Organizing the Good Life: A Path to Joyful Simplicity -- Home to Work & Back [Paperback]

Celia Rocks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2001

Packed with tips on achieving a successful business and home life.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"The good life's really available to us all and here's how! Enjoy!" - Mark Victor Hansen, Co-creator, #1 best-selling series Chicken Soup for the Soul

"Celia puts family at the top of the 'Good Life' list. Nurturing those you love is an excellent way to find joyful simplicity and Celia really shows you how in this impactful new book." - Raymond Aaron, Co-author, Chicken Soup for the Parent's Soul

"I opened it up to have a quick glance and couldn't put it down. The most genuinely helpful book I've ever seen. Left me full of resolutions and the wisdom to make them happen in my own life." - Alex Hiam, Author, The Manager's Pocket Guide to Creativity

About the Author

Celia Rocks is president of Rocks-DeHart Public Relations, a publicity firm that specializes in promoting books, speakers, and consultants. She is a self-proclaimed escapee from rush-about living, mindless materialism, and deadening debt. Lessons learned from a number of best-selling "personal improvement" author-clients have been key to reforming her lifestyle. So has the influence of her husband, Richard, a genius at reducing things to the essentials. Celia and Richard live in joyful simplicity in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with their two children, Frank and Elizabeth.

Product Details

• Paperback: 170 pages
• Publisher: Facts On Demand Press (August 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889150266
• ISBN-13: 978-1889150260
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,486,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars There are better books on simplicity than this one, February 18, 2003

By 

Meddie B. Finnegan (Denver) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Organizing the Good Life: A Path to Joyful Simplicity -- Home to Work & Back (Paperback)

As I read Organizing the Good Life, I was not very impressed. The author touches on many of the common themes found in self-help books on Simplicity (turn off the tv, really listen to your kids, be present in the moment, get out of debt). But her reflection on those themes are very surface and generic.

What sets this book apart from other books about this topic is her choice to only "buy the best" (she spends $500 on a purse that is supposed to last her 20 years or so) and her advice on hiring out all of the mundane, time consuming parts of life. She has a person who runs her errands for her, a house keeper, lawn guy, reading tutor for her kids....and the list goes on and on. I agree, the help is nice. But you have to make a lot of money to support that payroll. She is very career driven, and drives home the point that in order for her to put her family first, career second, she HAS to spend all of this money for extra help. Well, to spend a lot of money, you have to make a lot of money. Unless your family is making quite a bit of cash, you will find yourself feeling like you just wasted your time with this book.

May I suggest Mitten Strings From God, or any of the Elaine St. James books instead of Ms. Rocks self-help book. Because in my opinion, Organizing the Good Life really only applies to a small sector of the American public, and regardless, rings flat and dull upon reading it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME, June 15, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Organizing the Good Life: A Path to Joyful Simplicity -- Home to Work & Back (Paperback)

I wish I could give this book 0 stars. I received it last week and read it in an afternoon. There's a summary page at the end of each chapter which Mrs. Rocks could have put into a $1.50 booklet and saved us all the $10.36 price of this useless book.
Most of the suggestions in the book can be found in magazines such as Family Circle, Woman's Day, etc. and other self-help books. I was sooooooo NOT impressed with Mrs. Rock's writing and advice. She must think we are all as wealthy as her that we can hire a team of people to run all our errands and purchase $500 hand bags, and lease a new car every couple of years. I laughed thru most of this book. Skip it. There are so many organizing books out there with real advice for all. Read some books by Julie Morgenstrern and Don Aslett, to name a few.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Neither "organizing" nor "simplicity", October 28, 2004

By 

Teacozy (Oklahoma, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Organizing the Good Life: A Path to Joyful Simplicity -- Home to Work & Back (Paperback)

I was disappointed with this book. There were a few worthwile tips (such as going to bed early to take advantage of the more productive morning hours) but mostly the author solved her problems by throwing money at them. If I could pick anywhere in the country I wanted to live, buy $700 coats and hire people to run all my errands, hey, I'd be organized too! As for "simplicity"....there is nothing here that anyone with even a passing familiarity with the simplicity movement would recognize.