Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path to Financial Serenity [Hardcover]

Sarah Ban Breathnach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2010

"When money is plentiful, this is a man's world. When money is scarce, it is a woman's world." Unearthed in a 1932 Ladies Home Journal, this quote is the call to arms that begins PEACE AND PLENTY, Sarah Ban Breathnach's answer to the world's-- and her own personal-- financial crisis. As only Ban Breathnach can, she culls together this compendium of advice, deeply personal anecdotes, and excerpts from magazines, books, and newspapers-- particularly those of the Great Depression-- to inspire readers who are mired in today's financial difficulties.

Focusing on her own personal path, Sarah Ban Breathnach will relate never-before revealed details about how she fell from the financial top to the bottom. Readers will immediately see how deeply she understands the plight of those trying to maintain a happy and comfortable home, while at the same time not even knowing if they will be able to make the mortgage to keep that home.

Sarah has proved to be the voice of comfort for years to women who are spiritually bankrupt, and now she will reach to those who are financially strapped, showing them how to pull themselves out of their psychic and fiscal crises while providing deep comfort and reassurance throughout.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In addition to SIMPLE ABUNDANCE, Sarah Ban Breathnach is the author of THE SIMPLE ABUNDANCE JOURNAL OF GRATITUDE, SOMETHING MORE, and MRS. SHARP'S TRADITIONS. She currently resides in California. Please visit her website at www.simpleabundance.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (December 29, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446561746
• ISBN-13: 978-0446561747
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

90 of 98 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Cover, But Inside Needs A Strong Editor January 1, 2011

By A book lover

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Sarah Ban Breathnach is a spellbinding storyteller. Only problem she has so many stories to tell in this book---her success with
"Simple Abundance," her instant wealth, her book tours, her Isaac Newton home in England, her marriage to an Englishman, her loss of money, her poverty crisis. But she left a lot of unanswered questions. What happened to her first marriage? Where was the daughter she loved so much in Simple Abundance? Why did she not turn her for help during this emotional trial. I found one chapter was trying to help the reader, next she started on her British husband, then she brought in 1930 women's magazines that she had discovered at a summer flea market in Simple Abundance . I kept wishing that she had told her own tragedy from beginning to end. Then moved on to how it relates to today's economic problems. The reader is never introduced to the British husband (where did they meet, what brought them together in the first place) until Sarah is denouncing him for wanting all her money. I'm almost through with the book and truthfully, I get a headache trying to put together this puzzle--Sarah's downfall,today's economy mixed with Miss Piggy's self help book and women's magazines from 1930s plus bites and pieces from "Simple Abundance". I wish Sarah success with her new book, but her editor needed to organize all her material so the story flows not jumps. A COLLECTOR OF SBB's BOOKS, AND SIMPLE ABUNDANCE FAN.

55 of 64 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Depressing May 3, 2011

By K8R

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved this author's other books and found them inspiring. But this book is truly awful. As other reviewers have mentioned, it is depressing, disorganized and a rehash of her other books. For starters, the author seems to assume that we all share her enchantment with material goods. Uh...that was the whole point of Simple Abundance, Sarah! You told us that material goods would not bring happiness. Yet she obviously went on an insane spending spree, married an emotionally abusive manipulator, and then got hosed in the UK legal system. It's hard to feel sorry for someone who made millions, then blew it on silly purchases (buying houses on a whim? Come on, let's think about that for a moment).
The worst part of this book is it has made me toss out her other books. I have lost respect for this author. Even worse, it appears that she has lost respect for herself.
Not all women are stacking up the collection notices and divorce lawyer bills on their sister's kitchen counter. In fact, some of us have discovered the REAL path to financial serenity - living within your means, and saving for a rainy day.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars barely made it into the first chapter November 9, 2011

By ivysmom

Format:Hardcover

(Note: This is only a semi-review, as I did not read the entire book! But for a reason!)

I also bought several copies of SIMPLE ABUNDANCE for friends, both young and old. That book resonated with me, at a time when I was raising young children.

I picked up a copy of her newest book, PEACE & SERENITY, at the library last night. I was a bit skeptical, having an idea of what this book was about, but was still excited to open it up. Well, I didn't last long. I even remember thinking, as I read several lines in her intro, that I HAVE to write a review of this book (even though I seldom do), because this book, in my opinion, is NOT going to help others.

First, her tone is completely different in this book. OK, like I admitted, I only read the intro, and skimmed through it. But first, she decides to address this book solely to women, in her quotes, and text. That's OK. But, it's almost as though she paints women, as a completely different breed than men, as though we are persecuted, and so misunderstood. She seemed confused and angry in her intro. One of the main lines that jumped out at me, and made me cringe, was "Think of me as your personal guide,", after going on and on about all of the negativity that is associated with money, her bad experiences, etc.! On one hand, she's got a huge audience of women, open to her message, then she tried to juggle admitting to her own faults, tries to get us to connect with negative ideas about money, then asks us to look to her, as a 'guide'??

The biggest reason I will not continue reading this book, is that it confirmed my suspicion...she actually puts in writing, and print, her negative thoughts, and supposedly our own, which I think is counter productive. Words are energy, in metaphysical thought.... I refuse to spend my few precious reading hours, reading depressing accounts from another's life, if ultimately it is just so she can sell another few million books, or whatever. But mostly, by letting ourselves be absorbed into this mindset, may just be drawing that type of negativity toward us!

For example, she speaks of money in only negative terms in the first few pages. "Money - how we love it. Fear it. Earn it. Spend it. Save it. Stash it. Lose it. Lend it. Lust for it. Hide it. Pray for it. Marry it. Divorce it. Sleep with it," etc., etc. Never once, does she mention; 'feed our families with it, share it, grow it, say thanks for it, teach others about it.' You get the idea I hope!

The last major turn-off, was to hear her speak of going broke, as if someone had just died!! She speaks of loosing money, as someone going through the worst grief imaginable. (Anyone who has been through this type of grief, will probably bristle at the page after page of this, I would think.) I was SO turned off by the book at this point, I set it down, shut off the light, said a prayer of thanks, and went to sleep!

Thankfully I borrowed this from the library. But I just had to express my concerns and thoughts about this book. Everyone has the right to think what they want, of course. But I just wanted others to know that there are other ways of achieving peace and inspiration about money. Try Shakti Gawain's little classic, "Creating True Prosperity." Or even, one of my all time introspective favorites, "Eat, Pray, Love," where Melissa Gilbert talks briefly about her fleeting wealth and loss, but somehow continues to relate to us, and keep a sense of humor about life and her situation. Read more ›

50 of 60 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spiritual, Authentic and Powerful Book December 14, 2010

By Mary Jane Hurley Brant

Format:Hardcover

If you are a woman and you want to understand your relationship with money, Peace and Plenty is the book for you. It is authentic writing at its best. Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of the hugely successful Simple Abundance, once again weaves wonderful words together as she addresses the serious and important subject of money and a woman's relationship with it. "Heaven likes to help those trying to help themselves" and "'Having enough' is the destination for all of us on the Peace and Plenty path." I think that's one of the best parts of this book: its spiritual essence resonates with us because Sarah Ban Breathnach's authentic and faith-filled voice touches our very souls page after page.

I loved this book's respectful and humble acknowledgment of the struggles that so many good people undergoing financial stress are experiencing. A sensitive chapter "On Losing Your Job" validates how the loss of personal identity hurts our self-esteem and discourages our spirit. And Sarah doesn't write from the abstract, she has lived the fear and reality of job loss. She also courageously shares her personal stories of loss of finances, home and marriage. These monumental losses could have made Sarah bitter and discouraged her but they have not because she is a believer in the beauty and the bounty of life. Sarah Ban Breathnach focuses instead on places where she is grateful and inspires us to do the same. She is also moving on with the new changes in her life trusting the Creator of a Million Lifetimes to guide her every choice.

In this wonderful book, Sarah Ban Breathnach implores us to create a financial family tree to clarify our attitudes about money. Were your parents big spenders? Were they worried all of the time about money?... These questions invite us into the search to understand what money really means to us. Sarah wants us to be honest believing that the truth does indeed set us free.

Sarah Ban Breathnach is every woman's friend, sister and mother. Millions of women look to her for counsel, hope and honesty. They will not be disappointed when they sit down with a hot cup of tea and this latest book, Peace and Plenty, where they will find renewed hope and a true path to financial serenity from a trusted soul companion.

Mary Jane Hurley Brant Read more ›