cover image The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in An Age of Less

The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in An Age of Less

John Robbins, Ballantine, $26 (304p) ISBN 9780345519849

Robbins, best-selling author and heir to the Baskin Robbins family, walked away from a fortune only to lose most of his own money in Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme. As the author of the bestselling Diet for a New America, Robbins championed planet-friendly food and became a popular lecturer, talk-show guest, and feature of the hit documentary, Supersize Me. Now he taps his razor sharp insights and social consciousness to argue that, when it comes to not just our food but also our bank accounts, homes, and other aspects of our lives, bigger is not always best. Chapters like "Eating Better, Spending Less" and "Choosing Where to Live" combine research and case studies with Robbins' own personal experience, redefining our notions of a successful life and lending credibility to his own claims of enlightenment. While we may not choose to live like Thoreau on a remote island (as Robbins did), this examination will make us consider how our consumer choices impact our family and, perhaps, society as a whole. (May)