Living the Simple Life

April 29, 1996
In Seeing and Believing: Religion and Values in the Movies, Harvard Divinity School's Margaret R. Miles explores the rich, but often neglected, relationship between religious questions and cinematic art. Through lively meditations on popular films as diverse as Jesus of Montreal, Thelma and Louise, Jungle Fever and Paris Is Burning, Miles fashions provocative readings of that intersection, taking the religious study of film to new and rather glorious heights. (Beacon, $25 240p ISBN 0-8070-030-8) Former businesswoman Elaine St. James, whose previous books, Simplify Your Life and Inner Simplicity, have over 475,000 copies in print, once again cries "Simplify!" in Living the Simple Life: 100 Steps to Scaling Down and Enjoying More. After a brief testimony to the rewards of her own simplified life, St. James discusses 100 areas, from household chores to e-mail, where action may be effectively taken to remove the clutter from everyday life. A pinch of Heloise and a dash of Buddha enliven her recipes. Book club sales to Rodale, BOMC, QPB and One Spirit. Second serial rights to Ladies' Home Journal.