A friend of mine read yesterday's post and informed me that I seemed "smug." I told her that if I seemed smug yesterday, she should read today's post. There is some justification for affirmative smuggery, to counter the thousands of years of academic and upper class smuggery that has gotten us to where we are now. We live wasteful lives, endangering the health of the planet in order to attain goods and services that leave us unfulfilled and with an unreasonable appetite for excess. I went to the book store today and wrote down the name of a book which I didn't buy. It is called The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Swartz. I didn't buy it. I already knew what was in it and try to practice the principles it offers. But if you don't understand, or know someone to whom you wish to explain, Barry's book might help.