The New Good Life

Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less

By: John Robbins

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

How do you define the good life? For many, success is measured not by health and happiness but by financial wealth. But such a worldview overlooks the important things in life: personal contentment, family time, spirituality, and the health of the planet and those living on it. A preoccupation with money and possessions is not only unhealthy, it can also drain the true joy from life.

In recent years, millions have watched their American Dreams go up in smoke. The international financial collapse, inflation, massive layoffs, and burgeoning consumer debt have left people in dire financial straits - including John Robbins, a crusader for planet-friendly food and lifestyle choices, who lost his entire savings in an investment scam. But Robbins soon realized that there was an upside to our collective financial downturn: Curtailed consumerism could lead us to reassess our lives and values.

The New Good Life provides a philosophical and prescriptive path from conspicuous consumption to conscious consumption. Where the old view of success was measured by cash, stocks, and various luxuries, the new view will be guided by financial restraint and a new awareness of what truly matters. A passionate manifesto on finding meaning beyond money and status, this book delivers a sound blueprint for living well on less.

Discover how to:

• Create your own definition of success based on your deepest beliefs and life experience
• Alleviate depression, lower blood pressure, and stay fit with inexpensive alternatives to high-cost medications
• Develop a diet that promotes better health - and saves you money
• Plan for, and protect yourself from, future economic catastrophes
• Cut down on your housing and transportation costs
• Live frugally without deprivation
• Follow in the footsteps of real people who have effectively forged new financial identities

The New Good Life provides much-needed hope and comfort in a time of fear and uncertainty.

©2010 John Robbins (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"There is today a profound hunger for precisely the information, the advice, and the perspectives in The New Good Life." (Vicki Robin, coauthor of Your Money or Your Life)

A must for everyone!

John Robbins bares his life to us in this book and shares his life experiences, lessons, triumphs and tragedies while he shares wisdom on how to live a truly good life in our modern times. He is humble and shares so much of himself which makes you feel like you know him. I am loving every moment of this audiobook. The sign of the times... gas prices, bankruptcy, foreclosures. We need to take time to be intelligent with our money, and evaluate whether our lives are really fulfilled. I recommend this book to the world, especially those who will embrace their lives being closer connected to the earth, and who want a real intimacy with family, nature and want to give more instead of take.

Should be taught in schools today

LOVE this book alot of good ideas on how not too get caught up in stuff that will not buy happiness and the real cost of credit cards and raising children how the best health care is in what we feed our bodys.

Most of the Information I Already Knew

Would you try another book from John Robbins and/or Paul Boehmer?

Yes, I wish there were more of Robbins' books on Audible.com.

What did you like best about this story?

Things I didn't know in the book - about toxic chemicals in common personal and household products, bit about the Spelling family dirty laundry, bit about author's family history and his reaction/path to growing up wealthy with a lavish lifestyle.

Any additional comments?

Personally, the book disappointed me because I know most of what is in the book. I am dying to read Robbins' earlier books, but, they aren't on Audible, except for the 'Healthy At 100' book which I 100% loved and found to be newly informative. This book had many tips and information I already know. For instance, pigeon holing types of spenders (I find pigeon holing annoying), recommending ways to save money and live greener like carpooling, hand-me downs, spend less, live in a smaller house, etc.

Right message, wrong messenger

I confess I couldn't finish this audiobook. It just reeks of conspicuous piety. There's no doubt at all that we as a society need to reconsider our priorities and our relationship with "stuff," but the holier-than-thou puritanism that permeates Robbins's writing is very off-putting.

I'm a heavy-duty recycler, I bring my own bags to the market, I make the extra effort to buy both local and organic food, I use fluorescent bulbs and power strips, I telecommute a few days a week to minimize car use, and even I found the tone of this book intolerable before I could finish it.

Perhaps this book would be more effective if browsed in hardcopy form, so you can go directly to the worthy recommendations without having to sit through the sermon first.

The narrator was fine. No problems from that angle.

Good book for better living

Robbins was an heir to the Baskin Robbins fortune before he gave it up to pursue his own destiny. Great book with practical suggestions on how to minimize your ecological footprint on this world and leave it in a better condition.

Such good information

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn to thrive in a sustainable way and look at things more humanely.