How to Be Alive: A Guide to the Kind of Happiness That Helps the World

The author of No Impact Man and founder of the No Impact Project returns with this trailblazing guide to living a meaningful and fulfilling life while also contributing to the wellbeing of our communities and the planet.

When Colin Beavan embarked upon a yearlong experiment to lead a zero net-impact existence in the middle of New York City, he had no idea what a profound effect it would have upon himself and others around him. For Colin, the projectamp;#8212;chronicled in a book, a documentary, and an ongoing lecture seriesamp;#8212;formed the basis of a radical amp;#8220;lifestyle redesignamp;#8221; that reached beyond just environmental activism. And, in the course of his travels and lectures, he encountered scores of people who were similarly breaking from traditional ideas about work, home, and even family in order to take their futures, and the planetamp;#8217;s, in their own hands. In the process they made a startling discoveryamp;#8212;a happier way of life that is also having a deeply positive impact on the world.

For most of us, though, even contemplating this kind of transformation is overwhelming and confusing. In How to Be Alive, Beavan shares his insights on finding the path thatamp;#8217;s right for you. Drawing on everything from classic literature and philosophy to current science, and combining that with his own experiences alongside those of the many people he has met along the way, Colin explores a broad array of transformational lifestyle adjustmentsamp;#8212;small and largeamp;#8212;that offer security and meaning in a world confronted by ecological crises, economic upheaval, and ongoing war and social injustice. In the process, he helps readers embark on the quest for a amp;#8220;good lifeamp;#8221; of their ownamp;#8212;lives both better for them and the planet.