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What the Amish Teach Us: Plain Living in a Busy World
What do the traditional plain-living Amish have to teach twenty-first-century Americans in our hyper-everything world? As it turns out, quite a lot! It sounds audacious, but it's the Amish have much to teach us. It may seem surreal to turn to one of America's most traditional groups for lessons about living in a hyper-tech world―especially a horse-driving people who resist "progress" by snubbing cars, public grid power, and high school education. Still, their wisdom confirms that even when they seem so far behind, they're out ahead of the rest of us. Having spent four decades researching Amish communities, Donald B. Kraybill is in a unique position to share important lessons from these fascinating Plain people. In this inspiring book, we learn intriguing truths about community, family, education, faith, forgiveness, aging, and death from real Amish men and women. The Amish are ahead of us, for example, in relying on apprenticeship education. They have also out-Ubered Uber for nearly a century, hiring cars owned and operated by their neighbors. Kraybill also explains how the Amish function in modern society by rejecting new developments that harm their community, accepting those that enhance it, and adapting others to fit their values. Pairing storytelling with informative and reflective passages, these twenty-two essays offer a critique of modern culture that is provocative yet practical. In a time when civil discourse is raw and coarse and our social fabric seems torn asunder, What the Amish Teach Us uproots our assumptions about progress and prods us to question why we do what we do. Essays 1. Negotiating with Modernity
2. Webs of Well-Being
3. Taming the Big "I"
4. Bigness Ruins Everything
5. A Light on a Hill
6. A Back Road to Heaven
7. A Deep and Durable Bond
8. At Worship, Work, and Play
9. Raising Sturdy Children
10. The Way It Should Be
11. An Old New Idea
12. Taming the Beast
13. Creative Bypasses
14. Starting Stuff
15. Slow Down and Listen
16. Less Choice, More Joy
17. A Natural Detox
18. Aging in Place
19. Pathway to Healing
20. A Higher Plan
21. No Pushback
22. A Good Farewell
2. Webs of Well-Being
3. Taming the Big "I"
4. Bigness Ruins Everything
5. A Light on a Hill
6. A Back Road to Heaven
7. A Deep and Durable Bond
8. At Worship, Work, and Play
9. Raising Sturdy Children
10. The Way It Should Be
11. An Old New Idea
12. Taming the Beast
13. Creative Bypasses
14. Starting Stuff
15. Slow Down and Listen
16. Less Choice, More Joy
17. A Natural Detox
18. Aging in Place
19. Pathway to Healing
20. A Higher Plan
21. No Pushback
22. A Good Farewell
200 pages, Hardcover
Published October 26, 2021
11 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 13, 2022
The Amish are, like any other group of humans, not all good nor all bad. But I am more-intimately-than-most acquainted with some of the darker sides of Amish culture and as such this book, gently inspirational as it is, does not land well with me.
"The church community will [...] take care of you. It will look after you until the end, and it will bury you with dignity when you die..." (unless you break the rules and are shunned, in which case they will not even sit at the same table to eat with you, or unless you're an abused wife told to just submit harder to your husband, or ...)
"...the church doesn't control when to get married, whom to marry, where to live, where to work, what job to do, which flowers to plant, what to eat, or which hobbies to pursue." (Unless you want to marry someone non-Amish, or work in a job that requires more than an 8th grade education, or your hobby is playing guitar.)
It's not a bad book, there ARE lessons to be learned from a slower life, but I do take issue with only presenting the shining outside of a whitened sepulcher.
"The church community will [...] take care of you. It will look after you until the end, and it will bury you with dignity when you die..." (unless you break the rules and are shunned, in which case they will not even sit at the same table to eat with you, or unless you're an abused wife told to just submit harder to your husband, or ...)
"...the church doesn't control when to get married, whom to marry, where to live, where to work, what job to do, which flowers to plant, what to eat, or which hobbies to pursue." (Unless you want to marry someone non-Amish, or work in a job that requires more than an 8th grade education, or your hobby is playing guitar.)
It's not a bad book, there ARE lessons to be learned from a slower life, but I do take issue with only presenting the shining outside of a whitened sepulcher.
January 30, 2022
Amish scholar Donald Kraybill takes a look at lessons the rest of the world can learn from the Amish. He opens and closes the book discussing the "riddles" of the Amish as they interact with the greater society--how they embrace some things or aspects of things but not others. Some lessons focus on the importance of community and living and working in a society that helps its neighbors. Others focus on the importance of the family and value of each member. Some show the effectiveness of their eighth grade educations in a society that wants more. Some focus on their selective use of technology and how it should not take over our lives, distracting us from things more important. Many of the lessons focus on their faith--how they take the Word of God to heart and can find strength and comfort knowing God is in control even in the midst of extreme difficulty. I appreciated the author's approach to helping non-Amish persons understand the "Plain people" and perhaps even gain some valuable insights into how society can function when we put faith in God first, valuing the family and the community. It makes me long for a simpler time in a more caring community although I won't be removing the electricity from my home anytime soon!
January 3, 2022
If you're looking to find a book that provides a no-nonsense, painfully honest look at the Amish, this is not your book.
If you're looking for a warm, personal yet sociologically rich, reflection from one of the foremost scholars on the Amish, this is the perfect book for you. This is the kind of book that every scholar should write near the end of their career. It's a distillation in layman's terms of the what his research has taught him.
It's warm, gently critical when needed, but focusing on the best of Amish culture.
Topics include smallness, apprenticeship, and death, twenty-two individual essays that explain and guides the reader to an understanding of the Amish culture's often mysterious traditions.
If you're looking for a warm, personal yet sociologically rich, reflection from one of the foremost scholars on the Amish, this is the perfect book for you. This is the kind of book that every scholar should write near the end of their career. It's a distillation in layman's terms of the what his research has taught him.
It's warm, gently critical when needed, but focusing on the best of Amish culture.
Topics include smallness, apprenticeship, and death, twenty-two individual essays that explain and guides the reader to an understanding of the Amish culture's often mysterious traditions.
January 20, 2022
I purchase every book that I read; I don't receive any for free; so, all my reviews come from the perspective of someone who paid for a book and may or may not like it as well as they had hoped. I've learned over the years to read samples of books before purchasing so as to limit my disappointment. Unfortunately, I didn't read a sample on this one. I was hoping this read would be about personal experiences and reflections of this authors years of being around the Amish. It's more a reference book about the Amish as a whole. I think it would have been more interesting to read had it been less textbook style and more personally related.
April 12, 2022
I wanted more tbh!!! Teach me about Amish weddings, Rumspringa, the meaning behind Amish clothing, & how they deal with irrigation, environmental issues, and waste disposal. I still have so many questions!! Regardless this felt like scripture study and that was nice. :')
January 16, 2022
Quite an interesting read…but good overall. My grandma gifted this book to me for Christmas this past year, and at first I was like “are you kidding me”. After reading it, I can say I’ve learned a lot from it. What I really learned was that I truly had no idea what Amish life was like, even though I considered myself to be more knowledgable than others on the topic. I will say that the writing style of the author was not my absolute favorite. There were many parts where I felt as though the writing just didn’t flow well. I give him credit, though, because he put an immense amount of commitment into writing this book. From field studies, to research, to just basic knowledge as a Pennsylvanian, it took him years to write this book. Overall, I think that this book is a very good read for someone wanting to learn about who the Amish really are, and not who the media paints them out to be through staged shows and satirical songs.
January 30, 2022
Excellent collection of essays from Donald Kraybill. Even though I have read many of his works on the Amish, I have learned more by reading this book. Highly recommend to those interested in the Amish and Plain people. Well-written, informative, easy read.
May 9, 2023
“What The Amish Teach Us: Plain Living in a Busy World” is a nonfiction book written by Donald B. Kraybill that shares four decades of lessons learned from his research of Amish communities.
The book consists of a preface, twenty-two essays in various topics, an epilogue and ends with acknowledgements, notes, further reading and an index.
In the preface, Kraybill implores the reader to put aside any preconceived ideas about the Amish and be open minded as he discusses various innovations created by the Amish as well as society’s overall fascination with Amish life & culture. Despite people assuming that the Amish live a simple and idyllic life, Kraybill makes it clear that Amish life is not an antidote for all of our modern ills.
I was shocked to learn that there are forty subgroups and twenty-six hundred Amish congregations in America which means there is not only one way to live an Amish life. The purpose of the book is to share wisdom gathered from hundreds of conversations with Amish people. Kraybill ends the preface by clarifying terms to be used in the book such as “the Amish,” “English,” “communal,” “plain.” Since the Amish have a long-standing tradition of humility and avoiding having their names appear in public media, Kraybill uses pseudonyms to persevere their anonymity.
A recurring theme of the book is that the Amish help each other because it’s a concept deeply woven into the fabric of their community. Likewise, the Amish believe in keeping their community small-scale and interactions local due to worries that becoming bigger is a sign of greed.
By living a lifestyle of doing service and not judging others, members of the Amish community hope to Glorify God as well as lead non-believers to establish a relationship with God.
The Amish perspective of family was especially interesting to read about in that by having a large family, children learn at a young age that they are not the center of attention but are instead, a spoke on the family wheel that works together. It’s not unusual to have an Amish family consisting of over a hundred members due to children, grandchildren and other members of the extended family. In Amish communities, each person is part of three overlapping social webs consisting of church-community, family, and friends which are connected by a theme of duty and care for others.
It was fascinating to read how children under the age of ten are able to act independently of their parents as well as seamlessly shift from quiet reverence during worship services to boisterous play and assisting their parents with businesses operations. While non-Amish readers may think that Amish children are bored without television, computers, or video games, Kraybill shares that the children enjoyed improvised play based on the seasons which means that children play outside in the warm months and inside during the cold months.
Amish parents raise their children by starting early and training the child by having them do work training as young a two years old which include packing lunch, setting the table, washing dishes, changing a diaper, sewing, and cleaning. By teaching work skills early, this creates a man or women who will be a prize catch as a spouse when the time comes for marriage.
Despite receiving education up to the eighth grade, the Amish have thriving businesses obtained through apprenticeship programs. Children learn their parents business early and after this informal apprenticeship, they become fulll time employees who are respected within the community.
The Amish reluctance to embrace modern inventions such as cars and electricity is more about possible negative long term effects of having such innovations in the overall community such as lack of face to face interactions, division, and greed.
Patience is an Amish practice honed in all aspects of life from letting the horse dictate the speed when driving a buggy to three-hour church services with children sitting by their parents without being disruptive. Slowing down and listening is the core of the Amish faith and identity.
The concept of “aging in place” was appealing in that it provides the elderly the opportunity to continue menu of their activities at a slower pace. By being surrounded by friends and loved one, this reduces social isolation and loneliness often experienced by the non-Amish. As the Amish age and retire, they are still active members of the community and are cared for by the church, children, and grandchildren. The elderly Amish are revered as a source of wisdom and many prefer to die at home sometimes on the property where they were born or lived after marriage.
The Amish’s mindset of “thy will be done,” and the ability to quickly forgive those who wrong them is viewed as unrealistic to some but after reading this book, I see how this mindset aligns with Amish beliefs of God being just and merciful.Even when members were attacked from within by an angry former Amish Bishop, they still gave forgiveness to those who hurt them. Due to believing in nonresistance, the Amish don’t participate in military service or litigation or hold public office due to possible situations involving litigation or using force to protect public safety.
It is only in death that the English are welcomed into Amish homes in the form of hospice staff. After death, members of the Amish community step in to complete chores, provide food, and organize the funeral for the surviving family. Due to the closeness of the community, the undertaker is called, scriptures and prayers are spoken and the body is buried in a hardwood coffin in a cemetery with identical headstones.
After finishing this book, I gained a much deeper understanding of the Amish as a religious community filled faith, family, and a desire to be a good example to all. Overall, Kraybill’s essay collection focusing on the Amish provides a great combination of information and education, thorough a personal, reflective writing style.
The book consists of a preface, twenty-two essays in various topics, an epilogue and ends with acknowledgements, notes, further reading and an index.
In the preface, Kraybill implores the reader to put aside any preconceived ideas about the Amish and be open minded as he discusses various innovations created by the Amish as well as society’s overall fascination with Amish life & culture. Despite people assuming that the Amish live a simple and idyllic life, Kraybill makes it clear that Amish life is not an antidote for all of our modern ills.
I was shocked to learn that there are forty subgroups and twenty-six hundred Amish congregations in America which means there is not only one way to live an Amish life. The purpose of the book is to share wisdom gathered from hundreds of conversations with Amish people. Kraybill ends the preface by clarifying terms to be used in the book such as “the Amish,” “English,” “communal,” “plain.” Since the Amish have a long-standing tradition of humility and avoiding having their names appear in public media, Kraybill uses pseudonyms to persevere their anonymity.
A recurring theme of the book is that the Amish help each other because it’s a concept deeply woven into the fabric of their community. Likewise, the Amish believe in keeping their community small-scale and interactions local due to worries that becoming bigger is a sign of greed.
By living a lifestyle of doing service and not judging others, members of the Amish community hope to Glorify God as well as lead non-believers to establish a relationship with God.
The Amish perspective of family was especially interesting to read about in that by having a large family, children learn at a young age that they are not the center of attention but are instead, a spoke on the family wheel that works together. It’s not unusual to have an Amish family consisting of over a hundred members due to children, grandchildren and other members of the extended family. In Amish communities, each person is part of three overlapping social webs consisting of church-community, family, and friends which are connected by a theme of duty and care for others.
It was fascinating to read how children under the age of ten are able to act independently of their parents as well as seamlessly shift from quiet reverence during worship services to boisterous play and assisting their parents with businesses operations. While non-Amish readers may think that Amish children are bored without television, computers, or video games, Kraybill shares that the children enjoyed improvised play based on the seasons which means that children play outside in the warm months and inside during the cold months.
Amish parents raise their children by starting early and training the child by having them do work training as young a two years old which include packing lunch, setting the table, washing dishes, changing a diaper, sewing, and cleaning. By teaching work skills early, this creates a man or women who will be a prize catch as a spouse when the time comes for marriage.
Despite receiving education up to the eighth grade, the Amish have thriving businesses obtained through apprenticeship programs. Children learn their parents business early and after this informal apprenticeship, they become fulll time employees who are respected within the community.
The Amish reluctance to embrace modern inventions such as cars and electricity is more about possible negative long term effects of having such innovations in the overall community such as lack of face to face interactions, division, and greed.
Patience is an Amish practice honed in all aspects of life from letting the horse dictate the speed when driving a buggy to three-hour church services with children sitting by their parents without being disruptive. Slowing down and listening is the core of the Amish faith and identity.
The concept of “aging in place” was appealing in that it provides the elderly the opportunity to continue menu of their activities at a slower pace. By being surrounded by friends and loved one, this reduces social isolation and loneliness often experienced by the non-Amish. As the Amish age and retire, they are still active members of the community and are cared for by the church, children, and grandchildren. The elderly Amish are revered as a source of wisdom and many prefer to die at home sometimes on the property where they were born or lived after marriage.
The Amish’s mindset of “thy will be done,” and the ability to quickly forgive those who wrong them is viewed as unrealistic to some but after reading this book, I see how this mindset aligns with Amish beliefs of God being just and merciful.Even when members were attacked from within by an angry former Amish Bishop, they still gave forgiveness to those who hurt them. Due to believing in nonresistance, the Amish don’t participate in military service or litigation or hold public office due to possible situations involving litigation or using force to protect public safety.
It is only in death that the English are welcomed into Amish homes in the form of hospice staff. After death, members of the Amish community step in to complete chores, provide food, and organize the funeral for the surviving family. Due to the closeness of the community, the undertaker is called, scriptures and prayers are spoken and the body is buried in a hardwood coffin in a cemetery with identical headstones.
After finishing this book, I gained a much deeper understanding of the Amish as a religious community filled faith, family, and a desire to be a good example to all. Overall, Kraybill’s essay collection focusing on the Amish provides a great combination of information and education, thorough a personal, reflective writing style.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2022
This is a small, short book that is packed with really interesting information. Donald Kraybill grew up in a Mennonite home, which is somewhat similar to the Amish but the Mennonites allow more technology in their lives (electricity, cars, etc.). In college he decided to study Amish culture and the question of how do the Amish who spurn modern-day technology and advances still thrive in such a modern, technological world. This book is a collection of what he's learned over the years studying the Amish and their world. These 22 areas highlight some of the Amish traditions and how in many ways they are ahead of their old-world time - for example creating rideshares long before Uber. The main theme of the book is how the Amish negotiate with modernity - they don't just out right spurn all new advances or technology - they look at how something will affect their community and decide what aspects of a new technology could help and what could hurt. I think this is definitely something missing in our non-Amish society. Whatever the newest thing is everyone just HAS TO HAVE IT with no thought about how it's affecting us - smartphones being the perfect example. I found the book to be very interesting and thought-provoking, but it's also so foreign to think about living not as an individual, but as a representation of your community. I will definitely be thinking about this one for awhile.
Some quotes I liked:
"For me, Amish ways disturb and disrupt. They disturb some assumptions that I take for granted. They disrupt my old habits, my predispositions, and my fixed understandings of how I think the world works. They certainly uproot my a priori assumptions about progress and prod me to question why I do what I do. In this sense, the Amish are silent social critics - offering a critique of modern culture that is intellectually provocative yet always practical." (p. x)
"It was just three words: bigness ruins everything. A cute throwaway quip? Not this one. It had intellectual depth and breadth. I never forgot it, and I soon came to realize that it's writ large across Amish life." (p. 23)
"Hackers exemplify how a culture of restraint, ironically, spurs innovation and invention." (p. 84) [Not hacking in the traditional computer sense, but rather figuring out ways to make things work within the confines of the Amish rules around technology]
"Nature, enthused one Amish person, is like a window into heaven." (p. 109)
Some quotes I liked:
"For me, Amish ways disturb and disrupt. They disturb some assumptions that I take for granted. They disrupt my old habits, my predispositions, and my fixed understandings of how I think the world works. They certainly uproot my a priori assumptions about progress and prod me to question why I do what I do. In this sense, the Amish are silent social critics - offering a critique of modern culture that is intellectually provocative yet always practical." (p. x)
"It was just three words: bigness ruins everything. A cute throwaway quip? Not this one. It had intellectual depth and breadth. I never forgot it, and I soon came to realize that it's writ large across Amish life." (p. 23)
"Hackers exemplify how a culture of restraint, ironically, spurs innovation and invention." (p. 84) [Not hacking in the traditional computer sense, but rather figuring out ways to make things work within the confines of the Amish rules around technology]
"Nature, enthused one Amish person, is like a window into heaven." (p. 109)
July 14, 2022
A super quick look into how Amish culture thrives in modern society. I was expecting something different out of this book but it was still an interesting read. I am nowhere near Amish and have no desire to be disconnected from modern society, however, I wanted to gain insight on how to live more slow and peaceful… which is why I picked up this book! It was brief, kept the dignity and privacy of the community in tact.. but gave some perspective of the Amish living. I recommend this book to anyone looking to learn something new! It was interesting and fast and not heavy at all… a good cleanser between the heavy novels I normally read!
March 29, 2022
Pretty boring. Guess it just wasn’t what I was hoping is all!
January 16, 2023
insightful and focuses on positive parts of amish life. i’d prob wanna read something else that talks about the downfalls as well
October 25, 2021
I really enjoyed this! It could almost be used like a set of meditations on about 20 different topics. It prompts a lot of reflection about our daily lives and modern society.
Favorite quote:
How many more new styles of torn jeans can our brain process without overloading our circuits and sparking a migraine? p100
Disclaimer: I’m related to the author.
Favorite quote:
How many more new styles of torn jeans can our brain process without overloading our circuits and sparking a migraine? p100
Disclaimer: I’m related to the author.
October 26, 2021
What the Amish Teach Us: Plain Living in a Busy World
Donald B. Kraybill
Review by Barbara Bamberger Scott
Donald B. Kraybill, a well-known expert in the ways of the mystical Amish - the largest of the plain groups – has brought his many insights to new life in this experience-based collection.
The Amish parted ways with their church leaders in Europe and began migrating to America in the early 18th century, bringing with them their traditional ways of life. They are widely known for riding in horse-drawn carriages, wearing old-fashioned clothing, and rejecting modern technologies. But why they maintain these practices, and even whether they do, is open, Kraybill believes, to closer examination. There is much we can learn from their attitudes and aptitudes.
In his newest book, Kraybill reveals that many Amish have adapted a great deal more, especially in technology, than outsiders might realize. They have managed to, in his words, “hack” computer, electrical, transportation and surprisingly, smart/cell phone usage in their way and for their needs. Though their education takes place entirely within their own, Amish-taught schools up to 8th grade only, Kraybill asserts that their technical and entrepreneurial skills are prodigious. Amish children become “apprentices” in family farms and businesses about as soon as they can walk. Communities, “villages,” provide one vital key. Community means taking care of one another in any distressful situation and attending church services that emphasize what is known as Gelassenheit, the “yieldedness to whatever God sends,” as one Amish woman explained it to Kraybill. The men’s mustache-less beards, women’s modest dresses, and children’s bonnets and suspenders provide perennial signs of communal agreement. Yet well-considered compromises with modern conveniences do appear gradually, changing as technologies change and always with group approval, such as adoption of communal phone booths, arranging car rides with neighbors, and utilizing battery powered appliances. In sum, the author suggests that the ability to negotiate with change is a gift the Amish offer, and for us to access that gift he says, “We need one another and our collective wisdom.”
Scholar Kraybill was raised as a Mennonite and became a professor, writer, and explorer of the plain people whose previous works - Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy and The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World - attest to his special fascination with the Amish. He has organized his latest book wisely and well, looking at such Amish issues as raising children to be good members of the family and community from earliest years, the amazing educational efficacy of the one-room school, the high prevalence of sharp businesspeople with smart ideas among this apparently sequestered group, and the necessity, which all Amish agree to, for tolerance. For those who know little about the Amish, this gentle but highly intelligent view is all that is needed to get a firm grasp. And for those who know much about these special people, including the Amish themselves, Kraybill has composed a paean to their best qualities that belongs even on the plainest of bookshelves.
Donald B. Kraybill
Review by Barbara Bamberger Scott
Donald B. Kraybill, a well-known expert in the ways of the mystical Amish - the largest of the plain groups – has brought his many insights to new life in this experience-based collection.
The Amish parted ways with their church leaders in Europe and began migrating to America in the early 18th century, bringing with them their traditional ways of life. They are widely known for riding in horse-drawn carriages, wearing old-fashioned clothing, and rejecting modern technologies. But why they maintain these practices, and even whether they do, is open, Kraybill believes, to closer examination. There is much we can learn from their attitudes and aptitudes.
In his newest book, Kraybill reveals that many Amish have adapted a great deal more, especially in technology, than outsiders might realize. They have managed to, in his words, “hack” computer, electrical, transportation and surprisingly, smart/cell phone usage in their way and for their needs. Though their education takes place entirely within their own, Amish-taught schools up to 8th grade only, Kraybill asserts that their technical and entrepreneurial skills are prodigious. Amish children become “apprentices” in family farms and businesses about as soon as they can walk. Communities, “villages,” provide one vital key. Community means taking care of one another in any distressful situation and attending church services that emphasize what is known as Gelassenheit, the “yieldedness to whatever God sends,” as one Amish woman explained it to Kraybill. The men’s mustache-less beards, women’s modest dresses, and children’s bonnets and suspenders provide perennial signs of communal agreement. Yet well-considered compromises with modern conveniences do appear gradually, changing as technologies change and always with group approval, such as adoption of communal phone booths, arranging car rides with neighbors, and utilizing battery powered appliances. In sum, the author suggests that the ability to negotiate with change is a gift the Amish offer, and for us to access that gift he says, “We need one another and our collective wisdom.”
Scholar Kraybill was raised as a Mennonite and became a professor, writer, and explorer of the plain people whose previous works - Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy and The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World - attest to his special fascination with the Amish. He has organized his latest book wisely and well, looking at such Amish issues as raising children to be good members of the family and community from earliest years, the amazing educational efficacy of the one-room school, the high prevalence of sharp businesspeople with smart ideas among this apparently sequestered group, and the necessity, which all Amish agree to, for tolerance. For those who know little about the Amish, this gentle but highly intelligent view is all that is needed to get a firm grasp. And for those who know much about these special people, including the Amish themselves, Kraybill has composed a paean to their best qualities that belongs even on the plainest of bookshelves.
September 28, 2025
I work in technology research. In my office, I have currently four screens for two laptops in addition to my smartphone. I have over 20 years of formal education. I'm not exactly against technology and make a strange candidate to study the Amish. Regardless, I'm deeply religious and see limits in what technologies can give us. I like living off the grid when possible. Technology, to me, should always be a means, and never an ends. That's why I picked up this book about the Amish, to see what secrets they can provide about living in the modern world.
Author Donald Kraybill is a professor at a Pennsylvania college from a Mennonite background. He has spent most of his career in research exploring how the Amish negotiate with the modern world. They don't exactly reject it and make use of its conveniences whenever it serves their common, religious life. But they don't shy away from saying no when a technology would interrupt their communal life.
For example, they will ride in a car to visit a physician in a neighboring town or in an emergency. Yet they won't own one because it would cause their towns to lose their close-knit community. Or they don't like noisy phones in homes because they would interrupt a peaceful, prayerful environment. Yet allured by their immense convenience, they allow a common line in a booth at the end of a street for outgoing calls.
Kraybill is fascinated with this negotiation with the modern world, a trait that's not entirely alien to other forms of religious practice. Part of any religious order, in my experience, is learning to use things "rightly" - whatever that means - instead of indiscriminately. He has spent a career listening in on this negotiation and thinks we all have something to learn from it. He covers not only technology and entrepreneurship, but also forgiveness, suffering, death, and parenting.
Those who feel pulled away from a spiritual center in today's world - and who doesn't at times? - will most benefit from understanding how the Amish make sense of a complex environment. I will never be as agrarian as they are nor as focused on strict, communal limits. But I can still admire and appreciate them from afar. This book gave me close access to achieve that through a scholar's lens, and I better appreciate the self-discipline required to hold things together in today's complex world.
Author Donald Kraybill is a professor at a Pennsylvania college from a Mennonite background. He has spent most of his career in research exploring how the Amish negotiate with the modern world. They don't exactly reject it and make use of its conveniences whenever it serves their common, religious life. But they don't shy away from saying no when a technology would interrupt their communal life.
For example, they will ride in a car to visit a physician in a neighboring town or in an emergency. Yet they won't own one because it would cause their towns to lose their close-knit community. Or they don't like noisy phones in homes because they would interrupt a peaceful, prayerful environment. Yet allured by their immense convenience, they allow a common line in a booth at the end of a street for outgoing calls.
Kraybill is fascinated with this negotiation with the modern world, a trait that's not entirely alien to other forms of religious practice. Part of any religious order, in my experience, is learning to use things "rightly" - whatever that means - instead of indiscriminately. He has spent a career listening in on this negotiation and thinks we all have something to learn from it. He covers not only technology and entrepreneurship, but also forgiveness, suffering, death, and parenting.
Those who feel pulled away from a spiritual center in today's world - and who doesn't at times? - will most benefit from understanding how the Amish make sense of a complex environment. I will never be as agrarian as they are nor as focused on strict, communal limits. But I can still admire and appreciate them from afar. This book gave me close access to achieve that through a scholar's lens, and I better appreciate the self-discipline required to hold things together in today's complex world.
May 29, 2022
Although I read this collection of short essays rather quickly, many of their themes continue to stir in me, and I can imagine returning to their wisdom. Kraybill's long career of researching, and even more importantly, interacting with the Amish as a neighbor and friend shows forth in the precision, care, and clarity with which he describes aspects of their lives and cultural practices that offer healthy critiques of mainstream American society. The theme of Amish wisdom's perennial relevance, belying superficial impressions of Amish life as antiquated, illuminates so much of Kraybill's writing, from the advantages of village life and densely-woven social webs to creative ingenuity and "hacking" that enable the Amish to engage with their more "modern" neighbors without losing their chosen lifestyle that largely sets them apart. Particularly fascinating were his recurring references to the Amish principle of negotiation, by which he stresses that the Amish do not so much reject new technologies as wisely consider their potential effects on their core values - faith, community, simplicity, humility. After reading this book, there's even more about Amish wisdom that I admire, and that's fueling new reflections on how to live more plainly and simply while remaining very much in the midst of a postmodern society.
September 6, 2022
I really enjoyed this read. I found it a really enlightening read on Amish culture and faith. I notice my own faith-walk, although quite different, challenged and encouraged.
Quotes:
Ch 5: tolerance
“we don’t believe in judging other people. That’s God’s job. Jesus told us not to judge other people because we will be judged like we judge them,“ she said referencing Matthew 7:1-2. “We don’t think we’re the only ones going to heaven. It’s up to God to decide who goes where. “
Rebecca also confirmed that her people do not proselytize or evangelize. “Doing those things is also judging,” she said, “because we’d be saying that our religion is better than theirs and our way is better than theirs. We think that we should be like a light on a hill that’s how we should witness.” … Jesus’ words from
Sermon on the mount Matthew 5:14-16
“ A Christian can be a good witness in many ways. Living a good example has led more people to Christ than any amount of talking has ever done.”
“Tolerance destroys bigotry. Humility generates respect for other ways of believing.”
Chapter 6: spirituality
“ evangelicals speak a language of individualism that stresses beliefs, certainty, feelings, and experience, whereas the Amish speak a language of communality that stresses patience, humility, community, and ethics on their back road to heaven.”
Quotes:
Ch 5: tolerance
“we don’t believe in judging other people. That’s God’s job. Jesus told us not to judge other people because we will be judged like we judge them,“ she said referencing Matthew 7:1-2. “We don’t think we’re the only ones going to heaven. It’s up to God to decide who goes where. “
Rebecca also confirmed that her people do not proselytize or evangelize. “Doing those things is also judging,” she said, “because we’d be saying that our religion is better than theirs and our way is better than theirs. We think that we should be like a light on a hill that’s how we should witness.” … Jesus’ words from
Sermon on the mount Matthew 5:14-16
“ A Christian can be a good witness in many ways. Living a good example has led more people to Christ than any amount of talking has ever done.”
“Tolerance destroys bigotry. Humility generates respect for other ways of believing.”
Chapter 6: spirituality
“ evangelicals speak a language of individualism that stresses beliefs, certainty, feelings, and experience, whereas the Amish speak a language of communality that stresses patience, humility, community, and ethics on their back road to heaven.”
February 24, 2022
This was a pretty good little book (or collection of essays, I suppose). Even though I know more about the Amish than the majority of the population, I still came away with some new insights on how the sense of community really joins all the various aspects of what it means to be Amish. The more I reflect on it, the more I'm convinced that it's the lack of church buildings that represent one of the most profound practices that they have to offer to world. And as always, Kraybill does a phenomenal job of approaching the topic with a posture of curiosity and respect, portraying the Amish faith with unparalleled authenticity.
January 14, 2022
For me, this was a sit down with a warm cup of tea and a notebook to take notes kind of book. Warm and welcoming, I’ve gleaned many wonderful nuggets that will stay with me for many years to come. Do I want to drop everything and run away to join an Amish community, no. But what I do want is to implement more from the Amish culture into my life and find a way to scale back my own self importance. So grateful for the ability to look into the Amish without feeling less than in my non-Amish home.
March 10, 2022
This book will let you in on the Amish way of life. The Amish are all about community and looking out for each others. I found out that they have changed over time. They seem to take parts of our modern culture that fits there needs. Our society is all about the individual where their society is about community.
We could learn some valuable lessons from their way of life. Modern life seems to lack a sense of community and I miss it. We no longer look out for each other and that is sad. Maybe more people should read this book and make changes.
We could learn some valuable lessons from their way of life. Modern life seems to lack a sense of community and I miss it. We no longer look out for each other and that is sad. Maybe more people should read this book and make changes.
February 22, 2025
This book is an easy read, offering helpful insights on Amish faith and life. I think Kraybill does a good job in lifting out the lessons to be learned without idealizing or glorifying the Amish.
Each chapter is just a few pages long, which makes for a nice pace of reflection.
I own DutchCrafters, a leading brand of Amish furniture. We work with the Amish on a daily basis. I found the book grounded in Anabaptist theology, but also dealing with the practical challenges the Amish face in every day life. I’m buying a copy for each of our 60 employees.
Each chapter is just a few pages long, which makes for a nice pace of reflection.
I own DutchCrafters, a leading brand of Amish furniture. We work with the Amish on a daily basis. I found the book grounded in Anabaptist theology, but also dealing with the practical challenges the Amish face in every day life. I’m buying a copy for each of our 60 employees.
May 15, 2025
Would recommend this, as a first book, for learning about Amish culture. The author grew up with Mennonite parents. He describes Mennonites as differing from the Amish, due to driving cars and supporting higher education. He later is a teacher of sociology and begins more formal research.
He honors the great diversity within the Amish, by providing several examples, to show that there are various ways of handling modern life. His essays cover 22 topics, such as parenting, education, apprenticeships, and family. Highly recommend.
He honors the great diversity within the Amish, by providing several examples, to show that there are various ways of handling modern life. His essays cover 22 topics, such as parenting, education, apprenticeships, and family. Highly recommend.
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June 28, 2022A helpful little introduction to common ideas and practises adopted by the Amish. Does a good job at addressing a lot of the misunderstandings when it comes to how most of them practice, and I found the author's explanation of how the Amish "negotiate" with every new technology to see if it assist them or harm them by changing the way they interact and socialise with each other.
Book is made up of 22 essays on an aspect of life like "Forgiveness" or "Education." Worth a read
Book is made up of 22 essays on an aspect of life like "Forgiveness" or "Education." Worth a read
March 8, 2025
Though I do not fully agree with Amish religious beliefs/convictions, there is a load of wisdom in this little book. "Plain Living" sounds very appealing in our day and age and there are a few Amish practices that can be applied to our lives now, ie being patient, quick to forgive, being communal, changing how we educate our children and more. I'm on an Amish kick lol and I recommend this short read.
January 21, 2022
This cute little book intrigued me since I grew up close to an Amish community but never really learned anything about them. It was interesting to learn why they traveled Uber-style in large vans and didn’t allow phones but were okay with battery powered 3D printers.
February 12, 2022
I found this book interesting and informative, and I learned many things about Amish tradition and culture. Some aspects of Amish tradition, culture and life, i will continue to think about and even apply to my own life and beliefs. This book was a good read.
August 21, 2025
The Book is definitely worth reading, provides good food for thought. But I think it is a bit too enthusiastic about the Amish way of life. I think the focus should be more on reflection than copying.
October 3, 2025
It's a basic introduction to the Amish and how they live. Some comparison is drawn to how the English live. Poignant essays and stories in each that keep you interested. Might make you want to live a bit more Plain even if you don't agree with all the nuances of the faith.
October 28, 2025
A wonderful book about a very unusual lifestyle.
This book is an in-depth look at Amish life. The title is well taken. We learn many lessons about how to live life better as we look deeply at the Amish, their spirituality, and their rejection of modernity.
This book is an in-depth look at Amish life. The title is well taken. We learn many lessons about how to live life better as we look deeply at the Amish, their spirituality, and their rejection of modernity.
October 26, 2021
Great book!
Very enlightening! Learned many new things about the Amish way of life and their forgiveness of those who have sinned.
Very enlightening! Learned many new things about the Amish way of life and their forgiveness of those who have sinned.
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