Radical simplicity

'Radical Simplicity': Small Footprints on a Finite Earth is the book written by in 2003. The book was written after Merkel quit his job to live a more sustainable life. The book talks about his experiences with countries he’s visited to observe how they live on less. He uses the Kerala society as his ideal society, where they work cooperatively for food and other such necessities of life. It gives steps how to cut down one’s footprint and spread around the wealth between humans. The book gives steps to determine one’s footprint and how to cut that down. It shows how much one consumes and how many acres one person wastes over a certain time. Towards the end of the book a proposition is proposed that everyone limit their family size to one child and everyone live on 3.7 acres.
Journry to Simplicity

After Jim Merkel quits his job he begins to look for a simpler way to live. In his search he travels across the India, visiting native tribes such as the Chumash and the Kani. From these tribes he learns how to live off the land and reduce his carbon foot print. He writes in his book about Kani that he, "witnessed land and the people in true harmony- before the domination of nature." With the insight gained from visiting the villages in India, Jim Merkel returns to America to try to put it to use. He participates in the Global Living Project where a group of scientist measure their carbon foot print and try to see if they can live off of 3 acres per person for six months.

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