Social philosopher Richard B. Gregg is credited with coining the term "voluntary simplicity" and is said to be "the first American to develop a substantial theory of nonviolent resistance." He was influenced by Gandhi, and traveled to India to learn from him. In turn Gregg was an influence on figures such as Martin Luther King Jr and Aldous Huxley. His book The Value of Voluntary Simplicity is a philosophical essay on the reasons for and benefits of living more simply.