Less is More: Phinney EcoVillage's Cecile Andrews reading on Simplicity November 8, 2009

Seattle-based author Cecile Andrews, our friend from Seattle who spoke at the EBCOHO Finding Community fair in 2007, a voluntary simplicity-movement leader and community organizer with lots to share relevant to cohousing and fostering community in existing neighborhoods, will be speaking at Mrs. Dalloway's books on College near Ashby in Berkeley this Sunday. Highly recommended for people living in or considering cohousing or other community living options... because while cohousing may be what Raines calls "voluntary complexity" (in terms of the time investment in social structures), it really does help us simplify, living well together with less. If you can't make it, go ahead and RSVP, we've got a follow-up survey question that can let you indicate your interest in a future small-group gathering with Cecile - she's eager to do something fun with us.

Less Is More: Embracing Simplicity for a Healthy Planet, a Caring Economy and Lasting Happiness

People are afraid and anxious. We’re destroying the planet, undermining happiness, and clinging to an unsustainable economy. Our obsessive pursuit of wealth isn’t working.

But there’s another way. Less can be More. Throughout history wise people have argued that we need to live more simply—that only by limiting outer wealth can we have inner wealth. Less is More is a compelling collection of essays by people who have been writing about simplicity for decades. They bring us a new vision of Less: less stuff, less work, less stress, less debt. A life with Less becomes a life of More: more time, more satisfaction, more balance, and more security.

When we have too much, we savor nothing. When we choose less, we regain our life and can think and feel deeply. Ultimately, a life of less connects us with one true source of happiness: being part of a caring community. Less is More shows how to turn individual change into a movement that leads to policy changes in government and corporate behavior, work hours, the wealth gap, and sustainability. It will appeal to those who want to take back their lives, their planet, and their well-being.

The book includes chapters by cohousers Dave Wann (Simple Prosperity, Reinventing Community, Affluenza, Superbia) of Harmony Village in Golden, Colorado, and Duane Elgin (The Living Universe, Voluntary Simplicity) formerly of FrogSong Cohousing in Cotati, and David Korten (The Great Turning) formerly of Winslow Cohousing on Bainbridge Island in Washington.

It also features works by friends-of-the-movement Theodore Roszak (Creation of a Counter-Culture, Creation of an Elder Culture) who visualizes senior cohousing in the ElderTown chapter of his latest book, which he will be reading from at Mrs. Dalloway's November 13, Ernest Callenbach (Ecotopia, Ecotopia Emerging), and The Not So Big House author Sarah Susanka, and Deep Economy's Bill McKibben.

Cecile Andrews is cofounder of Phinney EcoVillage in Seattle, but spends lots of time in the Bay Area. She has her doctorate in education from Stanford. Co-editor Wanda Urbanska is producer and host of Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska. She is author or co-author of numerous books, including Simple Living and Nothing’s Too Small to Make a Difference.

See the full event details, including location, at http://www.ebcoho.org/calendar/11780829/.

East Bay Cohousing

Welcome to East Bay Cohousing (EBCOHO). We're a decade-strong umbrella regional group providing outreach, community, and education, hosting core groups creating cohousing in the Urban East Bay, and linking to the many established communities, and helping people start new ones. Check out our events calendar, featuring regular tours (including an Oakland/Berkeley/Emeryville walking tour, bike tours, bus and carpool tours), education about affordable housing cooperatives, movies about community, visits from notable communitarian authors and movement leaders, workshops that can help folks get started in creating community, slide shows, community visits, field trips, and more.

We were part of a Northern California Cohousing Sustainable Communities booth at the Green Festival in SF November and will participated in a Cohousing California booth at last year's Solar Living Expo, Maker Faire and more.

EBCOHO members get to hear about new communities and openings in existing ones first, so join us (it's free, but you can get event discounts, a cohousing book, and coaching with supporting membership) to get the scoop, and subscribe to our mailing list to stay informed.

Check out what members are saying about East Bay Cohousing:

"Learn what it is all about and meet others to form communities with." - ecoforest garden

"There are many reasons for living in a community and people to need to attend these meeting and learn more about them." - scott adams

"Wonderful way to learn the details about cohousing." - Len Marsh

"There seem to be quite a few people, especially close to retirement age, willing to live in a smaller place but close to a real down town." - Werner Rust