The Intentional Household

The household is the center of daily life, where relationships thrive through shared work and leisure. Yet for decades, we have not lived as though this were true. The result: Widespread unhappiness, isolation, and meaninglessness. Philosopher John Cuddeback invokes timeless wisdom to help breathe new life into our homes. Focusing on eight simple principles, The Intentional Household gives profound directions for crafting the shared life we naturally crave for ourselves and our loved ones. Our souls were made for a living community at every phase of life. Building this community, however, takes time and focus. More and more people are discovering that good work and edifying leisure in the home are a key not only to healthy family, but a flourishing society. Cuddeback explains how and why. Utilizing great thinkers from all ages—from Plato and Aristotle, to Cato and Cicero, to Wendell Berry and Leonard Sax—he deftly reveals the inner workings of a vibrant home. With care and clarity, he grounds the practical cornerstones of shared life in the perennial principles of human nature and ethics. Today’s household must be an intentional household, carefully crafted in view of what really matters: true happiness. We cannot do this alone.