A Patchwork of Comforts: Small Pleasures for Peace of Mind [Paperback]

Carol Wiseman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Just think how much different our lives would be—calmer, happier, healthier—if we spent more time nurturing ourselves and less time on the endless string of tasks we assign ourselves each day," says Wiseman, who is clearly a wise woman. For this book, she contacted "everyone" she knew to ask about the simple pleasures that comforted them most. The results are not terribly surprising: spending time alone, eating out, petting a dog or cat, daydreaming, shopping, reading, meditating, cooking. ("Chopping veggies counts as therapy when you imagine familiar faces on them first," Wiseman quips.) But then, the joy of small comforts comes not from originality but from easy familiarity, so the fact that there are few surprises here is more an asset than a liability. Many readers will rediscover their own "small pleasures" in these pages and be reminded to indulge in them more often
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Product Details

• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: Conari Pr (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573249041
• ISBN-13: 978-1573249041
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,863,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take a Recess from your Life., June 5, 2004

By 

Carol Wiseman "'author of A Patchwork of Comf... (Whidbey Island WA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Patchwork of Comforts: Small Pleasures for Peace of Mind (Paperback)

You'd think that after polishing this collection of comforts that, as the author, I'd be fully comforted. But alas, I sometimes forget to take my own advice and reread Patchwork now and then, as a reminder to slow down and simplify my own life.

As a dedicated student of human behavior, I initially started writing a book of comfort for all you leg jigglers and nail biters - you know who you are - hoping you'd get a few calming ideas to weave into your lives and, most important of all, some laughs along the way. The resulting book, however, spoke to everyone. My fondest hope is that it will nudge readers toward better health and more peace.

My main revelation in writing about what comforts people the most is how much everyone had in common with each other. The other was that some people couldn't think of a single comfort in their lives. Apparently, they'd never taken the time.

Since I'm obsessed with brevity, every page is an easy read. Hope you enjoy it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kick back and savor, May 21, 2004

By 

Douglas Eads (Fremont, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Patchwork of Comforts: Small Pleasures for Peace of Mind (Paperback)

Carol Wiseman recognizes that we all need a way of backing off and neutralizing stress that otherwise can accumulate in a corrosive way. Instead of focusing on a particular method such as yoga, or meditation, Wiseman asked her friends and acquaintances to tell her what they do. The result is a collection of personal rituals that is as varied as human personality. One comes away from Wiseman's book with not just a sense of permission to indulge ourselves just a little, but an appreciation for the necessity of it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great antidote to stress, May 18, 2004

By 

Robert Adler "science writer & author" (Santa Rosa, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Patchwork of Comforts: Small Pleasures for Peace of Mind (Paperback)

As a psychologist and medical writer, I am extremely aware--and wary of--the effects of stress on our bodies and minds. In addition to all of life's daily problems, a glance at the headlines or a few minutes watching the news is enough to get anyone's stress hormones pumpted up. That's why I found Carol Wiseman's gentle, thoughtful collection of little pleasures and simple comforts useful and timely. Just as the nips and nags of daily life can wear us down, ordinary things like a cup of tea or a few minutes with a pet can, over time, plump us back up again, and maybe even make the difference between comfort and depression, health and disease. The book is full of little gifts, and would make a great one for yourself or a friend. Robert Adler, author of _Medical Firsts: From Hippocrates to the Human Genome.