Friedensreich Hundertwasser (born Friedrich Stowasser) was an Austrian artist and self-proclaimed architect, an eccentric, bearded "hippie" in a cap, the creator of vibrant paintings and buildings, an advocate of an eco-friendly lifestyle, and one of the first actionists. He lived a long life (1928-2000), witnessing both the Anschluss and the European Union.
"Beautiful Paths" (Schöne Wege) is a collection of texts from various years that provides a comprehensive understanding of his worldview, both in terms of his work and social issues.

Hundertwasser is considered the founder of the ecological movement in architecture, as well as the environmental movement as a whole.
He denounced the Bauhaus movement, calling for its ideas, which had damaged humanity's relationship with nature, to be forgotten forever and for the restoration of this relationship to be achieved through a peace treaty. He proposed greening roofs, thereby returning to nature the space stolen from it and used for the foundation of a house. He called a person's home their third skin (the second being clothing) and proposed treating it accordingly.
Specifically, he insisted on everyone's right to a window, meaning the right to decorate not only the interior of their apartment but also the exterior walls of the building—as far as one could reach from the window—according to their tastes. He also believed it was necessary to inhabit buildings, in addition to human inhabitants, with trees, which ideally should occupy two of the three floors.

Some of his ideas (for example, abandoning sewer systems in favor of humus toilets in city apartments) certainly seem utopian. However, at the same time, many of his ideas still sound contemporary, which, unfortunately, means that the same problems remain relevant. For example, Hundertwasser spoke extensively about how humans are unsuited to living in the sterile environment provided by modern housing principles; they will become ill, wither, and deteriorate physically and mentally. These statements sound as if he had just visited a residential area on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Paris, Jakarta, or another major city. But there are also positive examples—waste separation and sustainable consumption, which Hundertwasser also discussed, have indeed been recognized and implemented. You can read more about all of this in the texts included in the book.

The book "Beautiful Paths" (Schöne Wege) is a philosophical manifesto by Hundertwasser, assembled from various fragments. The collection includes essays, speeches, letters, and even autobiographical sketches, as well as an extensive reference list and a thoughtful afterword by the compiler, Walter Schurian. From all this diversity, as in a kaleidoscope, a surprisingly harmonious worldview picture of the main Austrian creator of the second half of the 20th century emerges.