\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e Speed killsâslow saves: how we can recapture a life of joy, leisure, community, and well-being. \u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e We're hammered, we're slammed, we're out of control. Happiness is on the decline in the most affluent country in the world and Americans are troubled by the destructiveness of a lifestyle devoted to money and status. Yet no-one seems to have a clue how to exit from the Fast Lane... \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e Slow Is Beautiful \u003c/i\u003e analyzes the subtle consumer, political and corporate forces stamping the joy from our existence and provides a vision of a more fulfilling life through the rediscovery of caring community, unhurried leisure, and life affirming joie de vivre. The book discusses: \u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e the frantic time poverty plaguing everyone-a poverty that is being challenged by the growing Slow Life movement whose message is reverberating around the world \u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e the need to build a culture of connection with both people and the planet by challenging the consumer society and recreating vibrant life in our local communities \u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e the creation of a different experience of time where we live life in slower, more reflective ways, savoring our lives and recapturing exuberance and laughter. \u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e Offering inspiration and concrete ideas, \u003ci\u003e Slow Is Beautiful \u003c/i\u003e will appeal to a broad audience of Baby Boomers nearing retirement, harried professionals with a social conscience, the one-time \"middle class,\" and 20-30-somethings who are now facing the sobering realities of constricted choices. \u003c/p\u003e