Organizing the Good Life: A Path to Joyful Simplicity -- Home to Work & Back (Paperback)

~ (Author) "In the doldrums of my disorganized days, I kept a very large personal checkbook that was like a hardbound book..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, North Carolina, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Life is short. It can also be glorious - a banquet of art and music and flavors and fragrances, and moments with loved ones that inspire tears of gratitude. How should we spend our brief time on earth to savor life's bounty more deeply? This is the question at the heart of Organizing the Good Life. Follow Celia Rocks as she escapes from suffocating debt, simplifies her life, shapes a rewarding career, and, in the process, finds time for what really matters. This is a book you'll want to read and re-read, and give as a gift to everyone you love!

From the Inside Flap

"The good life's really available to us all and here's how! Enjoy!" - Mark Victor Hansen, Co-creator, #1 best-selling series Chicken Soup for the Soul

"Celia puts family at the top of the 'Good Life' list. Nurturing those you love is an excellent way to find joyful simplicity and Celia really shows you how in this impactful new book." - Raymond Aaron, Co-author, Chicken Soup for the Parent's Soul

"I opened it up to have a quick glance and couldn't put it down. The most genuinely helpful book I've ever seen. Left me full of resolutions and the wisdom to make them happen in my own life." - Alex Hiam, Author, The Manager's Pocket Guide to Creativity

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Product Details

• Paperback: 170 pages
• Publisher: Facts on Demand Press (October 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889150266
• ISBN-13: 978-1889150260
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,591,368 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars There are better books on simplicity than this one, February 18, 2003

By	Meddie B. Finnegan (Denver) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As I read Organizing the Good Life, I was not very impressed. The author touches on many of the common themes found in self-help books on Simplicity (turn off the tv, really listen to your kids, be present in the moment, get out of debt). But her reflection on those themes are very surface and generic.

What sets this book apart from other books about this topic is her choice to only "buy the best" (she spends $500 on a purse that is supposed to last her 20 years or so) and her advice on hiring out all of the mundane, time consuming parts of life. She has a person who runs her errands for her, a house keeper, lawn guy, reading tutor for her kids....and the list goes on and on. I agree, the help is nice. But you have to make a lot of money to support that payroll. She is very career driven, and drives home the point that in order for her to put her family first, career second, she HAS to spend all of this money for extra help. Well, to spend a lot of money, you have to make a lot of money. Unless your family is making quite a bit of cash, you will find yourself feeling like you just wasted your time with this book.

May I suggest Mitten Strings From God, or any of the Elaine St. James books instead of Ms. Rocks self-help book. Because in my opinion, Organizing the Good Life really only applies to a small sector of the American public, and regardless, rings flat and dull upon reading it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME, June 15, 2004

By A Customer

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I wish I could give this book 0 stars. I received it last week and read it in an afternoon. There's a summary page at the end of each chapter which Mrs. Rocks could have put into a $1.50 booklet and saved us all the $10.36 price of this useless book.
Most of the suggestions in the book can be found in magazines such as Family Circle, Woman's Day, etc. and other self-help books. I was sooooooo NOT impressed with Mrs. Rock's writing and advice. She must think we are all as wealthy as her that we can hire a team of people to run all our errands and purchase $500 hand bags, and lease a new car every couple of years. I laughed thru most of this book. Skip it. There are so many organizing books out there with real advice for all. Read some books by Julie Morgenstrern and Don Aslett, to name a few.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Neither "organizing" nor "simplicity", October 28, 2004

By	Teacozy (Oklahoma, US) - See all my reviews

I was disappointed with this book. There were a few worthwile tips (such as going to bed early to take advantage of the more productive morning hours) but mostly the author solved her problems by throwing money at them. If I could pick anywhere in the country I wanted to live, buy $700 coats and hire people to run all my errands, hey, I'd be organized too! As for "simplicity"....there is nothing here that anyone with even a passing familiarity with the simplicity movement would recognize.