A few kind words...

Professional Reactions

Anonymous Counselor, Barnes and Noble online review "This book is a find. What a gem this is! I find myself giving away each copy I buy because I want my friends and clients to experience these little moments of magic. If you give one book this holiday to a friend, make it this one. There is something so very comforting in reading about these 'small pleasures'. It will quiet your heart! "

Bobbi Kidder, Executive Director of Southern Oregon Impact Theatre & Rogue Community College Instructor "A Patchwork of Comforts is a chance to resonate and explore the habits and traditions of soothing ourselves. Reading it was a breather, a reminder to take a breather. We learn how to prioritze and maneuver through life; comforting ourselves and others is essential."

Janet Boyer, Amazon reviewer "..... If you're feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks, outside pressures, and conditions beyond your control, this book provides a calming, centering voice of comfort. "

Amanda Bolsinger, Ashland Daily Tidings "Reading this book is like sitting down to dinner with a big circle of friends..... With topics from baths, camping and eating out to letters, lists and shopping, there is something for every reader."

Cynthia MacGregor, author of 46 books including Little Indulgences and The 'I love You' Book "Everybody needs comforting on occasion. Here's a compendium to savor, jam-packed with people's responses to the author's question of what brings them comforts. Dip into these pages and find the road map to your own place of peace and solace."

Robert Adler, author of Science Firsts and Medical Firsts: From Hippocrates to the Human Genome. "As a psychologist and medical writer, I am extremely aware - and wary of - the effects of stress on our bodies and minds..... That's why I found Carol Wiseman's gentle, thoughtful collection of little pleasures and simple comforts useful and timely... The book is full of little gifts, and would make a great one for yourself or a friend."

Theresa Cheung, author of Coffee Wisdom: 7 Finely-Ground Principles for Living a Full-Bodied Life. "With stories and insights that welcome and inspire, Carol Wiseman's collection of everyday comforts will open your heart, soothe your mind, and help you discover a saner, more balanced and satisfying life."

JoJo Jensen, author of Dirt Farmer Wisdom. "This book is a gem. It reminded me that comforts are found everywhere when I stop long enough to look."

Leslie Gilbert Elman, Healing Lifestyles & Spas magazine. "You'll have fun spotting the triggers that soothe you and discovering that they soothe others as well. You'll also be inspired to experiment with new ways to comfort yourself."

Katrina Rasbold, The Diva Digest (online). "This book is an amazing exercise in both comfort and pleasure... Divided into quickly read chapters, each one gives us something to think about and a new way of looking at the mundane comforts in our lives, raising them to the extraordinary status of absolute miracles."

Karen Rothboeck, Coupeville Examiner. "It's not often an author would use words like "ordinary" or "everyday" to describe the subject of her work, but Wiseman embraces them. Her idea was to find simple solutions to life's little stressors... With its short chapter format, the book is easy to read, and would make a nice gift for friends who need to remind themselves to stop, take a deep breath, and relax."

Publisher's Weekly, "Just think how much different our lives would be - calmer, happier, healthier - if we spent more time nurturing ourselves and less time on the endless string of tasks we assign ourselves each day," says Wiseman, who is clearly a wise woman. For this book, she contacted "everyone" she knew to ask about the simple pleasures that comforted them most. The results are not terribly surprising: spending time alone, eating out, petting a dog or cat, daydreaming, shopping, reading, meditating, cooking. ("Chopping veggies counts as therapy when you imagine familiar faces on them first," Wiseman quips.) But then, the joy of small comforts comes not from originality but from easy familiarity, so the fact that there are few surprises here is more an asset than a liability. Many readers will rediscover their own "small pleasures" in these pages and be reminded to indulge in them more often"

Susan Mrosek, author of Leaks and Pondering Pool greeting card line "A Patchwork of Comforts acts like a mood stabilizer, with at-a-glance remedies to ease you back into your saddle, feeling more calm and balanced. The way Carol weaves other's private moments with her own insightful, witty observations makes this collection especially nurturing."

Personal Reactions

"She writes the way you wish you could say things." Andy Doig, Grants Pass, OR

"This is the little self-help book that actually helps..... The beauty of this little book is that although it seems to have been written just for me, it's perfect for the busy professional who needs some ideas on how to manage stress but who doesn't have the time to read a self-help book." Stephanie Rouse, Denver, CO Amazon review

"I like the refreshing mix of familiar comforts, new ideas and entertaining tidbits of information all shared in a conversational manner, which encourages periodic revisiting to savor one page at a time." Carolyn Kohn, Grants Pass, OR Amazon review

"While reading the book I realized that I should treat myself to the simple pleasures of life more often. A fast paced, highly productive life isn't necessarily how I want to spend my precious time on earth." Anonymous reader, Amazon review

"I've had trouble sleeping lately and reading this book helped me sleep - can't read it for long, though." Kathy Weaver, Grants Pass, OR.

"Carol recognizes that we all need a way of backing off and neutralizing stress that otherwise can accumulate in a corrosive way..... One comes away from Wiseman's book with not just a sense of permission to indulge ourselves just a little, but an appreciation for the necessity of it." " Douglas Eads, Fremont, CA Amazon review

"..... Patchwork seems so appropriate for a title, not only because of the variety of entries, but because of the connotation I carry with my grandmother's patchwork quilts ' a creation of beautiful memories made with love." Anita Dragoo, Coupeville, WA

"I enjoyed your book and hope you're planning to write more. Because of your book, I got "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" and am working on sorting through and parting with some of my stuff. So thanks!" Jeri Gleiter, Grants Pass, OR

"Good luck on your new book. You help a lot of people with the type of books you write." Dorothy Hansen, Cathedral City, CA

"Love this website. Makes me calm. " Barbara Marquez, Website contact

"..... I keep giving away my copies because I want my friends to have the same experience. It's not a book you want returned. It's one you want to go on & on. " Sea-psych, Amazon reviewer

" I finished reading Patchwork of Comforts just in time to order 7 of them for family Christmas gifts. It was my first time ever buying unsolicited reading material for these very literate adults who, like myself, prefer to select their own. " Bob Sailors, Whidbey Island Toastmasters (WIT), Coupeville, WA