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The Yankee Way to Simplify Your Life: Old-Fashioned Wisdom For A New-fangled World
The Yankee Way to Simplify Your Life is a quirky, witty and pragmatic guide to the sort of life simplification we all dream about. Jay Heinrichs and the Editors of Yankee magazine show us precisely how we can begin to pare down our lives and practice a little old-fashioned Yankee ingenuity to manage our time and lead a simpler, more productive life. The early New Englanders knew how and when to be satisfied. Rarely feeling sorry for themselves, they had a clear sense of place and how they fit into it. As Heinrichs, notes, we can benefit from their sensible attitudes, practicing a little "Yankeefication," which we can accomplish without actually moving to rural New England. In The Yankee Way to Simplify Your Life, Heinrichs offers a variety of practical and unusual ways to begin practicing Yankee ingenuity. He shows us how we desires into goals and transform negative experiences into the seeds of personal success (much like Daniel Webster, whose childhood rickets made his forehead protrude, giving him a prominent brow that many found godlike later in his life). --improve our weaknesses and develop strengths systematically (much like Benjamin Franklin, who decided elaborate charts would lead to moral perfection; of the thirteen virtues he charted, he only failed with "Chastity," though he ended "a better and a happier man" than he would have otherwise).
- GenresNonfiction
272 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 1996
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 11, 2008
This book was mostly about self-improvement, which makes the title somewhat deceptive. The argument there seems to be that improving yourself and being fully dedicated to the things you love IS simplifying your life. It stresses good habits as a way of being happy and having the life you want without effort, and for that alone it is worth a read. There are copious sidebars and quotes sprinkled throughout which can be a bit distracting. Recent favorite: "Being a housewife and a mother is the biggest job in the world, but if it doesn't interest you, don't do it. It didn't interest me, so I didn't do it." -Katherine Hepburn I think the most useful part for me was about how to attach habits you want to have to ones you already have. For example (guys!), if you want to be a more thoughtful spouse/relationship person but you keep forgetting, get your significant other some small surprise (flowers, a note, massage, whatever) every time you refill your gas tank. It's a non-regular interval, and you have to get gas some time! Definitely worth a read.
April 30, 2019
A decent read with good points, but from the title and others associated with Yankee I'd assumed it was more of tradition and historical references. When I start reading of voice messages and modern conveniences I lost interest.
June 22, 2022
There are some good pieces of advice in this book, even though it is a bit outdated. But then is the simple life really ever outdated? I appreciated all the quotes by Thoreau. Living close to the bone is really a good value to hang onto, and Thoreau did it best.
December 2, 2013
Entertaining take on Yankee value systems and goal-setting. Lots of humor, and a sly wit too. Three-and-one-half stars. Written over fifteen years ago, it now appears almost as broad satire on the now-burgeoning "simple life" movement so many ex-yuppies and/or Boomers seem to be interested in these days.
Written somewhat in the form of an old New England moralizing "self-help" book (although the Puritans would never have called it that), there are wonderful chapter images and headings and sub-headings, lots of really practical ideas that are extremely adaptable for all natures, and a strong sense of "you are worthy!!" scattered around as well. All this makes for a fun - and rather interesting - "take" on personal attitudes, responsibility, and ways to live your life. I thought it was amusing, but then I *am* an old Yankee, and most of the ideas espoused here were very "old hat" for me; YMMV.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction: A personal tale of nearly disaterous self-improvement
Chapter I: The Simple Life [regarding what makes a Yankee a Yankee]
Chapter II: The Puritan Secret [in which is revealed the Yankee's most ingenious invention - the Yankee!]
Chapter III: Finding your Calling [in which the reader is led through a personal biography and begins acquiring some advantages of early New Englanders]
Chapter IV: Attempting Fate[in which the reader converts dedsires into goals that last forever]
Chapter v: The Virtuous Weed [in which is revealed the simplifier's chief Ally - the obstacle in the way of a goal]
Chapter VI: Lodes of Time [regarding an unearthed treasure of simplicity - the ill-used hour]
Chapter VII: The Habitual Yankee [in which are revealed the vitrues of the bad habit]
Chapter VIII: Helpmeets [in which the reader learns the art of superior attachment]
Chapter IX: Offspring [on those factors of chaos called children]
Chapter X: Weaning the Affections [in which the reader discovers the wealth that comes from shedding attachments]
Chapter XI: Work [on the life of leisure and how to live it profitably]
Chapter XII: Improving the Moment [on well-disciplined pleasure]
Chapter XIII: The Soul's Vessel [the body, and how to control it]
Chapter XIV: Low Fruit [in which the reader decides what to do, and when]
Written somewhat in the form of an old New England moralizing "self-help" book (although the Puritans would never have called it that), there are wonderful chapter images and headings and sub-headings, lots of really practical ideas that are extremely adaptable for all natures, and a strong sense of "you are worthy!!" scattered around as well. All this makes for a fun - and rather interesting - "take" on personal attitudes, responsibility, and ways to live your life. I thought it was amusing, but then I *am* an old Yankee, and most of the ideas espoused here were very "old hat" for me; YMMV.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction: A personal tale of nearly disaterous self-improvement
Chapter I: The Simple Life [regarding what makes a Yankee a Yankee]
Chapter II: The Puritan Secret [in which is revealed the Yankee's most ingenious invention - the Yankee!]
Chapter III: Finding your Calling [in which the reader is led through a personal biography and begins acquiring some advantages of early New Englanders]
Chapter IV: Attempting Fate[in which the reader converts dedsires into goals that last forever]
Chapter v: The Virtuous Weed [in which is revealed the simplifier's chief Ally - the obstacle in the way of a goal]
Chapter VI: Lodes of Time [regarding an unearthed treasure of simplicity - the ill-used hour]
Chapter VII: The Habitual Yankee [in which are revealed the vitrues of the bad habit]
Chapter VIII: Helpmeets [in which the reader learns the art of superior attachment]
Chapter IX: Offspring [on those factors of chaos called children]
Chapter X: Weaning the Affections [in which the reader discovers the wealth that comes from shedding attachments]
Chapter XI: Work [on the life of leisure and how to live it profitably]
Chapter XII: Improving the Moment [on well-disciplined pleasure]
Chapter XIII: The Soul's Vessel [the body, and how to control it]
Chapter XIV: Low Fruit [in which the reader decides what to do, and when]
February 20, 2015
I'll be the first to admit that my ideas of Yankee life in the 20th century were formed almost solely from the writings of Stephen King, which I assume to be pretty accurate minus the blood and gore. Going back further in history, there was Laura Ingall Wilder's Farmer Boy, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, David McCullough's John Adams, and Sarah Vowell's The Wordy Shipmates. From these sources, I gathered that Yankees are known for their clannishness, frugality bordering on austerity, soberness of thought, economy of expression, and high sense of duty.
Heinrich does a good job of explaining the mindset of Yankees. He takes each sphere of life that is usually focused on when self improvement (work, time management, goal setting, romantic relationships, parenting, finances, health) and gives the Yankee view and follows it up with practical advice that often adds a fresh perspective from self help books who focus on more contemporary ideas on self improvement.
This is a worthwhile book from a historical and a self improvement perspective. It's obvious that Jay Heinrich did his research to present an interesting twist to the self improvement genre.
Heinrich does a good job of explaining the mindset of Yankees. He takes each sphere of life that is usually focused on when self improvement (work, time management, goal setting, romantic relationships, parenting, finances, health) and gives the Yankee view and follows it up with practical advice that often adds a fresh perspective from self help books who focus on more contemporary ideas on self improvement.
This is a worthwhile book from a historical and a self improvement perspective. It's obvious that Jay Heinrich did his research to present an interesting twist to the self improvement genre.
July 22, 2013
Any book which suggests I wake at 5am in order to simplify my life will never be among my favorite.
It was pretty good, though.
It was pretty good, though.
May 8, 2020
Was ok . Not really new information
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews