Review of the Book in Local Paper

There's a review in the East Bay Express by Anneli Rufus of A Different Kind of Luxury, in anticipation of the event on Friday, Feb. 26th at 7pm at Teance Tea House on Fourth Street in Berkeley. Check out the review here. In the comments section, I made a few small corrections. Here they are:

Thanks for the nice review. Just a couple of small corrections for the record. The folks in A Different Kind of Luxury live in older but wonderful houses, not huts, which though cheap to rent are often better than the mass produced apartment complexes most people live in today, whether in the city or the country.

Atsuko, in chapter 3, gives lectures at the recycling center to people from other villages who have come to learn about her village's innovations, but certainly wouldn't lecture her neighbors about carcinogens in plastics. One more last tiny point, Atsuko let her daughter study at home for a few years because of the intense conservative pressure of the school system, and because her daughter asked, not because of her Catholic ideas. In fact Atsuko is a member of the Catholic church because of its proximity to her remote home, but her beliefs and values are very radical. She's a follower of Rudolf Steiner, who founded Waldorf schools and biodynamic agriculture. Again I appreciate your coverage of this event.

Atsuko Watanabe telling villagers who are visiting from another region about her village's innovative "Zero Waste Center."

Hope you can make it to Teance at 7 pm this Friday! Event Website Here.

Book Signing (w/ Rustic Tea) in Berkeley Friday 2/26

Join us for the first public book signing event this Friday, Feb. 26th at 7pm on Fourth Street in Berkeley!

The event will be sponsored by one of the foremost US purveyors of fine Asian teas, Teance, and will have decidedly "tea" flair to it. The location is just next to the Peet's Coffee on Fourth Street, and starts promptly at 7 pm. The event is part of Teance's weekly "class" series, and there will be a $10 admission, which includes a sample of a rare rustic tea grown only in a few remote valleys in the mountains of Japan.

Event Description: Author and photographer Andy Couturier discusses his new book about people living simple, sustainable, extraordinary lives in rural Japan. This book lets readers feel the flavor and texture of the lives of a number of fascinating artists, philosophers and farmers who've chosen lives of reduced consumption and increased satisfaction. Although raised in the tumult of Japan's industrial powerhouse, each of these men and women have made the transition to slower, more deeply satisfying lives, with plenty of time for contemplation and a deeper connection with the natural world. This event at Teance will feature a rare rural tea grown only in a few valleys of the island of Shikoku, and attendees will be able to see a number of the original pieces by these artists, including original ceramic works, woodblock prints, hand-bound books, and hand-dyed fabric hangings. The author will also show beautiful slides from of these people's way of life, and there will be a question and answer period at the end. $10 Rare tea served Event Website Here.

OTHER UPCOMING BOOK SIGNING EVENTS!

• Bookshop Santa Cruz, Monday March 1, 7:30-9

1520 Pacific Ave Santa Cruz, CA, 95060 (831)423-0900

• The Booksmith Thursday, March 11, 6:30 PM

1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117

(Co-sponsored by SF Japan Society)

• Berkeley Ecology Center, Thursday March 18th, 7-9 PM

2530 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702 510-548-2220

• Commonwealth Club of California Tuesday April 20th

5:30 pm (networking) 6:00 event

595 Market St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 597-6700 $8 members, $15 non-members

Five Star Review on Amazon

Writer Suzanne Kamata Reviews ADKL on Amazon

Around fifteen years ago, when Andy Couturier first conceived of this project, Americans were looking to Japan for ideas on how to run businesses and educate children. In light of the recent economic downturn and an increasing concern for the environment - even among conservatives - it seems that we would have been better off listening to the eleven individuals profiled in this book. These Japanese men and women have learned to live lightly upon the earth, with as little money as possible, and with an abundance of time. Having time allows them to grow their own food, revel in the beauty of nature, pursue creative endeavors, and contemplate the meaning of life and death, and the mysteries of the universe.

Among those introduced are the exuberant Kogan Murata, who derives great joy playing ancient melodies on his bamboo flute. Murata lives with his partner and small son on an amazing $3500/year. They grow their own food ("It is a wonder to grow rice!" Murata exclaims. "Exciting!") and live without modern appliances.

While living on the fringes of Japanese society, many of these people are nevertheless engaged in community life and the world at large. Atsuko Watanabe, for instance, famously convinced her fellow villagers to separate their garbage into over 40 categories. She is also an anti-nuclear activist.

At best, this book will convince readers to make changes for the better in their own lives. At the very least, anyone who dips into these pages will meet some fascinating people.