The Pleasure Prescription: A New Way to Well-Being [Paperback]

Ph.D. Paul Pearsall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 26, 1996

Current wisdom dictates that anything that tastes, smells, or feels good can't be good for us. But pleasure is the way to health, not a temptation away from it. In The Pleasure Prescription, Pearsall gives the antidote for "delight dyslexia," his name for misreading of intensity for joy, accomplishment for worth, busyness for connection, and excitement for love.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Educational psychologist Pearsall has written a book based on the 2000-year-old Polynesian concept of Aloha, embracing the five principles of patience, unity, agreement, humility, and kindness. Aloha means to give and share the breath of life and to embrace life by sharing its sacredness with others. In contrast to Western and Eastern principles glorifying the individual or self-enlightenment, the Aloha prescription glorifies the whole. The book is in three parts: reclaiming your natural pleasure path, describing the five Aloha principles in detail, and applying the principles to daily living. It provides tests, succinct formulas, and catch phrases all designed to help you find shared joy and listen to your body's "seventh sense," which is telling you something is not right. Pearsall interweaves references to scientific studies, oceanic philosophy, anecdotes, and personal stories. Unfortunately, some footnotes are incomplete, and the bibliography contains many references ten to 20 years old. Nevertheless, Pearsall takes the quick-fix manual to a higher plane and wants us to change our mental outlook and inner core, not just glue-gunning a veneer onto our current lifestyle.
Susan E. Burdick, Reading, Pa.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile

According to Pearsall, psychologist and expert on the immune system, it isn't too much stress but too little joy that's killing people. He offers his "prescription," derived from the wisdom of the Polynesian cultures: patience, connection, pleasantness, modesty and tenderness. He defines crucial areas of stress and offers practical suggestions for dealing with them. While Pearsall's voice is pleasant enough, his presentation is a bit fast, making for a clipped delivery that seems more suited to a lecture than an intimate conversation. P.B.J. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Hunter House (August 26, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897932072
• ISBN-13: 978-0897932073
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #729,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oceanic, September 15, 2001

By 

Susan G. Dunn "The EQ Coach" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pleasure Prescription: A New Way to Well-Being (Paperback)

The Oceanic culture is a beautiful philosophy and a beautiful way of life. I think of my gentle son who loved the Pacific Rim so much and manifested so many of their values. It's a truly loving culture, and love, Pearsall points out, is not a feeling, but a way of treating someone that takes infinite patience and practice to learn and to develop. "Only the very patient should marry," he says, "for it takes a very long time to learn to love someone." Marriage to the Polynesians is forever and one test of a pleasurable relationship is that it makes your family and your world a better place. Pearsall's thoughts on anger were especially welcome. Somehow I always "knew" that expressing anger was not the answer to anything, having been assaulted and sickened by outbursts from others, but rather it puts out a negative forcefield for everyone involved that spreads like ripples in a stream. His Myths about Anger should be read by all. Full of kind words and aloha, this book will warm your soul and give you the courage to live the way your heart and soul know they should in a world that hasn't accepted it yet. Be you, be well, be in lokahi (unity), be the first. I deeply recommend this book. Don't be fooled by the simplicity. The philosophy will take up residence in your heart, which needs it badly.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing! For people who care about themselves and the world., April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pleasure Prescription: A New Way to Well-Being (Paperback)

I whole-heartedly recommend this book to people who feel they are close to or wanting to discover their connection to (society, life and) the universe. If you are in conflict with Western values and finding Eastern philosphy enhancing but not complete then you may find the best (final?) answers here. I feel I have, and am now empowered with by the healthiest version of "me". This is a realistic approach to life and an amazing comprehension of living. This book bound all my tangled and unkempt parts together so quickly and seemlessly that I owe my friend Bruce for dropping it in my face and also Stephanie for giving me reason to read this book. I wish them the best. I put the Pleasure Prescription to work from the first time I opened it and I belive it will continue to work it's way into every aspect of my life. I will work at it happily now. All the honesty, natural unity and wonderful clear thoughts expressed in this book may change you. If you are ready. If you believe in balance. The key ideas: patience, connection, pleasantness, modesty and tenderness do blend with everyday love, work and play. Best thanks to Paul Pearsall. Aloha!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CRUCIAL TO YOUR HEALTH, September 18, 2006

By 

Susan Dunn "The EQ Coach" (Dallas,, Tx United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pleasure Prescription: A New Way to Well-Being (Paperback)

As an EQ coach, I am always looking for good books that illustrate the principles of emotional intelligence, and this is one of the books that is my Bible. Pearsall is a psychoneuroimmunologist (emotions effect our immune systems) and his book is loaded with research. One thing I loved was his long treatent of ANGER -- now if that doesn't make people sick! He says "Don't express it, don't suppress it, CONFESS it." It may take a while for this to sink in with you (especially since psychology did for years, and still does to some extent, encourage that you express your anger), but think about it. It works. We are not ourselves when angry, we are not at our best, we are not able to think ... and we might as well confess it. His treatment of anger alone is worth the price of the book. He has a list of MYTHS about anger, and I bet you believe in at least half of them.