Book Review: Twelve by Twelve

A friend of mine recommended this book and when I saw it at the library I picked it up.  I  think I expected more practical tips for minimalist living but this ended up being a really beautifully written book exploring the broad ideas of minimalism, if not the everyday aspects. 


Twelve by Twelve is written from the perspective of someone experiencing the culture shock of returning to America and all of its consumerism after spending time in developing countries, who meets a woman who lives almost completely off the grid.  Her perspective seems to be minimalism for the purpose of activism.  She accepts only $11,000 a year as salary at her position as a doctor so that she does not pay income tax.  The house she chose to build in an eclectic neighborhood was limited to 12'-0" x 12'-0" to avoid real estate tax.  It also means that it did not receive electric, water or sewer lines from the city. 

If you are interested in going "all out" minimalist this might be a step by step guide.  He briefly explains the solar shower, the compost toilet, and the agriculture that supplied a bulk of his food. 
But that really isn't the focus of the book.  He shares his interaction with the neighbors who all have a different view of what it means to be a part of this unique community.  He delves into what it means to be by yourself, to settle into what he calls a "warrior presence."  What really resonated with me was the theme of "Enough."  What that meant to different people and what that can mean to us at different parts of our life. 

Two of the most interesting ideas he touched on was "Planned Obsolescence"  and Household Economy as Protest:  the idea that every penny you spend is a vote, an affirmation that you believe in this product, the process and the means in which it was produced.  These really helped me reevaluate my impulse to purchase. 

My favorite quote:

• By stripping myself, at the 12 X 12, of some of the manifestation of independence - a car, a phone, electricity, piped water, a home - I'd come to "love my very insufficiency." in 12 X 12 simplicity, I discovered my nothingness and began to love it.

Disclosure:  This book may want to make you give up chicken, at least the mass produced, package processed kind.