.