Peace and Plenty : Finding Your Path To Financial Serenity is the latest work from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Sarah Ban Breathnach. Ban Breathnach became famous in the 90s with the publication of Simple Abundance, which to date has sold millions and millions of copies in the US alone. Since the publication of the best selling book, Ban Breathnach has experienced both great financial gains and great financial losses. Peace and Plenty chronicles some of Ban Breathnach's most tragic financial moments and gives tips and advice to readers on how to cope with their own financial down falls (and windfalls as well in a "don't make the same mistakes I did" way). The content of the book is not so much about actual financial advice (though there is some of that) as it is about spiritual and organizational guidance. As a whole, the book is some parts autobiography, spirituality, financial savviness, and seemingly all around cathartic for the author. At times the advice in Peace and Plenty almost feels a little bit too personal and specific to Ban Breathnach herself, so much so that it seems to verge on narcissistic. In once instance the book provides a list of things a "prepared" woman might have in her purse, a list spanning 25+ items, quite distanced from my usual 10 items max (okay okay, maybe 15 on a bad day), but to each their own.
The style and content of the book is very likely to strike a chord with many readers (Simple Abundance does enjoy a 4.6/5.0 rating on Amazon.com after all). Peace and Plenty provides practical advice and comforting words to readers, words that seem to have the potential to boost confidence and give warm fuzzy feelings inside. At 400+ pages, the book also deals with an impressively wide array of topics- at least a few that will apply to any reader: bankruptcy, foreclosure, marriage, divorce, work, spending, shopping, spirituality and oh so much more.
While the book will definitely appeal to many readers in some ways I found this book slightly too dated for my tastes: quotes and excerpts from materials written during the Great Depression (some even earlier than that), tales of binges on Manolo Blahniks (sooo 10 years ago), a writing style reminiscent of the relationship advice section in a fashion mag, and even an I Love Lucy quote thrown in for good measure (though I admit, I do love Lucy). Then again, that is very much the precise aim of the book, to take examples from the past (be they good or bad) and find the silver linings, the heartache, the lessons, the inspiration.
From the Hachette website:
""When money is plentiful, this is a man's world. When money is scarce, it is a woman's world." Unearthed in a 1932 Ladies Home Journal, this quote is the call to arms that begins PEACE AND PLENTY, Sarah Ban Breathnach's answer to the world's-- and her own personal-- financial crisis. As only Ban Breathnach can, she culls together this compendium of advice, deeply personal anecdotes, and excerpts from magazines, books, and newspapers-- particularly those of the Great Depression-- to inspire readers who are mired in today's financial difficulties.
Focusing on her own personal path, Sarah Ban Breathnach will relate never-before revealed details about how she fell from the financial top to the bottom. Readers will immediately see how deeply she understands the plight of those trying to maintain a happy and comfortable home, while at the same time not even knowing if they will be able to make the mortgage to keep that home.
Sarah has proved to be the voice of comfort for years to women who are spiritually bankrupt, and now she will reach to those who are financially strapped, showing them how to pull themselves out of their psychic and fiscal crises while providing deep comfort and reassurance throughout."
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Hachette Book Group is generously offering three lucky readers a hardcover copy of "Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path To Financial Serenity" by Sarah Ban Breathnach ($24.99 value each).
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Bonus Entry 2: Follow The Wide World Of on twitter and tweet about the giveaway + leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day for one extra entry each)
NEW Bonus Entry : Stop by our new blog Brixton Street and leave a relevant comment on any post there then let me know where you commented (you may earn one entry per day during each day that you leave a new comment).
Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.
This giveaway will end on January 30, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US and Canadian readers only. Good luck!
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I would love to have this book.
ReplyDeletewinit6 at hotmail dot com
I Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect as nightowl.
ReplyDeletewinit6 at hotmail dot com
I like the whole person approach this book takes.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful book!!
ReplyDeletefirstrosegrrl@yahoo.com
I could really use this book!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway :)
hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com
Looking forward to reading this book!
ReplyDeletedelilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com
I just got engaged, and this would be a perfect read while we're on the road towards marriage! I always love learning how to save money and manage my finances in different ways!
ReplyDeletelmerritt49903@gmail.com