Back to the good life.

Are you tired of living in polluted, over-crowded cities? Do you wish you could get back to the simple life, the so-called good life? That is just what authors John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist wanted when they moved from downtown Chicago to a small farm in southwestern Wisconsin. They tell how they did it in their charming and refreshing book Rural Renaissance (New Society Publishers, $22.95). This new book is a great how-to on living a more sustainable life, and it is filled with practical information from the authors' experiences running their bed and breakfast, Inn Serendipity. Ivanko and Kivirist share everything with the reader, from recipes to how they generate power from a wind turbine and built a greenhouse out of straw bale. Rural Renaissance teaches us, "Every day we're given a fresh start, a clean mixing bowl in which to create and concoct our life journey, if not also a fresh, delicious salad."