Simply Amish is, quite simply, a concise and well-written "essential guide" on the Amish and their way of life. It is impossible to read this short 93-page book and not come away without a better understanding of their simple, confusing and oftentimes seemingly hypocritical practices.

I have lived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with its nearly 37,000 Amish in 220 church districts, all my life. I've admired and respected them but knew little of their way of life. They are mostly farmers who keep to themselves and live without most modern conveniences. After reading Simply Amish, I now have a much deeper understanding of the very logical reasons they live the way they do.

The reason for this new insight is the book's author. Donald B. Kraybill is, without question, the foremost expert on Amish life. Internationally known for his research and scholarship on Anabaptist groups, Kraybill has written a number of books on this subject. He is a distinguished professor and senior fellow emeritus at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, at the western edge of Lancaster County.

The Amish are a major tourist attraction in Lancaster County, and many visitors come away intrigued by a way of life that is similar to life in Colonial America. The author explains this slower pace of life and why the Amish are content and successful. Frankly, it suddenly seems more appealing.

A major reason for Amish growth and success is the prominent role the church plays in their daily lives. The church district "serves as church, club, precinct and neighborhood," all based on a faithful and strict interpretation of biblical teachings.

The Amish are guided in their everyday life by the "Ordnung," which is a "set of regulations, or expectations, for daily living."

These rules are not set in granite; they are updated as needed. Not all Amish communities are the same. There are more than 325,000 Amish living in 31 states. There are about 500 settlements and 2,400 church districts. When the need to adjust rules arises, the local districts discuss the issue with the bishop and elders having the final say.

Another major factor in Amish happiness and success is, as Kraybill explains, the "strong sense of community (that) regulates the rhythms of Amish life." Community and family are the linchpins of the Amish throughout their entire lives.

We've all heard of barn-raising where Amish neighbors gather to rebuild a barn that was destroyed by fire. They also reach out to help a sick neighbor harvest his crops; they hold auctions or bake sales for special needs.

Simply Amish is not some weighty treatise. It is a clear, easy-to-read book complete with pictures. The author likens the book to the "for Dummies" books that were popular two decades ago. After reading this book, you will be more knowledgeable when you see an Amish farmer working his fields with a team of horses or see an Amish woman tending her well-cultivated garden in her distinctive clothing. The Amish culture has always been present, at least in the background, in my life; now I understand why it has been so beautiful and appealing to me.

Simply Amish was published by Herald Press in Harrisonburg, Va., in 2018.