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Handbook for an Integrated Life: A Practical Guide to Aligning Your Everyday Choices with Your Internal Compass
A guide for anyone who wants to live conscientiously and make a positive impact
Western society makes it challenging for those of us who desire a just world—one of shared prosperity—to live a life that is consistent with our values. Handbook for an Integrated Life provides both philosophical principles and practical steps that you can use to bring your actions in line with your goal of creating a world that works for everyone.
Sharon Schneider, a philanthropy consultant to some of the world’s wealthiest families, distills her expertise into pragmatic guidance for all of us—even those on a budget. She lays out seven foundational principles on which you can base your everyday decisions, helping you:
• Identify the cultural norms that lead you away from your goals
• Differentiate between giving back and simply giving
• Reconsider your buying habits
• Resist the allure of convenience
• Align more of your spending with your values
• Harness the full power of your household
• Raise socially aware kids
Schneider supplements this guidance with useful steps and real-world applications to help you employ the principles in multiple areas of your life, including in food choices, clothing choices, finances, the workplace, relationships, and more. You will come away feeling, at last, equipped and empowered to follow your internal compass.
Western society makes it challenging for those of us who desire a just world—one of shared prosperity—to live a life that is consistent with our values. Handbook for an Integrated Life provides both philosophical principles and practical steps that you can use to bring your actions in line with your goal of creating a world that works for everyone.
Sharon Schneider, a philanthropy consultant to some of the world’s wealthiest families, distills her expertise into pragmatic guidance for all of us—even those on a budget. She lays out seven foundational principles on which you can base your everyday decisions, helping you:
• Identify the cultural norms that lead you away from your goals
• Differentiate between giving back and simply giving
• Reconsider your buying habits
• Resist the allure of convenience
• Align more of your spending with your values
• Harness the full power of your household
• Raise socially aware kids
Schneider supplements this guidance with useful steps and real-world applications to help you employ the principles in multiple areas of your life, including in food choices, clothing choices, finances, the workplace, relationships, and more. You will come away feeling, at last, equipped and empowered to follow your internal compass.
- GenresNonfictionSelf Help
Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2022
21 people are currently reading
1416 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Schneider
1 book4 followersSharon Schneider is an entrepreneur, philanthropy expert, impact investor and social change strategist who advises socially conscious founders and family offices. She has overseen more than $1.5 billion in philanthropic capital deployed through grants, impact investments, advocacy efforts and business operations from some of the world’s most prominent families, including members of the Giving Pledge, the Forbes 400 wealthiest individuals, top-10 US private foundations and others.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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February 2, 2023This book was incredibly insightful. Sharon talks about things in such an understandable and practical way, sharing how you can better your community, the world around you, and help protect the environment with simple, easy steps and mindsets.
This book is filled with so many different things from how communities function and how gentrification, classism, racism, and bad business practices have hurt many communities. She shares what a B-corporation is and how supporting these businesses is better than supporting businesses with unethical and environmentally polluting practices. How meat is processed and the cruelty animals suffer, and how we as consumers can change how we eat and purchase from local and better run farms that treat animals with respect. How locally grown produce is better for the environment. How your investments and your banking impacts a community, even mentioning the Wells Fargo scandal. How to determine if the charity you’re giving to is legitimate and how volunteering your time is just as valuable. How to be a positive impact in your workplace and how to integrate sustainable and positive structures in your work life (and home life!). These things just scratch the surface of all this book shares.
While all of the above seems like an overwhelming amount of things to think about, Sharon provides easy solutions and practical steps we can take (whether big or small) to help make a difference. I took away a lot of different information and insight into so many things that I didn’t know as well as things I did know, but didn’t know where to start.
If your looking for ways to better the environment, and strengthen your community, then I recommend giving this book a read!
TW: Mention of the Pandemic, Gentrification, Classism, Racism, Sexism, Animal Cruelty (talk of meat production).
This book is filled with so many different things from how communities function and how gentrification, classism, racism, and bad business practices have hurt many communities. She shares what a B-corporation is and how supporting these businesses is better than supporting businesses with unethical and environmentally polluting practices. How meat is processed and the cruelty animals suffer, and how we as consumers can change how we eat and purchase from local and better run farms that treat animals with respect. How locally grown produce is better for the environment. How your investments and your banking impacts a community, even mentioning the Wells Fargo scandal. How to determine if the charity you’re giving to is legitimate and how volunteering your time is just as valuable. How to be a positive impact in your workplace and how to integrate sustainable and positive structures in your work life (and home life!). These things just scratch the surface of all this book shares.
While all of the above seems like an overwhelming amount of things to think about, Sharon provides easy solutions and practical steps we can take (whether big or small) to help make a difference. I took away a lot of different information and insight into so many things that I didn’t know as well as things I did know, but didn’t know where to start.
If your looking for ways to better the environment, and strengthen your community, then I recommend giving this book a read!
TW: Mention of the Pandemic, Gentrification, Classism, Racism, Sexism, Animal Cruelty (talk of meat production).
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February 4, 2023“𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔, 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒖𝒑 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕.”
Handbook for an Integrated Life is a holy grail of resources for individuals looking to make make a positive change in the world, be it big or small.
Covering many facets of life from food, home, clothes, charity and community, this book provides an abundance of ways you can contribute to making your world, or rather, THE world, a better place. While some of the suggestions are self explanatory (buy organic, shop local) others think outside the box (renting clothes, participating in co-ops) and make you think about things in general, period.
The first portion is devoted to ways to make better decisions in the categories listed above, while the second portion provides action tips for said principles. Sharing a plethora of information, this isn’t the kind of book you read just once. Rather it’s the sort of read you’d return to repeatedly as a guide if you’re interested in changing in one or more of the included areas.
I will say that as an American, I had a bit of a sick feeling while reading this book. It’s hard not to feel bad about oneself when you were born and raised in a country known as the land of greed. That being said, the author reminds the reader that no one is perfect in their principles, nor is it feasible to change everything overnight. In fact, that approach could be a recipe for disaster.
Thank you to Red Clover Digital for providing me a copy of Handbook for an Integrated Life in exchange for a fair review. I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to make changes in life, but doesn’t know where to start.
Handbook for an Integrated Life is a holy grail of resources for individuals looking to make make a positive change in the world, be it big or small.
Covering many facets of life from food, home, clothes, charity and community, this book provides an abundance of ways you can contribute to making your world, or rather, THE world, a better place. While some of the suggestions are self explanatory (buy organic, shop local) others think outside the box (renting clothes, participating in co-ops) and make you think about things in general, period.
The first portion is devoted to ways to make better decisions in the categories listed above, while the second portion provides action tips for said principles. Sharing a plethora of information, this isn’t the kind of book you read just once. Rather it’s the sort of read you’d return to repeatedly as a guide if you’re interested in changing in one or more of the included areas.
I will say that as an American, I had a bit of a sick feeling while reading this book. It’s hard not to feel bad about oneself when you were born and raised in a country known as the land of greed. That being said, the author reminds the reader that no one is perfect in their principles, nor is it feasible to change everything overnight. In fact, that approach could be a recipe for disaster.
Thank you to Red Clover Digital for providing me a copy of Handbook for an Integrated Life in exchange for a fair review. I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to make changes in life, but doesn’t know where to start.
February 2, 2023
I always thought I was very aware and conscience of the decisions I made in life and that they aligned with me and my life choices well, after reading this book I clearly questioned some things..
I truly enjoyed how easy Sharon made this book to read with a lot of thought provoking questions that not only made me reflect on my life but gave me a lot to think about..
This book is not a preachy self-help book instead Sharon writes as though she is sitting with you asking you does your life align with your values and how to work at making them blend together..
There are a lot of other value takeaways and reminders I enjoyed like - Help a neighbor, without expectation of them returning the favor and my favorite Hand out compliments flagrantly.
My favorite chapter was Be Brave - as I think we all might struggle with standing and believing in our truths this chapter gave great insight on how to stand tall in your beliefs and yourself..
I do highly recommend this book also if you are like myself taking the time this year to just work on being a better version of you..
I truly enjoyed how easy Sharon made this book to read with a lot of thought provoking questions that not only made me reflect on my life but gave me a lot to think about..
This book is not a preachy self-help book instead Sharon writes as though she is sitting with you asking you does your life align with your values and how to work at making them blend together..
There are a lot of other value takeaways and reminders I enjoyed like - Help a neighbor, without expectation of them returning the favor and my favorite Hand out compliments flagrantly.
My favorite chapter was Be Brave - as I think we all might struggle with standing and believing in our truths this chapter gave great insight on how to stand tall in your beliefs and yourself..
I do highly recommend this book also if you are like myself taking the time this year to just work on being a better version of you..
July 18, 2022
The author shares some general principles and concrete ideas for how to live in a way that has greater alignment between values and lifestyle.
It may seem impossible to go against the flow of our culture of more, but Schneider offers some helpful, and gentle approaches that can help us do just this.
This will be of particular use for American readers, since many of the resources provided are directed toward an American audience.
It may seem impossible to go against the flow of our culture of more, but Schneider offers some helpful, and gentle approaches that can help us do just this.
This will be of particular use for American readers, since many of the resources provided are directed toward an American audience.
July 22, 2022
As someone who works in the “impact” industry, I found this book not only inspired me, but also provides practical suggestions to live in alignment with my values everyday. Sometimes we separate our day jobs driving impact from the rest of our lives where we are consumers, neighbors, investors. This book got me thinking - what impact could we have if we align all those areas with our values? Highly recommend!
August 16, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. There is a lot of food for thought especially if you are interested in living your life in a way that makes it better for others. There are lots of suggestions for different organizations and websites to check out as you begin your journey. I also appreciated the fact that she emphasized that it is a process and to go slowly as you make changes.
November 10, 2024
The book is written in a warm, engaging tone, making it approachable for readers at various stages of their personal development journey. Throughout the book, she provides a series of practical exercises, insights, and frameworks to help readers examine their own lives and make intentional decisions that align with their broader vision. I plan to read it again!
September 22, 2022
Good read for someone who wants to align their ethical standards to their business and home life. I definitely picked up a few tips I plan to implement within my company.
October 17, 2022
Great insights on taking great intentions to the next level: meaningful impact.
June 8, 2023
Loved the last third. Great tips and resources for giving to charity, getting a socially responsible job, celebrating friends and family, and giving back to your local community
July 14, 2023
This was a Goodreads winner.
June 21, 2024
How To: Do better
October 10, 2024
Full disclosure: I got this book by winning a giveaway contest. I'm not sure if I would have bought it based on the title, but I'm glad I DID read it! The book isn't overly preachy when it comes to how one could live an "integrated life". Instead it explains the reason behind suggestions and gives plenty of tips on how to align your everyday life with your values. Lots of food for thought!
October 11, 2025
Thank you for the giveaway! I won one of the kindle copies, unfortunately, I can no longer access my kindle account. I wasn't able to finish this book before that happened and I'm so sorry the copy awarded to me went to waste. But if anyone was wondering, the first few chapters I got to read seemed very promising!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews