Susan Vogt is a speaker, author of five books, and former editor of The Journal of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministries. She has worked in family ministry for the Catholic church for more than 30 years.

The idea for this book came from Vogt's Lenten discipline of giving one thing away for each day of Lent. She and her husband then came across a Food Stamp Challenge of stepping into the shoes of someone who can only afford to spend $4.50 a day for food. These spiritual exercises led her to develop principles for living lightly. Here are some of the topics she covers:

• How much is enough and how much is too much?
• Consuming less and saving more money.
• Being more generous.
• Letting go of other people's stuff.
• Wasting less and saving energy.
• What difference does this make?

Vogt has written a helpful handbook for Christians and others who want to simplify their lives and travel more lightly. There are plenty of exercises that families can do together.