Chapter 22

The last chapter! The Brende’s are back in Boston until someone tells Brende that they still use rickshaws in Charleston, South Carolina. So, they pack up their bags and move. Brende continues to use a bicycle taxi as his main source of income. They also say that they are still somewhat minimalist in their ways. Such as no television, they home school the kids, and use a push mower. I am disappointed in the end. I wish they stayed in the Amish community. I know that they could’ve done it and been successful. Maybe when they are retired and their kids are grown they will go back and try it again.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21 starts out with the realization that Mary is allergic to horses and then ends up with the Brende’s saying their goodbyes and packing up their stuff. I am completely shocked that they decided to leave and return to Boston. I thought that they were getting the hang of living without technology. I also think that the people in the community were probably disappointed that they took time out to teach the Brende’s all these new things and then at the end of the eighteen months they decided to leave. I think that the people in the community thought that they would end up staying and adding value to their neighborhood.

Chapter 20

In Chapter 20 the Brende’s finally get rid of their car! They buy a horse and a buggy and still have $400 left over. They also buy a house in the community. It seems really nice and I’m glad that they are thinking about staying. Also in this chapter Brende sees Bill riding a bicycle from his job in the city. When he goes to talk to Bill’s Dad, Edward they argue but then make up in the end when they realize each other had good intentions. It must be so hard to get places without a car. I couldn’t imagine it. Also, when you have to get somewhere a buggy will not protect you very well from the weather.

Chapter 19

By Chapter 19 I’ve come to the realization that this book is getting less and less deep. In this chapter Brende talks about how much he does around the house and instead of both pitching in the Brende’s new answer is, “It’s not my job”. They decide to go on a weekend getaway and Brende attends a class on the Amish where women’s roles are discussed. I thought it was really weird that they went to Kmart – right across from their farm to get baby stuff? Anyone else? As I was reading this book I kind of thought that they were out in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. I also think that should have used baby thing that were made by hand and not resorted to Kmart.

Chapter 18

In Chapter 18 Hans is born! I wouldn’t have picked that name but, he sounds like a cool baby. Brende was excited and nervous all at once but all new Dads are. The only hitch in the entire thing was their car breaking down when Brende went to the Millers to get Naomi. Otherwise the birth at home went extremely smooth. You have to give Mary credit for giving birth with no drugs in her own bed that must have been the toughest thing she’s ever done. It was funny how she can’t remember the pain now. I’m pretty sure that is the only way women agree to give birth again and again; it’s the complete memory loss of the experience.

Chapter 17

Chapter 17 has a bunch of different things happening. Brende ends up selling the rest of his molasses at wholesale price. Something I don’t think he should’ve done. I felt like he kind of gave up. Also in this chapter it seems like he is making more enemies than friends. The Miller boy is mad at him because Brende made him wait and was not being all that helpful. Also, someone stole the deer meat off of their front porch and they invited themselves over to someone’s house to play bridge. At last in the end of the chapter he is getting along with Caleb. I think it is pretty gross that they can’t tell the difference between their canned chicken and their canned pork. Also, I think it was pretty unnecessary to go into gory details about killing a chicken and plucking its feathers.

Chapter 16

In this chapter the Brende’s have a moment of panic when they realize that their pumpkins are ready to be picked way too early. They work together and get most of the pumpkins inside. They also get their molasses ready to be sold. The pumpkins make it to October and they gain around $1,000. They are pretty bored with no work to do on the farm although this gives them time to work on their Lamaze, because I have a feeling this baby is coming in about two chapters! I am wondering is $1,000 is all they need to get them through the whole year. It seems like an awfully small amount of money to support a family.

Chapter 15

In Chapter 15 Brende really starts to become friends with Wilbur. As he tries threshing again all the men begin to ask him questions about life outside the Amish community. They ask him about Boston and New York, about prices of houses, etc. By the end of the day he calculates that the men only really worked a little over 4 hours for the day. So even though it took all day, only ½ of the day was devoted to work. I wonder how long the average person actually works in an office job. After they take a lunch break, talk on the phone, and talk to co-workers I bet they only end up working a half a day too!

Chapter 14

Brende talks about a lot of different stuff in this chapter but mostly weather. After their trip to Kansas he feels that his body adjusted to the air conditioning and when he returns he gets really sick from the heat. Mrs. Brende figures out that by turning around in the bed they get a breeze through the window. They also found a local spot to cool off and go swimming. I really like what he said about people who work all year to get a change of scenery for a week. If those people took a minute to look around they would realize that they get a change of scenery four times a year. I think that so far this is some of the best advice he has given in the book.

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 is titled “Secrets and Politics” and that pretty much sums it up. Brende finds out about a council meeting in which the men that govern the town convene and talk about arising issues. I don’t think that this would work too well in today’s society. I think that our democracy even though it has its flaws works somewhat well. Towards the end him and his wife travel to Kansas and check out a small town that his mother recommended. They seem to like it and he strikes up the idea of becoming a taxi driver. After peaking at everyone’s last posts I wonder if he decides to make this a career…? I was also wondering why these people drive from PA to KY just to check it out. He never says but they must like riding in the car, A LOT!

Chapter 12

In Chapter 12, the Brende’s take time to visit with a few of their neighbors. They realize who they like and also who they don’t like. They also find out exactly what connects all of them together and that is work and religion. Then they visit with Edna the midwife and talk about the new baby Brende. I would be really scared to have a baby at home. There are a lot of cases of women dying while going through childbirth. Also, where did these midwives get their education from? If I were Mary I would be asking all sorts of questions about what they would do if something were to go terribly wrong.

Chapter 11

In this chapter Brende describes the cute little Amish teenagers and what a teenage boy would have to go through in order to marry the girl of his dreams. It almost sounds like a job interview. I wish it was still like this today. I think it would be nice for a guy to write a note to my parents and have dinner at my house on Sundays. I also think it is so romantic that they go for walks and boat rides and sit on the porch and talk. When Brende talked about the guys on one side of the room and girls on the other it reminded me of junior high dances. It only takes one boy to start talking to one girl and then everyone usually follows along.

Chapter 10

In Chapter 10, Brende helps out a neighbor by putting up an addition to his barn. All the men in the community work all day to achieve this goal. Brende learns more about the men and is able to distinguish their different personalities. Whenever two people are working toward the same goal it is natural to start talking and become friendly. Working and talking makes a tedious job go much faster and easier. People like socializing and just want some company when they are at work. I think that if you worked from home you might feel lonely than if you worked at a jobsite or in an office where there are many people around.

Chapter 9

This chapter goes into detail about the Amish church and religion. Although they were unsure about fitting in, the Brende’s decided to attend their first service. I don’t know if the service just felt long because it was a long boring chapter or if the service actually took all day. I almost fell asleep reading about the author and everyone else desperately trying to stay awake during church. The best and most valuable part of chapter 9 is when Mrs. Brende figures out that the reason the Amish dress the way they do is for the sake of others and not for social reasons. I found this extremely interesting and from then on she felt it was easier to get along with the other women.

Chapter 8

In this chapter Mrs. Brende finds out that she is pregnant and is starting to feel homesick. It is funny that when they set out to look for new places to live they weren’t nearly as happy as they were where they already live. Sometimes when you think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, it turns out that you were mistaken. It is nice to see that when they were looking for a new place they wanted to be able to ride their bicycles around town, be near a church, and also be near an Amish community. This shows that they are impressed with their new community and lifestyle and hope to continue parts of it when their research is over.

Chapter 7

In Chapter 7 you can start to see that the author is getting used to his life without technology. He is able to relax after work and read a novel that he is interested in. Things are so quiet that they can hear everything going on outside. He talks about business people who are constantly trying to escape for the weekend. Also, he said that when it is dark outside they go to sleep and when the sun comes up they wake up. They have no sense of time and I admire that. People today are so busy that they pack their day full of activities by the minute. It would be nice if things were still as easy going as what Mr. Brende describes.

Chapter 6

In Chapter 6 Mr. and Mrs. Brende get into one of their first arguments. Mrs. Brende is not happy about having to cook three meals a day and wants a way to refrigerate leftovers. When I read that there was a possibility of them getting a fridge I have to admit I was disappointed. It is part of the lifestyle not to have technological advances. A refrigerator uses so much electricity that I think it would have been cheating. However, by the end of the chapter Mr. Brende figures out how to preserve leftovers in cold water. I was very pleased that they didn’t resort to electricity or even propane because they don’t need it. Maybe Mrs. Brende can create her own cookbook for dishes that do not require refrigeration to stay fresh.

Chapter 5

This was the most exciting chapter so far. The chapter starts off with the possibility of the Brende’s getting running water. Then the author goes off on a tangent and remembers a time when he actually had fun doing manual labor while using a cultipacker. Then while trying to find the spring himself the author has an encounter with a couple of curious bulls. Ending up at the Miller’s house he realizes that while he was devoting so much time to finding the water he neglected his garden. I think that everyone can relate to this in real life. People are constantly going off on tangents and forgetting what they should be doing instead. This chapter didn’t have too much to do with technology as it did teaching the lesson of two steps forward and one step back.

Chapter 4

I’m not entirely sure what this chapter was all about. The author tells about a hurricane that hit their neighborhood and that when it was all over the Millers once again came to the rescue. The Millers helped them air out their house and barn and left just as quickly as they came. Then Mr. Brende discussed a meeting the men were having at the general store. The men were talking about whether or not it is appropriate to trim your beard. The main issue was that God had given Adam a beard for a reason and therefore men should not go against the will of God.

I guess this chapter’s importance lies in the beard discussion. Maybe by trimming your beard you are rebelling against the way things should be. The same thing goes with technology. By using technology to take over your life you are going against what was intended. This chapter also shows that no matter what the neighbors, the Millers, will always be there to help them.

Chapter 3

In this chapter the author really starts working on the farm and preserving the fruits and vegetables for winter. It seems like everyone in the community really wants to help Mr. Brende and his wife learn as much as they can about getting by without technology. They begin to realize that the work goes by much faster when they are talking and socializing with each other. They start to become good friends with the Joneses. And all the children help them get the most produce out of their land.

I think that this chapter is very important because it proves that when everyone is all working toward the same goal and doesn’t care about what other people think the task becomes much easier. If everyone helped each other out the way the neighbors help the Brende’s the world would be a better place. So far there is no conflict and all the work is getting done. The author keeps saying that he is having so much fun that he often forgets to write down all the research he is doing.

Chapter 2

In the second chapter the author sets out to the Amish country with his new wife. His first task was to mow the lawn. At first he felt extremely nervous and wondered if the “physical regimen” had already begun. However, after he was done he felt that cutting the lawn by hand was not all that unpleasant. There is a fine line between what technology should be used and what should not. The author is hoping that living in the Amish community for 18months will help him to figure out where exactly that line lies. According to the Amish anything with a motor is too much technology. I was impressed that even though the house they are living in came with electricity and running water that they chose to turn both off. This shows extreme commitment to trying to live their lives like the people in the community.

Chapter 1

This book starts out with the main character explaining his ideas about technology. His main issue is not to get rid of technology completely but not to rely on it to do everything. The author thinks that people today are being lazy and should only utilize technology when it is absolutely necessary. He talks about how when he was a child everyone would play outside and that now on sunny afternoons the streets are empty. I completely agree with him that children need to be outside exploring and running around. Instead they are in the house watching television and playing on the computer. He also says that it is okay to use technology when the task is extremely labor intensive. I don’t understand why he can’t fully express his ideas in class and with his professor. I thought college, especially MIT, promotes thinking outside of the box and would welcome new ideas and thoughts of its students.