Primitive Living as Metaphor Primitive living is a metaphor we participate in and act out. Life is simplified down to the bare essentials: physical and mental well-being, shelter, warmth, clothing, water, and food. We go on an expedition to meet those needs with little more than our bare hands.
In our quest we learn to observe, to think, to reach inside ourselves for new resources for dealing with challenging and unfamiliar situations. We build up our personal strengths, and at the same time we interact with and learn about the world around us.
In a story we can only join a quest in our imaginations. But in primitive living, we physically leave the contemporary world. We journey into the world of Stone Age skills, and we return with knowledge, wisdom, and strength to enrich our lives in contemporary society.
Two weeks ago I received your book Participating in Nature. I have already read it 4 times and each time I find something new. This book is a wonderful guide to living the type of life I would like to live. I don't mean that I am interested in living through stoneage technology but I am interested in becoming more knowledgeable about nature and my interaction with it. I find myself hungry for more and thus have ordered two more of your books. I was very happy to discover that your books are more than just "how-to". I find the use of story intertwined with skills puts things in context and makes for a richer learning experience and one that is easy to remember. I am looking forward to reading your next books!
-- Michael M. living in Japan
Looking for life-changing resources? Check out these books by Thomas J. Elpel:
Primitive Living Skills
