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Summary: Some great ideals and a well-referenced thesis.
Review: Another title for this book could be "How to be inhumanly good." Miller's main thesis is that it is human instinct to want more, no matter how much you have, how good your life is, etc. Because of this, he argues, it is impossible for us to get what we want, because we will always invent something that we don't have. So we should come to terms with this urge and get on with our lives. In addition to this, he proposes three major areas to concentrate whenever we get too bogged down in wanting more. These three areas are Compassion, Attention, and Gratitude. So, according to Miller, if we continually strive to be more compassionate, pay more attention to what is going on around us and to what others are saying, and be more thankful for what we have, the yearnings for more should eventually fade, though of course never disappear completely. It was certainly an interesting read, but I think it would be almost impossible to follow exactly Miller's suggestions, though of course helpful to strive towards his ideals. It would take extraordinary dedication to the ideas and practices layed out in this book. Miller introduces many interesting sociological, historical, and religious documents to support his thesis. And it is a thesis to some extent, being extremely well-referenced. Miller approaches his readers as rational, intelligent individuals, rather that the desperate masses seeking THE answer. He even lists his email address and a mailing list dedicated to discussing the theories in the book. I subscribed to the mailing list for a couple of weeks, but found it a bit too heavy in long depressing narratives or short messages from obviously depressed individuals.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read For All Depresives
Review: I am a sufferer of depression. I've had three bouts with it, the last one landing me in a psych ward, a very good one I might add. The therapist I saw after that recommended I read this book and it is one of the most influential books I have read in my life. I highly recommend anyone who is prone to depression to read this stellar work. It gives a whole new perspective on how one should look at every aspect of everyday life, especially the mundane. It has impacted my life profoundly. If anyone suffers from depression, I know all too well what it's like. I can't stress strongly enough...GET THIS BOOK!
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Summary: Better than most of its ilk!
Review: I've been studying, beginning to practice, and teaching about "Voluntary Simplicity." This is a tremendous book in coming to grips with the fundamental obstacle to this process. Mr Miller's studies ring true to me, his technique seems appropriate, and his recognition that this is a process, not a goal reminds us that we're always needful of more compassion, more attention and more gratitude, paradoxical though it may be!
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Summary: The Next Step Up
Review: If you are interested in being happier, this book is for you. I read it first at the library, then bought a copy. I read it over often and find it helpful each time. The basic idea is that humans have an instinctive desire to get MORE wealth, status, and the like, no matter how much they already have. Getting off this road to nowhere is hard to do because the desire for more is instinctive. While applying Miller's ideas completely would be a lifetime's work, I find that doing even a little works to make me happier. If you have problems with depression, this book works well in combination with other books on cognitive therapy, like Burns' Feeling Good.
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Summary: A cognitve therapy manual, a modern Buddhist classic.
Review: In this truly important book, deceptive in its amazing simplicity, Timothy Miller manages to link ancient wisdom and modern cognitive therapy to illuminate a way of living that can bring counsel and happiness to many ofus always striving for more. Cognitive therapy teachesthat we make ourselves unhappy because we cling to irrational ideas, and there are lists of the main irrational ideas people have. Miller argues that there is only a fundamental one: to want a little more, which wethink is opposed to wanting a lot more, but that is in fact opposed to wanting what we have. Perhaps you are notconvinced but would like to explore this proposition, perhaps you already agree but don't know how to live in accord with it, perhaps you already live in this way but want to hear it in other words, like listening to a knownmusic just for pleasure. In either case, this book is for you
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Summary: Modernized Buddist Wisdom
Review: Loved it! A thoughtful, wise, and uplifting modern reiteration of the best of Buddism, IMO. I read it years ago, and still treasure it today.
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Summary: Hold on to your Seats
Review: One would think that this book will keep to the subject of wanting what one has all throughout, but I discovered along the way that this topic covers some more ground. This book is original and does not follow the customary 'self-help' format of many other books. It does make you think with some discussions about the evolution of our instincts and how these are by nature insatiable. The author borrows from recent work in research psychology to make some of his point. The third part of the book is really where the 'self-help' suggestions start, with what he dubs the E, C & G (Empathy, Compassion and Gratitude) technique. All in all, a good book, original as the person who wrote it, expressed his own thoughts and didn't seem to borrow too much from others. It expresses a refreshing view (on a new point of view) of society and the 'moral relativism' of our day and age.
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Summary: An Ancient Idea - More Relevant Than Ever
Review: The idea that desire lies at the heart of all human suffering is certainly not a new concept, being one of the fundamental tenets of Buddhist teaching. So kudos for anyone in this day and age of SUVs and cosmetic surgery who would be a voice in the wilderness for such a wise old idea.Supported by the three-legged stool of Compassion, Attention and Gratitude, we have hope of wiggling out from under our insatiable desires and for once being happy and at peace. It's a little difficult to get some of these concepts across on tape at any reasonable depth of understanding and I several times had the urge to grab pen and paper at the start of one of the various enumerations. This is one case where the audio medium may fall short of the written word, but I found listening to the tape a second time filled in the gaps pretty well. Besides, it's hard to drive and read. I think someone interested in this subject will find several other works very worthwile reading. The first is "The Miracle Of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hanh, which addresses "Attentiveness" as described on the tape - the art of living in the present moment. This concept is so important that "A Course In Miracles" devotes a great deal of attention to it, referred to as the "Holy Instant". It's hard to be unhappy when the regrets of the past and anxiety about the future are both "out of the picture"! A second worthwhile investment might be "Lovingkindness - The Revolutionary Art Of Happiness" by Sharon Salzberg. The word "Lovingkindness" is perhaps more appropriate than "Unconditional Love" or "Charity" or "Compassion". In our society, we're not schooled in these concepts and our language reflects this. Lovingkindness can be a great source of happiness. Gratitude is simply Thankfulness - something we frequently forget makes us happy as well! Despite the rather amusing connotations that ancient spiritual concepts have been "verified" by the modern sciences, this is intrinsically powerful material.
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Summary: Timeless Wisdom Made Accessible and Practical
Review: This is a funny sort of book. It is an incredible masterpiece disguised as a gimmecky self-help book. The presentation is clear, and demonstrative, yet the effectiveness is so subtle that you might not notice at first that your outlook on the world is changing, and that you actually feel quite better. Don't get me wrong. By no means is this a feel-good, spirit-lifting, rah-rah kind of book. The tone of the author is almost pessimistic, and yet (and perhaps as a result), the benefit is undeniably powerful. Timothy Miller provides such a copious number of examples, that it almost seems a joke at first. In truth, the examples are each vivid in their own way, and the force of the combined examples shows why this book isn't on the best seller list: it will require constant effort on your part. But that effort isn't so challenging, it's just almost completely unnatural. Our instincts make us unhappy, because they cause us to always want more than we have, and so we almost guaranteed to be unhappy with what we currently have, regardless of how much that is. A perfect example that Mr. Miller points out is when an acquaintance of his said she knew what he meant when he said that people don't usually show gratitude for what they have. "It's like how the rich are never happy with what they have because there is always someone richer," she said. The woman was surprised by his response. "It's exactly like that," he replied, "just as you are are not happy with what you have, even though by almost any standard around the world, you are fabulously wealthy, but there are still people with more money than you." But the steps to achieving happiness with what we have are deceptively simple. They are basically, (1) notice that others want basically the same things you do for the same reasons, (2) be aware of what you are doing and feeling, and do it and feel it completely, and (3) practice being thankful for the incredible gifts you currently have. Again, Miller's perfect examples provide a good working basis to allow you to get started doing this yourself. One final comment. At first I was quite annoyed by the tone of the book (I'm listening to an audio version). Dr. Miller appears to be almost depressingly pessimistic. At about a third of the way through the tape, I found it almost funny. Later, I thought the tone actually helped make the book very profound and accessible. If these practices can work for Dr. Miller, they can work for anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting read
Review: This is a good book which covers a lot of cognitive theory which provides some deeper understanding of the live the simple life theory. The author draws upon wisdom of some of the main-stream religions including Buddhism, Christinaity and Judaism. Surprisingly no inclusion from Islamic teachings, which I thought could have complemented the content.
Anyway still a good read, and good to supplement with other books like "Patience and Gratitude" by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
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