The Foxfire Book of Simple Living is both a look back at bygone days and a look forward and celebration of all that remains. The book explores five decades of collected wisdom, as well as introducing the artists and craftsman who are working to preserve the Appalachian tradition for future generations. The book explores how times have changed in the past fifty years in Appalachia and how, what was once done for necessity, is now done for pleasure. From how life is lived to arts and crafts, this book looks at the past and present, at changes and at sameness, and at what Foxfire has learned, as well as more affairs of plain living. We hear from doll and soap makers who continue to use and adapt the time-tested methods outlined in The Foxfire Book, not to mention hunters, blacksmiths, musicians, and carpenters whose respect for those who preceded them enhances their own art. We see how the mountain community has responded to the films, books, and plays that have tried (and sometimes failed) to represent them. And, above all, by listening to the voices of those who came before, we celebrate the people who have preserved the stories, crafts, and customs that define life in the Appalachian mountain region.