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A Reasonable Life: Toward a Simpler, Secure, More Humane Existence
"If 'in adversity is hidden opportunity' then lurking around the corner must be the Mother of All Great Chances." With our environment on its knees, our great myths and cities crumbling, Ferenc Máté argues in this passionate, darkly funny book that now is the time to begin our lives anew, on a more human scale. With our lust for mechanized "progress" we have damaged and endangered not only our planet but also our communities, families, and even friendships. He warns that our environmental movement by itself is as effective as "trying to stop a freight-train with a feather." He argues for fundamental change--by each of us. We must place simple human needs and the human spirit far ahead of material wealth. We must rethink our concepts of career, home life, habits, and what we call security and success. And we must resurrect our the small town, the family, and a dignified caring self. Only then will our earth become the paradise we once had and mistakenly took for granted.
- GenresNonfictionPhilosophy
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
6 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Ferenc Máté
62Ìýbooks98ÌýfollowersFerenc Máté has made a career of out documenting his own quests—whether it’s restoring a Tuscan ruin, building a vineyard from scratch, or sailing the seven seas.
Born in Transylvania, he escaped at age eleven when the Hungarian revolution was crushed by Soviet tanks. He grew up in Vancouver and has lived in California, Paris, Rome, the Bahamas and New York. He has worked on a railroad extra-gang and as a boat-builder, photographer, deckhand and book editor. He is the author of 16 books translated into 12 languages. His international best seller A Vineyard in Tuscany, was a New York Times Notable Book and short listed for Spain’s Camino del Cid literary award. His Dugger/Nello historical novel series have made him “the leading nautical writer of our time.� With his wife and son, he works the Máté vineyards surrounding the 13th century friary they restored in Montalcino, Italy. They have won global recognition for making one of the world’s best Brunellos.
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Born in Transylvania, he escaped at age eleven when the Hungarian revolution was crushed by Soviet tanks. He grew up in Vancouver and has lived in California, Paris, Rome, the Bahamas and New York. He has worked on a railroad extra-gang and as a boat-builder, photographer, deckhand and book editor. He is the author of 16 books translated into 12 languages. His international best seller A Vineyard in Tuscany, was a New York Times Notable Book and short listed for Spain’s Camino del Cid literary award. His Dugger/Nello historical novel series have made him “the leading nautical writer of our time.� With his wife and son, he works the Máté vineyards surrounding the 13th century friary they restored in Montalcino, Italy. They have won global recognition for making one of the world’s best Brunellos.
Please visit:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 8, 2011
Ferenc Máté has produced a book that dares to be the impassioned argument for a reasonable life. Máté has done what no author that I've read recently has been able to do and that is to put into a well-organized narrative form, that which many of us who agree with him have been thinking for so long. It's one thing to read statistics about economic disparities between rich and poor and about the seemingly crushing economic and ecological weight of what most will probably agree is excessive consumption. It's another thing to hear it spoken with the passionate conviction that Máté undoubtedly harbors. His words champion a cause that is worthy of our attention and effort and the manner in which he presents his views should cause us to pause and re-evaluate that which we thought was important in life but that, at the end of the day, is not. Máté has demonstrated clearly that our priorities as a society (particularly, an American society, as is my only personal experience) are backwards and need to be adjusted. Additionally, unlike some of the other reviewers of this work, I am not particularly bothered by Máté's use of exclamatory punctuation; I think it adds to the energy of his convictions.
Now that the accolades are out of the way, however, I do have several criticisms. I am critical of the idea that simple adjustments to our daily lives will bring about the change that he seems to think they will. Certainly, Máté wrote his book almost two decades ago and I have the benefit of critiquing this work within the context of our history since its publication. However, I suppose I am more pessimistic about humanity than he is. Unless monied influence is not significantly curbed and unless an apathetic public demands the serious change that he advocates, I tend to think that no amount of personal adjustment will yield the results that Máté believes could, one day, come true. To be fair, however, Máté recognizes that his views may be seen as overly simplistic, an observation that I appreciate and, unfortunately, agree with.
I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a motivational boost about what one might do to change his or her own circumstances. Undoubtedly, any personal change is better than none. Ferenc Máté has seemingly lived a varied and interesting life and his worldly experiences, without a doubt, have informed his writing. However, at the risk of sounding like a pessimist or undermining Máté's impassioned narrative, I would caution the reader to think clearly about what kind of change is likely to realistically be expected and use this work as a guide and inspiration to change things that, in two decades, have unfortunately gotten much worse.
Now that the accolades are out of the way, however, I do have several criticisms. I am critical of the idea that simple adjustments to our daily lives will bring about the change that he seems to think they will. Certainly, Máté wrote his book almost two decades ago and I have the benefit of critiquing this work within the context of our history since its publication. However, I suppose I am more pessimistic about humanity than he is. Unless monied influence is not significantly curbed and unless an apathetic public demands the serious change that he advocates, I tend to think that no amount of personal adjustment will yield the results that Máté believes could, one day, come true. To be fair, however, Máté recognizes that his views may be seen as overly simplistic, an observation that I appreciate and, unfortunately, agree with.
I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a motivational boost about what one might do to change his or her own circumstances. Undoubtedly, any personal change is better than none. Ferenc Máté has seemingly lived a varied and interesting life and his worldly experiences, without a doubt, have informed his writing. However, at the risk of sounding like a pessimist or undermining Máté's impassioned narrative, I would caution the reader to think clearly about what kind of change is likely to realistically be expected and use this work as a guide and inspiration to change things that, in two decades, have unfortunately gotten much worse.
March 25, 2016
Everything he says in this book is completely true, although it will leave you with a feeling of despair. It has made me re-think my consumer behavior, and I may try to grow a few veggies this summer. At times, his tone is a bit off-putting, like he's yelling at us. But overall I think everyone needs to read this.
October 24, 2024
DNF, page 32. And that was the second try.
Didn't finish. I was turned off by the author's cynicism, misplaced nostalgia, and unscientific approach. If you are hoping to learn about the psychology of consumer culture, look elsewhere. And stick with Thoreau for nature-loving prose.
Mate's thesis (that the Western lifestyle is self- and earth-destructive and must be changed) is eclipsed by his contempt for modernity... even its positive attributes. For the lack of nuance in the pages I read, and the author's sanctimonious tone, 1 star.
Didn't finish. I was turned off by the author's cynicism, misplaced nostalgia, and unscientific approach. If you are hoping to learn about the psychology of consumer culture, look elsewhere. And stick with Thoreau for nature-loving prose.
Mate's thesis (that the Western lifestyle is self- and earth-destructive and must be changed) is eclipsed by his contempt for modernity... even its positive attributes. For the lack of nuance in the pages I read, and the author's sanctimonious tone, 1 star.
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April 19, 2008 I FINALLY finished this book. It is full of great ideas for living a reasonable life, HOWEVER, the tone is just plain mean. The author writes as if every reader is an idiot who is stupid and as if every one who doesn't live the same lifestyle he and his family does is determined to ruin the earth. I hated him by the time I was done reading it.
I guess I am more of the ilk that if we can all try to make small changes in our lifestyles we can do our little bits to help. I don't think we should all abandon our current lives and move to little plots in nature or form communes. Hurrah for those who can and do, but let's the rest of us keep trying our little bits, okay?
I guess I am more of the ilk that if we can all try to make small changes in our lifestyles we can do our little bits to help. I don't think we should all abandon our current lives and move to little plots in nature or form communes. Hurrah for those who can and do, but let's the rest of us keep trying our little bits, okay?
February 23, 2010
This was one of those books that makes you think--hard. It's about how our American lives are unsustainable, due to overconsumption, breakdown of relationship ties, and media. (I'm oversimplifying, but that's basically it.) The author advocates a return to an agrarian lifestyle, with a house you've built yourself. The author sounds almost crazy, but I had to agree with almost everything he said.
This book could be a life-changer.
This book could be a life-changer.
February 23, 2023
While I agree with Ferenc that we are basically ripping our world apart with no forethought of the damage we (as a civilization) are doing to our world. I did get tired of his "rants" but his points are well taken. We will never (as a group of people) go back to the slower pace of life as he proposes in this book (and I've purchased his other books to read as well). I live in central Arkansas in a rural area because I spent my entire life basically living around and in large cities, and I truly hated living in the city. BUT I came from poverty and I needed to work to get out of poverty, so it was my choice to work in the city to make a living and get ahead. My beef with Ferenc is that he blames the wrong people. Growing up, we never had a tv until I was a teenager, we lived from meal to meal, and sometimes without a meal, but we did not buy things because we had no money. New cars came out due to the manufacturing people, new clothes came about because there were people in place who worked to sell those new clothes, et al. A lot of people never really thought they had to have a lot of those things until it was shoved into their faces by commercials and ads generated by big business.
I'm retired, and I'm living in a nice area, not expensive, but we are enjoying our retirement. We watch our money, careful how we spend it, and we prefer growing a lot of our fresh veggies, but we have no area to raise other foodstuffs and we can't do that living in a town (even if it is small). I envy Ferenc that he had the money to do what he is doing, but he did have the money first.
I'm retired, and I'm living in a nice area, not expensive, but we are enjoying our retirement. We watch our money, careful how we spend it, and we prefer growing a lot of our fresh veggies, but we have no area to raise other foodstuffs and we can't do that living in a town (even if it is small). I envy Ferenc that he had the money to do what he is doing, but he did have the money first.
September 18, 2021
If you want to listen to someone rant and rave about the good ol days and how we’ve all been corrupted by modern society and TV, this is the book for you. My MIL loaned it to me, so I gave it an honest shake, but it was not my favorite. Every argument is so one-sided, it makes it easier to discount the authors main points; I wish it were more balanced. I can see how this would have been a stunning read when it came out in the early �90s after all of the excess of the �80s, and some of the points are relevant even today, but I didn’t love the presentation.
November 27, 2017
Mate writes about what is wrong with the world, America in particular. Television, advertisers, the government and child raising. Love his view of how the system works -- the government sends the purchase orders, big business sends the invoice and everyone else works their butts off to pay the bills. I'd highly recommend it but remember it was written in the 90's and things have become much, much worse. Back to nature, back to the simple life. Is it even possible any more?
May 28, 2018
Excellent read
February 5, 2019
Talks down to the reader.
October 20, 2021
Despite agreeing wholeheartedly with almost everything in the book, I can't think much of it aside from the fact that the author is quite angry.
September 18, 2009
Mate's ramblings indulges the reader's horror at being disconnected from the environment while opportunistically pitching his dissatisfaction as an argument to man’s ills. this however forgoes that mother nature can only be the cause of our moral problems for as long as we live in nature. and thus is true only when humanity was housed in nature's womb and ceases to be applicable as soon as man created his own surroundings, made his own environment, of the fabric of his mental image, of which Mate points out as a form of neurosis.
This not only leads one to suspect that Mate has a radical loss of touch with modern reality and since he admits he is prone to generalization and making absolute assertions based on casual observation, not in-depth remarks, merely casual ones, the poor writing becomes asinine, while reeking of sentimentality and nostalgia.
Mate is a man who thinks curing humanity’s basest needs will cure us of our existential angst, always thinking of our problems as a fault of modern times and not simply of our mindset. And being based all on assumptions and offering one side to an argument one never has to provide evidence. yes, yes we know carbon is bad and mother nature is weeping like the indian in those old commercials, but as to the cause of modern ills Mate is definitively lacking in perspective. This could be because security is of no import or interest to me and I do not care for social bonds, while Mate stresses social degeneration and the bulk of our problems stem from us as, 'not friendly, social beings', but then again i highly doubt this. treating everything as a social ill and not an existential problem, gets one no where.
'But in a world as chaotic as ours, where the ties between us loosened long ago, isolating parents, isolating children, giving us so little in common to share, then, at least looking back, that garden seems as island remote from senseless struggle, where not only could we shut the world out, but we could shut ourselves in, together and alone.' This turns out to be the basis of his ranting: a nostalgic need for security and control veiled under a monosyllabic slogan; save the planet- or the garden, which is as much a false pretense as it is a fallacy, for one cannot save the planet, but at most sustain it to support man, hence the veiled grasping for sustainability come from his innate fear of growing apart from others.
To, ‘� gain a certain calm in knowing that care and help are all around, and- a thing just as vital-knowing that our support and caring are needed by others�, sounds not like a self-sufficient individual but more of a dependant who craves stability.
[this was also a confused rant.:]
This not only leads one to suspect that Mate has a radical loss of touch with modern reality and since he admits he is prone to generalization and making absolute assertions based on casual observation, not in-depth remarks, merely casual ones, the poor writing becomes asinine, while reeking of sentimentality and nostalgia.
Mate is a man who thinks curing humanity’s basest needs will cure us of our existential angst, always thinking of our problems as a fault of modern times and not simply of our mindset. And being based all on assumptions and offering one side to an argument one never has to provide evidence. yes, yes we know carbon is bad and mother nature is weeping like the indian in those old commercials, but as to the cause of modern ills Mate is definitively lacking in perspective. This could be because security is of no import or interest to me and I do not care for social bonds, while Mate stresses social degeneration and the bulk of our problems stem from us as, 'not friendly, social beings', but then again i highly doubt this. treating everything as a social ill and not an existential problem, gets one no where.
'But in a world as chaotic as ours, where the ties between us loosened long ago, isolating parents, isolating children, giving us so little in common to share, then, at least looking back, that garden seems as island remote from senseless struggle, where not only could we shut the world out, but we could shut ourselves in, together and alone.' This turns out to be the basis of his ranting: a nostalgic need for security and control veiled under a monosyllabic slogan; save the planet- or the garden, which is as much a false pretense as it is a fallacy, for one cannot save the planet, but at most sustain it to support man, hence the veiled grasping for sustainability come from his innate fear of growing apart from others.
To, ‘� gain a certain calm in knowing that care and help are all around, and- a thing just as vital-knowing that our support and caring are needed by others�, sounds not like a self-sufficient individual but more of a dependant who craves stability.
[this was also a confused rant.:]
March 12, 2008
I agree with the other review I read on this site. This book reads like a rant from a highschooler. I do agree with some (many) of his principles, but they just aren't well thought out.
What I agree with:
1. That people have no idea what the actual cost (environmentally, socially, spiritually) of an item is. Everything has a price and we have been using the planets resources in an unsustainable way.
2. That the world and our lives can be dreary rat races where we are starved of meaning, relaxation and happiness.
3. That counter culture lifestyles (like living in a cabin, raising your own food, living more naturally) can be a "reasonable" solution.
4. That things need to change around here.
What I don't agree with>
1. That the world and anybody who lives in it is an idiot for not having his point of view.
2. That the good old days were perfect and that the last 30 years have changed everything. He spends a chapter relating to happy he was on Sundays playing stick ball while his mom was in cooking all day and making a delicious meal. I bet his parents had some worries that he was oblivious to as a child.
3. That people up until very recently lived idyllic lives on their little relaxing farms, instead of the big bad cities. Um, life was hard back then. There was little to no medical care. You worked all day, everyday, until you died. You had babies every year to work on the farm, until you died in childbirth.
4. That us going back to our little hamlets would solve all the problems in the world. Well, it may solve it for you, but the rest of the world still suffers.
I guess my overall opinion on this book is that I have read many books like it. But they were smarter, better written, showed various points of view, were better researched, and actually had a point and ideas for a solution. This was like somebody's 9th grade paper where they are just at the beginning of understanding, but don't get it yet. You can't fix anything by going and sitting on a mountain.
What I agree with:
1. That people have no idea what the actual cost (environmentally, socially, spiritually) of an item is. Everything has a price and we have been using the planets resources in an unsustainable way.
2. That the world and our lives can be dreary rat races where we are starved of meaning, relaxation and happiness.
3. That counter culture lifestyles (like living in a cabin, raising your own food, living more naturally) can be a "reasonable" solution.
4. That things need to change around here.
What I don't agree with>
1. That the world and anybody who lives in it is an idiot for not having his point of view.
2. That the good old days were perfect and that the last 30 years have changed everything. He spends a chapter relating to happy he was on Sundays playing stick ball while his mom was in cooking all day and making a delicious meal. I bet his parents had some worries that he was oblivious to as a child.
3. That people up until very recently lived idyllic lives on their little relaxing farms, instead of the big bad cities. Um, life was hard back then. There was little to no medical care. You worked all day, everyday, until you died. You had babies every year to work on the farm, until you died in childbirth.
4. That us going back to our little hamlets would solve all the problems in the world. Well, it may solve it for you, but the rest of the world still suffers.
I guess my overall opinion on this book is that I have read many books like it. But they were smarter, better written, showed various points of view, were better researched, and actually had a point and ideas for a solution. This was like somebody's 9th grade paper where they are just at the beginning of understanding, but don't get it yet. You can't fix anything by going and sitting on a mountain.
September 30, 2014
Ferenc Máté has written an impassioned book that I believe clearly sums up most of my beliefs on where our values have faltered and the fallout from the things we've chosen to embrace. I would rate the book higher if it wasn't for the fact that I've been exposed to many of these ideas through some of my other readings and in a tone that is less of a rant. While I believe it's necessary to be impassioned about all that is wrong in the world and the uphill climb we face in battling this adversity, the sarcasm and ranting are old by the end. And while I agree with many of his solutions to the problem, by the end, I feel as if he's advocating for some 1860's utopia. I recommend the book on the grounds that his observations are spot on, but his prose, sarcasm, and wit will not be for everyone.
June 13, 2009
One of the handful of books that has completely changed my thinking. It clearly explains how we've completely screwed our lives up with the priorities we've set, the junk we eat, and the mindless activities we engage in. Even if one doesn't want to blow up the t.v. and get back to nature, the book offers some ideas that can be used to improve the quality of one's life. In short, it's an indictment on the rat race and explains why even the rat who wins is a loser.
March 21, 2015
This book is a MUST read for anyone who dreams of a life of self-sufficiency, where big government and big business don't dictate how we live our lives and fulfill our need for self-actualization; where local economies and communities are the guy next door, not the guy across the ocean with no vested interest in anything but how to keep us dumb, ignorant and chasing that carrot.
September 20, 2010
This is a blog style written book. It is an attempt to change human philosophy to include a more sustainable lifestyle. He is preaching to the choir, of whom want solutions rather than just bitchy rants. I agree with most of his conclusions. i don't like the way he writes them or his very narrowminded and contradictory resolutions, on the few paragraphs that he gives them.
March 6, 2011
Mate gets you thinking about whether being as busy as we are is really making us happier. He makes some good points and interesting questions. He does take his argument several steps further than most average people are likely to go (everyone leaving cities and living in small self sufficient farms and hamlets), but hey, if you'd like to , go for it. :)
January 11, 2013
The book had a few good points even if it was preachy. I especially liked the point about how being plugged in to our electronic devices all the time reduces our attention span significantly. However, the part about growing your own garden didn't grab me. I prefer to buy produce from the local co-op or farmer's markets when I can. Gardening, aside from little dabbling, just isn't in my DNA.
January 23, 2015
Un libro que te hace pensar en tu vida actual y recapacitar sobre hacia dónde vamos con nuestras actitudes comportamientos y materialismo.
Además de narrar de manera agradable y sencilla las sugerencias para retomar esa vida sencilla y simple, añorada en algún momento de nuestro largo camino por la vida.
Además de narrar de manera agradable y sencilla las sugerencias para retomar esa vida sencilla y simple, añorada en algún momento de nuestro largo camino por la vida.
September 17, 2008
If you are interested in ecogolgy, sustainability and frugality, there is NO better book. Written with a degree of humor, he points out many of the errors in our thinking and where our government has gone wrong. Read this book!
May 7, 2009
Great enjoyable very thoughtful book that will make you hopefully think about your life and ways in which you might want to change it to enjoy it a bit more and remember what it's like to be human again.
December 30, 2010
Some parts were really funny about the things Americans spend money on. Lots of ranting and raving about how detached we have gotten from values of the past. Didn't come away with many concrete changes I could make in my life though.
April 4, 2012
A thought provoking book on what matters (or should matter) in daily life and what we can do to make it simpler and more stress-free. I am looking forward to reading the recently released sequal "A Real Life".
April 9, 2016
Sometimes hysterical & simplistic, often insightful. Exposes the ordinary as unconscionable and unreasonable. A fresh perspective, an indictment, an expose. Most valuable in unshrouding everyday foolishness & counterproductive behavior.Ìý
June 14, 2007
I'm very interested in the concepts, but the book reads like a rant I would have written in high school. Lots of random punctuation, italics and sentences that end like this??!!
March 26, 2008
One of the best books I've read on the way we live our lives and what is truly important.
If you feel you are in need of a book to ground you I recommend this small, but very good "read".
If you feel you are in need of a book to ground you I recommend this small, but very good "read".
Currently reading
July 2, 2008I find it very interesting that this book was first published in the early 90's. I am not very far into it yet, but am certainly intrigued.
February 11, 2009
I anxiously awaited this book from the library, and had high hopes for it. While I agree with him on some points, I felt the author had quite an attitude which I didn't appreciate.
May 20, 2011
I found this book at a book sale while on vacation many years ago and read straight through it. It was life changing for me. I've recommended it to many people.
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