You really can be better off by turning things off. That’s the premise of Better Off, a book by Eric Brende, which chronicles his 18-month journey of self-discovery in an Amish-like settlement somewhere in middle-America. I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, I like that Eric was exploring the balance between technology and simplicity and trying to find the right recipe for him and his family. If you read our “about” page or pay attention to this blog at all you’ll know why that appeals to me.

I found many other pleasant surprises in this book. For one, I always thought the Amish / Mennonite dress codes for women were sexist and similar to those practiced by many in the Muslim world. Little did I know it’s less about covering up what God gave you than about ensuring people are judged more for who they are as people on the inside than how they look on the outside. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out the weekly church services had a sort of meditative / contemplative aspect, as opposed to the fire-and-brimstone, high-energy, crazy-people-fests I grew up with as the grandson of a Pentecostal preacher.

I highly recommend this book. You can buy it used on Amazon.com or can probably get it at your local library, although they may have to order it in for you.

Here’s another book I will be reading soon that was suggested to me after I told someone how much I enjoyed Better Off: See You in a Hundred Years: Discover One Young Family’s Search for a Simpler Life . . . Four Seasons of Living in the Year 1900