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Chargement... A Handmade Life: In Search of Simplicitypar William Coperthwaite
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William Coperthwaite is a teacher, builder, designer, and writer who for many years hasexplored the possibilities of true simplicity on a homestead on the north coast of Maine. In the spirit of Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, and Helen and Scott Nearing, Coperthwaite has fashioned a livelihood of integrity and completeness-buying almost nothing, providing for his own needs, and serving as a guide and companion to hundreds of apprentices drawn to his unique way of being. A Handmade Life carries Coperthwaite's ongoing experiments with hand tools, hand-grown and gathered food, and handmade shelter, clothing, and furnishings out into the world to challenge and inspire. His writing is both philosophical and practical, exploring themes of beauty, work, education, and design while giving instruction on the hand-crafting of the necessities of life. Richly illustrated with luminous color photographs by Peter Forbes, the book is a moving and inspirational testament to a new practice of old ways of life. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)144Philosophy and Psychology Philosophical Systems Humanism, Pragmatism, And UtilitarianismClassification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
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It is beautifully photographed, and shows a man, living in a "yurt" (actually a large round house with a pointed roof) in Vermont, carving stuff out of wood, children poking around in gardens, brightly colored produce piled in primitive baskets. There is even a pattern for making your own axe. *sigh* I wanted to know how he does it, so I can do it, too, should the opportunity ever arise.
What I got was a dissertation on his world view. I was put off by the opening paragraph. After a lengthy introduction by someone else, Coperthwaite finally takes the floor with these comments: "We need to build a society in which everyone wins. Loser are not good for business. The cost of having so many losers is tremendous in terms of happiness; in dollars for heath care, famine relief, and prisons; in suffering and in wars - in wasted human potential."
Now, I am not quibbling with anything the man is actually saying here. I just don't want to hear it NOW. In this book, I want tips on organic gardening and instructions for building a pen to contain my goats so I can make cheese. I'm not interested in reading about how to build a perfect society - especially HIS ideas of a perfect society. He goes on to talk about education, family life, asthetics, the necessity of work, violence, material wealth, and the benefits of rural living. It all came across as very condecending - he has the problems of the world all figured out, and all the rest of us need to do is listen to him.
This is all strangely interspersed with sidebars covering such topics as how to handle a 2-man saw to cut down a tree alone, building a chair, making toys, and the axe pattern mentioned above. Almost every page has quotations from people including Henry David Thoreau, Kahlil Gibran, Abraham Lincoln, Emily Dickinson (lots of Dickinson), Mortimer Adler, Mahatma Gandhi, Dwight D Eisenhower, Tolstoy, and dozens of others.
I realized early on that this is not the book it looks like. I was happier looking at the pretty pictures and reading the sidebars and just skimming the text, but he still managed to get my back up. When I want a sermon I go to church. I didn't appreciate it from this guy. I gave the book 1-1/2 stars, just because it is so attractive to look at. ( )