Simple Pleasures [Hardcover]

Robert Taylor (Author), Susannah Seton (Author), David Greer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2000

Illustrated with charming line art, this is both a guide to and a celebration of the art of living well, with stories, quotes, recipes, craft ideas, all arranged by season. From relaxation techniques to how to make candied flowers, this is a compendium of ideas to bring moments of pleasure to everyday life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is a delightful little book, filled with personal stories about how people reclaim their personal lives and fulfill their pleasures, and is another very tangible way of stopping to "smell the roses" in one's life. Tips, stories, quotes, recipes--they are a simple pleasure to read and a delight to contemplate. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

Illustrated with charming line art, this is both a guide to and a celebration of the art of living well, with stories, quotes, recipes, craft ideas, all arranged by season. From relaxation techniques to how to make candied flowers, this is a compendium of ideas to bring moments of pleasure to everyday life.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Gramercy (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517209500
• ISBN-13: 978-0517209509
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,419,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect gift-giving book!, January 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Simple Pleasures: Soothing Suggestions and Small Comforts for Living Well Year Round (Hardcover)

I absolutely love this book. I go back to it time and time again when I'm feeling that my world has gotten out of control, or I'm having a case of "I want/need/gotta have" some outrageously priced item that will lose its appeal in 24 hours. This brings me back to the basics of what is important and what really brings me pleasure. I have given this book to so many people as house-warming gifts, birthday gifts and Christmas gifts. Everyone so far has called me up within a week of receiving it saying how much they love the book. I keep two on hand in case somethings unexpected comes up where I need a gift.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shows you how to sieze the day and savor the moment, June 23, 2003

By 

"ladynyte808" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simple Pleasures (Hardcover)

The cover could be a metaphor for the book: the soothing comfort of sitting in a sunny country garden enjoying flowers or the meanderings of a stream. This book is a collection of experiences, recipes, ideas, and quotes on savoring life's simple pleasures: warm socks, homemade vanilla ice cream, beading, etc.. Separated into seasons, this is a wonderful book to browse around through when you need to take a mini-vacation from the hectic schedules and stress.

Within the four Seasonal sections (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter), there are four categories: Home... Garden & the Great Outdoors... Body & Soul... Family & Friends. These are further broken down into sub sections sprinkled throughout the categories:

- Things To Do, for example, has recipes, crafts, and suggestions for taking advantage of the season. These are easy to follow, even offering suggestions for upkeeping the house and getting the family involved.
- Stories of simple pleasures are very short, almost like thoughts, but are presented in the form of advice or wisdom.
- The quotes remind us to take things slow and enjoy life.

Easy to read, and wonderful to poke around through. I recommend it to anyone whose ever had one of those "nothing is going right" days. You don't have to read it every day, or even every month, but even a chancing glance after a hard day made this a worthwhile purchase for me.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle suggestions to make life easier, November 5, 2000

By 

Jill M Long - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simple Pleasures: Soothing Suggestions and Small Comforts for Living Well Year Round (Hardcover)

I love the soft illustration on the cover. The image of the wicker chair and wide open front porch invites the reader to come sit for a while. This book is perfect for the women in your life who needs to learn how to 'live in the moment'. Most of us are too busy being busy that we forget what's important in life, what will truly matter in the long run. The authors offer suggestions on how to slow down the world in their recipes, tips and the stories they've selected for the book.