A Simpler Life: a guide to greater serenity, case, and clarity – The School of Life (2022)

This guide explores minimalism, simplicity and how to live comfortably with less. The modern world can be complicated, frantic and noisy, filled with too many options, products, ideas and opinions, which helps explain why so many people long for a more pared-down, peaceful life focused on what matters. Finding simplicity, however, is not merely a matter of emptying wardrobes or reducing commitments. True simplicity requires understanding the roots of distraction and developing a clear respect for the stubborn reasons life can become complex and overwhelming. The book considers how to achieve simplicity in relationships, social life, work routines, possessions and media, drawing along the way on Zen Buddhism, modernist architecture, monasteries and psychoanalysis, as well as the idea that we may need no more than three good friends or a few treasured belongings. Our lives must not only look simple; they must be simple from within. Taking a psychological approach, the book guides readers towards less complicated hearts and minds, suggesting that once we understand who we are and what we want, we can live with far less than we currently believe we need. It helps us move beyond the excess and clutter created by confused aspirations, tune out the static and focus on what truly matters.