“He must have assumed that I was one of those local ‘Amish,’ eking out a bare subsistence, abjectly dependent upon the patronage of caring folks like himself for my evening meal. It was a blustery December day and I was seated at a table laden with sorghum jars, on a traffic island catty-corner from the regional shopping mall. I was reading Albert Camus’ ‘The Stranger.’ And I was wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat.

It was all so convincing, except for the existentialism.” (180)

‘Better Off’ by Eric Brende, was recommended by Gary over at Puke Green. I reserved the book at the library after seeing his excellent review.

After finishing this book, I quite literally wanted to get rid of my television, VCR and half-broken stereo, pack my bags and move to the country system (although I mentally drew the line at the computer, digital camera and iPod). Okay, I’m exaggerating a little bit, but I have to admit that I was overwhelmed with a hunger for simplicity and an escape from the technological excesses of our society.

In the 90s, Eric Brende was a graduate student at MIT and pondering the role of technology in modern life when he encountered an Amish man on a long bus trip. With this initial contact, a bit of determination and some good luck, he located a farmhouse for rent. Newly married, he and his wife Mary took an 18-month hiatus from modern city life and to live off-the-grid in a cloistered Amish community somewhere in the mid-west. For two growing seasons, they tended their own garden as well as growing sorghum and pumpkins for a cash crop. Their home had no electricity or telephone and they used a woodstove and kerosene lamps. Later on, they even sold their car to buy a horse and buggy.

This book is just as fascinating in its depiction of Amish life as it is in its examination of technology (or the lack thereof). The Brende’s new life on the ‘farm’ was by no means charmed, but I felt very drawn to its simplicity and their self-sufficiency. While keeping the identity of the community secret, they painted a vivid picture of the community itself, with a varied cast of characters, both born to the community and some transplants like themselves.

As the author readily admits, they could not have made the transition to this lifestyle without the abundant help of their Amish neighbours. Lending a helping hand is a cultural norm in the community – people help one another out, spontaneously, sincerely, and with few strings attached. In part, this is how they survive without the technology we take for granted. If a barn needs to be built, the whole community pitches in, eliminating the need for ‘time saving devices’ like power tools. Tools and labour are often swapped or bartered.

Many of the skills that they acquired were taught by their neighbours, so knowledge was obviously shared in the community as well as tools and labour. The skills and confidence they gained was very useful to them as they moved into the next phase of their ‘experiment’: integrating these principles of simplicity into their everyday lives.

This was my favourite part of the book. It was really interesting to see how the Brendes struggled with technology and simple living in a modern world. Although I was initially disappointed that they didn’t choose to continue living near the Amish community, I was ultimately more interesting to see the way they integrated Amish lessons into ordinary, American day-to-day living. I learned many things that felt applicable to my own life.

This is a fun, interesting book. Recommended!