Book excerpt: A timely handbook helping readers think about how to slow down, reconnect, and live a gentler life. Monocle has always been a champion of taking it slow. Past issues have encouraged readers to dive into a lake and go for a run. To sleep well. To eat food made with love. Even today, in a tense moment in history, the magazine has done its bit to argue for a new modern etiquette where communities are generous with their time, hospitality, and forgiveness. Now its editors and correspondents have brought all of this together into one volume with The Monocle Manifesto for a Gentler Life, a book that urges us all to slow down, reconnect, make good things, and think about the spaces we call home. Some of the highlights of this volume include: An illustrated guide to being nice, respecting your neighbors, and controlling your social media rants; practical tips on how to design a house that’s good for you and your family; Q&As with the people who have decided to take a gentler approach to work and living; and a celebration of locally made food—with featured recipes—as well as the chefs that bring people together. The helpful tips and insights in this guide make it the perfect handbook for anyone looking to slow down and enjoy life.