Customer Reviews

A Patchwork of Comforts: Small Pleasures for Peace of Mind

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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.

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.

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.

This is the little self-help book that actually helps. You'll remember some of the things you used to enjoy, but have been forgetting to do for a while. You'll get some great new ideas that reward you for taking just a few moments out of your day for yourself. In fact the beauty of this little book is that although it seems to have been written just for me, the busy professional who needs some ideas on how to manage stress but who doesn't have the time to read a self-help book, the advice provided is collected from such a diverse group of people that it seems likely that it will speak to you as well.

The author has surveyed people to learn ways they add comfort and small pleasures to their lives. The book is a good resource for ways to relax and enjoy life to it's fullest.
It would make a great gift for a friend!

It's strange but somehow just reading about the things others find comforting is in itself comforting! This wonderful little book had the effect of bringing me back to me, over and over. I keep giving away my copies becaue I find that I want my friends to have the same experience. It's not a book you want returned. It's one you want to go on and on.
I hope there is a sequel!

This book kept me warm and smiling recently during a bus ride home from visiting my daughter and her husband. I like the refreshing mix of familiar comforts, new ideas and entertaining tidbits of information - all shared in a conversational manner, which encourages periodic revisiting to savor one page at a time. This, along with the size, format and price has earned it a place on my list for holiday giving!

No big review here . . . just a note that I thought this was an especially sweet book about things people do that bring them pleasures in life. Many are familiar, and some are new, and I'll give a few of them a try. A nice little read, and I'll pass it around the family for them to read.

"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 every day." - From the book

Author Carol Wiseman sent out a letter to everyone she knew, past and present, asking, "What comforts you the most?" and "How do you relive your stress?" The broad cross section of replies offered a window into what brings people relief when the details of life get them down. One thing proved certain to the author: we all share the need to be nurtured in some way.

A Patchwork of Comforts - Small Pleasures for Peace of Mind shares the brief personal comforts, but the author adds her own inspired voice by creating two perspectives from which to view each comfort. The first, culled from Wiseman's imagination and written from a first-person point of view, pulls the reader gently into each experience. In the second perspective, the author offers her thoughts on what makes each subject a source of such pleasure.

Why, exactly, do we need to be comforted? The author actually lists in the Appendix, verbatim, dozens of personal stresses for those who contributed to the book. Here are but a few:

* Adapting to life as a widow
* Not being "first" on anyone's list
* Isolation
* Marital difficulties
* Not being in control
* A husband that works all the time
* Wishing my wife would stop smoking
* Poor international relations and risk of world wars
* TMJ and arthritis in my jaw
* Having a stack of unpaid bills and only $5 in the bank
* Kids!!! (a two year old screamer and a teenager)

For example, Bobbie from Grants Pass, Oregon finds comfort by listening to his favorite music-very loud-when he wants to break stress:

"I'm bored, bored, bored. Life has fallen back into a rut lately, and I need some sort of an uplift. When I'm in a funk like this, music always does the trick, flowing over my body like fairy dust, getting my life back on track. Enter Elton. My own body shocks me. It's moving, and I'm powerless to stop the growing urge to sway. Some CDs just defy grumpy, and he's done it again, good old Dr. John..."

Organized alphabetically, A Patchwork of Comforts offers 70 comforts for the body, mind, and spirit and includes entertaining bits of trivia, recipes, and black-and-white photos throughout. A few of the comforts include:


* Bath: Ahhh, alone at last
* Daydreams: Going to the movies for free
* Eating Out: No decisions, no cleanup
* Golf: Challenge in paradise
* Lists: Let you know where you stand
* Orion and Family: Sky glitter starts a part in your heart
* Peaceful People: Calm is contagious
* Wheelchair Accessible: Getting in-and out-of everyday places
* Yard Work: A chance to nurture

Reflecting on her own life, the author muses how fears irrational, irrelevant, and debilitating has kept her from living life to the fullest. Often, we don't stop to examine the autopilot nature of our lives and the tension that's underneath the surface. Nurturing ourselves is not only kind, but also essential for balance and harmony. A Patchwork of Comforts indirectly reveals the nature of everyday stress and fatigue that sends us off-kilter and offers uplifting, practical solutions to life's pressures. If you're feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks, outside pressures, and conditions beyond your control, this book provides a calming, centering voice of comfort.

This is a nice little book to give as a gift or keep for yourself as a good resource of suggestions for activities that bring comfort and peace of mind. The author has sought information from many people as to what activities help them relax.
While reading the book I realized that I should treat myself to the simple pleasures of life more often. A fast paced, highly productive life isn't necessarily how I want to spend my precious time on earth. As one friend states in his email closing: "Life is not a dress rehersal".