I bought this book last February '06 and have re-read it several times since then. I can honestly say that close to ayear later has made me much more wiser. I no longer waste my money foolishly, I've come to realize that I don't need every CD or DVD that comes out, nor do I need to bury my real life in a video game all night long. You're gona spend $5 on your next gourmet coffee of the day...STOP NOW!! Put that $5 in Chris' pocket and READ this book before your life is over!

I won this book from the great Fukn.us essay contest of 06. Great book for those who are caught up in the rat race and need to be brought back down to earth. Damito's journey down a road less traveled should be an inspiration to those who are obsessed with everything society tells us we should want. A philosophical kick in the nuts that we all need. Includes words of wisdom, practical advice, and colorful characters that you would like to hang out with. Chris reminds me of a combo of Sal Paradise and Tyler Durden. It's a shame that we all can't throw down our posessions and live life as freely and joyfully as he does. Highly reccomended.

Handy candid advice about living on the street, in the wilderness, your car, or just couch surfing. Notable nuggets include a section on hitchhiking etiquette from both perspectives and how to roll a cigarette out of the tobacco at the bottom of found butts. Whether taken as practical advice or appreciated by the vicarious "armchair adventurer," as Damitio likes to say, the contents are practical and entertaining.

If you want to live on the edge but don't want to take the risks involved, this book is a good way to do both. It showed me a world that I normally would never venture into.

An excellent handbook to an interesting lifestyle. Discusses both pros and cons; is unflinching in it's honesty. Damitio
writes in a style that is philosophical, practical and fun. Highly recommended.

Just read Rough Living and found it very interesting!

I'm a 28-year old from Lisbon, Portugal and heard of the book through the interzone coffee house yahoo group.

We've had very different life paths, but I can empathize with the life you've led. Even though I don't idolize you (ahahah) I think that you've found a great way to be happy. In my life, I've had a long on/off career working in multimedia stuff. While it pays generally very well (by our standard, not yours), it does indeed take my time away from me. Days become divided in 4 parts: 1 part sleep, 2 parts work and commuting and 1 part play/learn/have fun/think. This seems unnatural to me as life is too short to be spent this way. In fact, the period I was most happy was when my occupation was just teaching creative writing at night school and I could spend the entire day reading in the park while enjoying the sun and the teenagers playing around. I also did a lot of stuff you mention in the book. I would cook my own meals (at home though) and carry them everywhere so I could enjoy this beautiful city in its entirety. In Lisbon you can buy this pass that costs about € 25 (roughly the same in dollars) and it lasts for one month. For that time you can take any bus or subway in the city as many times you want and to go to any place you desire. Gas here is very, very expensive but cars are necessary to go to certain places or to carry groceries when you are bulk buying. In the meantime I used free internet and free books at the library, but overall it's harder to live rough in Lisbon than in the USA. There are no free classes to be taken at the public library, very few if any public concerts, etc. In fact, things are stacked up against the grasshoppers!

Right now I'm at a bit of a crossroads in my life. I do sports commentating for a network and make a lot of money in little time (€ 30 an hour which is 15 times minimum wage) but my work is mostly seasonal since I basically only do winter sports. I'm thinking of quitting my office job and just doing that, while saving money and taking time off to myself and maybe to visit other countries and cultures or to finally write.

Sorry for the rambling nature of this email but when I start talking about myself I am not very coherent. So, to sum it up, I enjoyed the book. "Slackville Road" is next.

I just finished reading your book, Rough Living, and I have to tell you that I enjoyed it immensely. I've certainly done my fair share of tramping when I was younger and I loved it. I traveled all over the US, Central and part of South America. It is the only real freedom I have ever known. I love my family and cherish my time with them even though this "regular" job that keeps them in house and home doesn't let me spend enough time with them. However I know that one day when my children are grown all these things that I have been piling up are going to get sold and I'm returning to the road again. Maybe someday in the future, we'll share a warm fire and talk about books or music or whatever. Until then stay safe and may there always be a road for you.

Awesome job on the book! I enjoyed it thoroughly. You really have a remarkable humanistic touch, and genuine spirit that shows in the work!

Read it in one sitting. Pretty interesting. I myself am a bum that lives in a nice house, and do not like working for others either. I prefer to create and add on to orchards using my grafting skills. Did you know that you can grow apple treelets from seeds, graft them over to some cool apple strain, then plant roadways and such? This will create a stream of fruit and food for literally the next hundred years! You could easily do the same thing with citrus or whatever grows best on Hawaii.

Chris, I downloaded your book and just wanted to say thank you for the read; I am an armchair traveler who has a wife and a mortgage and a 9-5, and this book was an excellent distraction as I wait to sell cars to Ma and Pa Lunchbucket. My heart is with you, I to have never been comfortable in the rat race and long to travel as you have. You have given me practical ways of doing that free of charge; truely you are a man of the people. I saw a tshirt once that said "Jesus was homeless" and thats true the bible says "Foxes have dens, and birds have nests but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head". He to was a man of the people and relied on the kindness of strangers and his friends couchs to live, if it is good enough for God incarnate it is good enough for you and me. Again Chris thanks for the tips and your example to us wannabees.

I just read "Rough Living an Urban Survival Manual" and I really enjoyed it. I appreciated some of your ideas, views and insight to a world very different than my own.

I just read your "Rough Living: An Urban Survival Manual". It is an interesting piece of work. Life is simple. This I used to know. I am slowly remembering what life was like before I decided to start a business and burden myself with the stress of living the American dream. The money
that I initially made caused a shift in my thinking, moving from my thoughts revolving around music, social issues and having fun to constant worry as to how to live and keep a new lifestyle that that new wealth had afforded
me. I began to participate in in America's consumer culture. I lost sight of the simple things. I lost my peace of mind. I began to stake my self worth on
keeping this new found hell going. Recently, I have decided that enough is enough. I have decided to no longer participate. I am a grasshopper who had started to believe the ant.

"Rough Living" helps to realign my perspective.
As I wander back out of the cave, I now know that I'm not crazy for believing the shadows dancing on the wall are not all that existed.
Good luck in al of your future pursuits.

Been reading your book, it's fucking great. I've been houseless for a while now, you have wonderful insite, i didn't know there was a name for my situation. I wish you luck and thanks, i'm glad to know that there other people that are doing this.

hey..just read most of your urban survival manual...haha right on! i've been residentially challenged for the last few years off and on and have travelled all over too. great advice and great book.

I've just been reading your book about urban survival and it is quite good. I would've found a way to do what you're doing if I hadn't found my fiancee first - he was working on making an independant movie when we met and being a photographer I decided to do the cinematography. We're still trying to get it funded without selling out which is pretty hard but, as we both know, a lot of hard times is better than a lot of hard
work for people you hate.

...had me rolling a few times! I can relate somewhat as a friend and I did similar things on the Big Is. for 4 years and loved the freedom. Thanks for the laughs. Isn't it grand to be free?

I just read your "Rough Living" book (for free 'natch...) Over many years, lots of people have looked at me and suggested that I was "roughing it". My reply was always, "No, I'm smoothing it!"

I can tell that you, too, are trying your best to live a smooth life. It's all those unfortunates who think they are living the American dream that are having a rough time.

I love your book Rough Living. I now know that I am
not alone. I too live in my van for extended periods
of time, and usually prefer it to 'normal life'. Your
tips are well appreciated.

I enjoyed your book, it made me laugh several times but it also made me think a little bit on what society believes that you have to have in order to "live life" It is a shame to think about what people want and expect you to do. I am guilty of the "I gotta have that" sickness at times. But anyways enough of my mistakes.

I am an ant who tries to support my grasshopper friends without the resentment. A few years ago I did try to get a grasshopper to become an ant and was very disappointed when he refused.(His name was Chris also.Hmmmm....Duncan is this you?...Probably not.) Anyway, Rough Living is an easy and enjoyable read without any misspellings or gramical errors (as far as I could see).

I could identify with some of what you wrote, especially in store meat bargins.I don't think that I'm ready to find out about the rest.You struck another chord when you mentioned passive agressive behavior.I noticed this in myself about three days before my last (sort of) boyfriend moved himself and all of his stuff out and left me a nasty note one day when I was at work.

I thought that I was one of those people who was one or two paychecks away from homelessness.I was fired from my job two months ago.I'm surprised how far the unemployment and help from my brother has streached.

I just read what I've written to you and wonder if I'm not an energy sucking vampire.

This just gives me one more thing about myself to work on. I'll read your anarchist book soon but I'll spare you another post.

dude, loved ur book on vagabnds

Writing has a long tradition of being a gate to the sunny side of the elegant reality. I can see you're picking the lock to that gate, and have stepped through from time to time. All I want is to hear the music at the party when you hop on through and rosin up your bow.

Your book is great! Ive experenced some stuff in the book, and some stuff i didnt know about. I had a great time reading it, Thanks,
DJ

It is an interesting, insightful, and well-written book,
and I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks. I look forward
to reading your novel someday.

Excellent book (Rough Living: An Urban Survival Manual)... Keep up the good work. I just got back from a cross-country road trip with my wife and kids last month. This last June we sold almost everything we owned, purchased an RV ('77 Dodge Jamboree) and "lived". We lived / travelled full-time in the RV. It was an amazing experience travelling around the Rocky Mountain-area to the Eastcoast (VA, DC) and back . We have four children (Shaylee 13, Tiana 6, Jayden 4 and Isaiah 2) so this was a family adventure like no other. On top of that, we homeschool.

Anyway.... thanks again for sharing your adventures and experiences.

I just downloaded and read your book tittled, "Rough Living, An Urban Survival Manual." I could not brake away from the book until I had finished it. I am currently 25 and have just recently walked out on my very good job as a Toyota Fleet manager in Fairfield, CA to pursue a more fitting lifestyle so I would no longer fee as if I was wasting my youth. I have always had a different take on life from that of my friends and family. I have been telling myself that soon, very soon I am going to wander off into the woods with just a knife a water container and some matches. Frankly I believe that humans are ignoring what is so amazing about being human. We are (or rather can be) intelligent, adaptable creatures, and I just need to know that I can survive and function on my own without electricity, cable internet, media influences,jobs...all these conveniences that more and more just feel like a choke collar stripping me (humans) of their natural resoursefulness.

Anyways, I appologize for rambling, I think I just need to hear my own thoughs outloud. I enjoyed your book very much and thank you for sharing your adventures and thoughts with the rest of the world. I cant wait to download more of your writings.

I feel inspired to set my life into a destination that points towards happiness and freedom.

Should our paths ever cross remind me to brew you some hot coffee and make my rice salad supprise!

I've been telling a lot of people about
your book... I waitress and keep a copy at the restaurant, so when I bring it up with tables, I can show them. It's fun... a great conversation piece and a fabulous tool to change the world.

My name is Phil. I just finished reading your book, and I must say, I liked it alot. I am heading to New Orleans shortly to help out in anyway I can.
My problem is I had surgery done on my shoulder a few months back and it ran me completely broke. I never did have very high expectations, but I must tell you, your book helped to remind me and motivate me for my journey from Pittsburgh to NO. Thank you!

I just wasted a couple of hours of my company's time reading your book, Rough Living. Thanks for writing it, as it was a lovely read... If you're ever in Baltimore, I would love to offer you lunch or dinner or breakfast...

Rough Living provides excellent insight into the lives of many of us who are willing to sacrifice some comfort for a taste of real freedom.

I found the book to be charming. I liked the honesty that Chris is willing to share. I have been homeless before and now I am jobless. I found myself not needing the money I was earning with my job because I have more time to cook cheaper meals instead of eating out or paying for convenience and I do a lot of the things I used to pay for. Time is money and Chris reminds us that enjoying life has a value all of it's own. I know a lot of "stuff" people and they are not happy ..they are always worrying about their stuff..:)

I ran across this book on a Craiglist posting and was drawn into it so much I read the whole book late into the night. I appreciate the insight the author makes regarding what you really need to live. Plus, the author's comments about doing what you love were invaluable.

When I first stumbled on this book I must admit that I was skeptical and didn't expect to last more than a few pages. I was sucked in immediately by charm of a different view on life. I grew up in the home of a West Point Graduate, have always voted Republican, and have somewhat conservative to moderate views on most things. I did however, find myself agreeing with Chris on many topics and views concerning working for a living, making do with what you have, and continuing to learn. I learned some great things about food storage, improvised cooking, (Which I will definately try since I work with the Boy Scouts), and how to write the perfect resume. :)
Thal Dixon

Chris Damitio has a wonderful insight on a lifestyle that few will ever know or even know to exist. Being in a similar situation, i was drawn to this book. Thanks again Chris, this is a great read for anyone that thinks "how can someone live like that?", when the question should be, why would anyone chain themself to a desk, a crappy job, and possesions you CAN live without?
Fkn Jonas

This book had me chuckling with warm fuzzies as I've had similar experiences on the Big Is. of HI. There's something very freeing about not having to answer to anyone but yourself, especially in today's fear-based world where our human rights are slowly being taken from us "for our own good" (so they'd like us to believe). It's all about choice. We could either blindly follow the herd of commercialism and debt (big price to pay), or follow our divine instinct for love, peace, and happiness (free).

I liked it. I thought it was a fairly practical guide for the basic knowledge of surviving on the streets. I've been there one or two times myself. I've been homeless all over the West Coast and Florida and I'd have to say if I would have had the knowledge of this book before I ever even became homeless it would have saved me a lot of hardache and a ticket or two also. Good perspective in the book and now I must go spange up for a hammock....peace.

This book opened my eyes on what life was really about. Its not about getting the best clothes or getting the brand new lcd tv just because your neighbor bought one. Life is way to short to worry about buying things that you dont really need. We dont need tv or the internet (of course without the internet I wouldnt have read this book)
this shows you that you only need the basics to survive.

Thanks Chris for writing this great book.

Ive been living in my van for 10 months. Gonna read the book and check back in shortly to post my review.

I've also been homeless in the past a couple of times.

Most of us understand that we come into the world with nothing... and take little with us when we leave. Why then all the effort to collect things along the way?

Do we become wary when our possessions grow to more than we can carry? Do alarms go off when we build or rent garages and rooms to hold it all? Does some loud bell ring when we start paying for insurance on all that stuff?

If you can't go for a nice long walk without worrying if all your stuff is going to be there when you return, your life is really a lot rougher than you think.

"Rough Living" is a book that contains tips on smoothing out the roughest edges of what to expect when you really misplace your housekey.

The book is written in a very matter-of-fact way which I appreciate. I've always been a bit curious about the "houseless" and how they get by in the world. Chris' book filled in many blanks for me. I even sent it to all the people in my address book. I enjoyed it very much.

Ever wondered how the homeless stay clean, stay clothed, stay fed? Read this book.

Before reading this book I never wanted to think about what I would do if I suddenly had nothing left at all. I did not think about it because I would not have known what to do. I most likely would have starved to death on the side of the road somewhere. Now, I actually welcome the idea. The book made me realize there is so much more out there to do and see. It also made me realize I am only limited by myself and this obsession to have "stuff" that i previously thought I could not live without. Thank you Chris Damitio for changing the way I view life and the world!