This book is the captivating and true story of a harried urban Californian moved by the beauty of a display of quilts to seek out and live with the Amish. Discovering lives shaped by unfamiliar yet comforting ideas about time, work, and community, Bender is gently coaxed to consider whether there is a better way to lead a good life. Her journey begins in a New York men's clothing store. There she is spellbound by the vibrant colors and stunning geometric simplicity of the Amish quilts used as background in a display. Heeding a persistent inner voice, Bender searches for Amish families willing to allow her to visit and share in their daily lives. Plain and Simple vividly recounts sojourns with two Amish families, visits during which Bender enters a world without television, telephone, electric light , or refrigerators; a world where clutter and hurry are replaced with inner quiet and calm ritual; a world where a sunny kitchen "glows" and no distinction is made between the sacred and the everyday. In nine interrelated chapters - as simple as a classic nine-patch Amish Quilt - Bender shares the quiet power she found reflected in lives of joyful simplicity, humility, and clarity. When Bender returns home, she reworks her life, integrating the qualities she has observed in the Amish. This charming book speaks to the seeker in all of us. 152 pages. Softcover. 8" x 6". B&W. We offer Free Shipping on all orders totaling more than $19.94. For orders totaling less than $19.95 please include $2.50 for handling. To order by phone call Toll Free 866.596.9982