Gonna date myself but, for ~80% of configuration needs good old INI never let me down. Named sections of name value pairs with string and number data types (maybe bools too. do not recall). et voilà!
Such a promising introduction about the importance of agency, and then "blah blah kids these days blah uphill in the snow blah". "A reawakening of meaningful work"? Come on. Tell that to the child coal miner or factory worker of Carnegie's era.