Living a simpler life without the everyday technologies upon which most of us are reliant is an escape we've probably all considered. That's what Better Off author Eric Brende and his wife, Mary, did...

..."Eric Brende conceives a real-life experiment: to see if, in fact, all our cell phones, wide-screen TVs, and SUVs have made life easier and better -- or whether life would be preferable without them. By turns, the query narrows down to a single question: 'What is the least we need to achieve the most?'. With this in mind, the Brendes ditch their car, electric stove, refrigerator, running water, and everything else motorized or "hooked to the grid" and begin an eighteen-month trial run -- one that dramatically changes the way they live, and proves entertaining and surprising to readers.

We would fully recommend this book to anyone who has wondered, like the Brendes, "what if?". Reading of their trials with, say, hand washing the laundry that led to new insights was entertaining and informative.

More information on the book and purchasing is available through the publisher, Harper Collins. Interested in hearing yet more about the experience? Here's an interview with Brende at the Harper Collins website.