Simplicity Expert Wanda Urbanska Releases '7 Paths to a Better Life'

Sustainability advocate, television producer/host and author Wanda Urbanska has been identified by The New York Times as &'a spokeswoman for a phenomenon known as the simplicity movement.&' In her latest book due May 11th through Krause Publications, The Heart of Simple Living: 7 Paths to a Better Life, Urbanska shares her wisdom in one remarkable volume, laying out 7 clear and inviting paths to the lifestyle for our times.

- The Path to Financial Independence;
- Meaningful Work;
- Housing Happiness;
- Reclaim Homemaking;
- Back into the Kitchen;
- Beating a Path to the Garden; and,
- Reclaiming Ritual & Community for Life.

Wanda's Urbanska's simplicity movement grew beyond paperback and hardcovers expanding to the small screen in 2004 with Wanda Urbanska's Simple Living, the first nationally syndicated television series of its kind. For years, Wanda's magazine style series has offered thoughtful ideas and actionable tips for viewers to become better environmental stewards and more thoughtful consumers. Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska was produced by Simple Living, LLC, and is available for all television, DVD, VOD, non-theatric, and new media markets worldwide exclusively through Janson Media. Episodes from the TV series are available for online viewing at janson.tv.

&'The era of over-consumption is over,&' declares Urbanska. &'Now more than ever, Americans are embracing values of simplicity, understanding that less is more and finding more meaning in their lives through friends, families and community.&' Here's what the critics are saying about Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska...

Once dubbed &'the de facto Martha Stewart of the voluntary simplicity movement,&' Wanda Urbanska has carved out her own niche as an expert in simple living, and this five-episode set from the 2004 debut season of her public television series covers a range of topics, from living simply and sustainably in big cities (Chicago and San Diego are featured) to combating global warming. One thought-provoking segment discusses efforts to help contemporary youth—who spend much of their time indoors—reconnect with nature. The last two installments, which cover a &'green remodel&' of Urbanska"s 1956 ranch home in Mount Airy, NC, bring home the complex issues homeowners might face tackling such projects. The technical quality of the UNC-TV production varies (with repeated shots and some fuzzy focusing), but Urbanska"s energy and enthusiasm more than compensate, and while much of the information is familiar (use compact fluorescent bulbs; dry the laundry outside; compost; turn off the lights; buy local), Urbanska also offers hope for a sustainable future while underscoring the important message of &'reduce, reuse, recycle.&' As she says at the end of each episode, &'Nothing is too small to make a difference.&' Recommended. Aud: P. (F. Gardner) - Video Librarian

About Wanda Urbanska Wanda Urbanska is the author or co-author of eight books, including Less is More; Simple Living; Nothing"s too Small to Make a Difference; Moving to a Small Town; and Christmas on Jane Street. A graduate of Harvard University, she makes her home in North Carolina, where she is raising her 12-year-old son, Henry.

She has been tapped for her expertise by such media outlets as The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today show, NPR"s All Things Considered and CBS This Morning to champion sustainable lifestyle choices. She is host/producer of America"s first national television series on sustainable living, Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, which premiered on PBS stations in 2004. Her work has been published in such outlets as the Washington Post, Vogue, Glamour, Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Shape and many more. Her web site is www.simplelivingtv.net.