LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
Part of the Lessons for Life series from The School of Life, Small Pleasures is an edifying book that’s great to self-gift and give to your nearest and dearest as a refreshing tonic.
Presenting 52 small pleasures that have the potential to deliver big joy and add big value to our lives, it encourages readers to “build a philosophy of appreciation”. Underpinned by the idea that the pursuit of pleasure is a skill to learn and hone, each of the 52 chapters puts a very particular context, situation or experience under a magnifying spotlight, encouraging us to slow down to observe small details in the moment.
For example, the book opens with a visit to a fish shop, reframing it as a “place of enchantment” rather than simply as a place to buy fish. This is done through contemplating the alien physical details of the displayed fish, imagining their origins, and picturing the dishes they might be transformed into.
Each small pleasure source — from holding a child’s hand and sunbathing, to midnight walks and daisies — is presented in a way that centres the reader in multi-sensory fashion. Your eyes are directed, your ears alerted, your thoughts provoked by suggestion and a tone that’s both meditative and direct.
Evocative and engaging, Small Pleasures leads readers on a journey from finding magic in everyday activities to feeling their longer-lasting, incremental benefits.
Joanne Owen
Find This Book In
About
The School of Life: Small Pleasures Synopsis
52 overlooked small pleasures, from flirtation and figs to cyprus trees and the pleasant exhaustion that follows an especially productive day.
We exhaust ourselves and the planet in the search for very large pleasures, while all around us lies a wealth of small pleasures, which-if we only pay more attention-can bring us solace and joy on a daily basis. This is a guidebook to life's small pleasures: everything from the distinct delight of holding a child's hand to the joy of watching the evening sky. It's an intriguing, evocative collection that will heighten our senses and return us to the world with newfound excitement and enthusiasm.
- 52 SMALL PLEASURES that bring us joy and solace.
- REAL-WORD TAKEAWAYS to help us thrive in everyday life.
- A FRESH PERSPECTIVE on seeing life with enthusiasm and energy.
- A SERIES OF SHORT, DIGESTIBLE MEDITATIONS, designed to open and read at any page.
- PART OF THE SCHOOL OF LIFE LIBRARY SERIES other titles include Calm, Relationships, and Great Thinkers.
About This Edition
Press Reviews
The School of Life Press Reviews
Reader Reviews:
‘Small Pleasures is a book I read before bed and it helps cultivate appreciation and a generally happier life in noticing the little things. I would recommend it to all.’
‘Such a lovely and unusual book summing up in a simple and unpretentious way the joys of things like driving late at night, a beloved’s wrist, swimming in the sea... A book to dip into and delight in.’
Author
About The School of Life
The School of Life is here to help you learn, heal and grow. We are devoted to bringing you calm, self understanding, better relationships, deeper friendships, greater effectiveness at work and more fulfilment in your leisure time.
We do this via our books, our app, our films, our therapeutic services and our corporate offering.
The School of Life Press brings together the thinking and ideas of The School of Life creative team under the direction of series editor, Alain de Botton.
More About The School of Life
