"I had an obsession with the Amish. Plan and simple. Objectively it made no sense. I, who worked hard at being special, fell in love with a people who valued being ordinary." So begins Sue Bender's story, the captivating and inspiring true story of a harried urban Californian moved by the beauty of a display of quilts to seek out and live with the Amish. Discovering lives shaped by unfamiliar yet comforting ideas about time, work, and community, Bender is gently coaxed to consider, "Is there another way to lead a good life?" Her journey begins in a New York men's clothing store. There she is spellbound by the vibrant colors and stunning geometric simplicity of the Amish quilts "spoke directly to me," writes Bender. Somehow, "they went straight to my heart." Heeding a persistent inner voice, Bender searches for Amish families willing to allow her to visit and share in there daily lives. Plain and Simple vividly recounts sojourns with two Amish families, visits during which Bender enters a world without television, telephone, electric light, or refrigerators; a world where clutter and hurry are replaced with inner quiet and calm ritual; a world where a sunny kitchen "glows" and "no distinction was made between the sacred and the everyday." In nine interrelated chapters--as simple and elegant as a classic nine-patch Amish quilt--Bender shares the quiet power she found reflected in lives of joyful simplicity, humanity, and clarity. The fast-paced, opinionated, often frazzled Bender returns home and reworks her "crazy-quilt" life, integrating the soul-soothing qualities she has observed in the Amish, and celebrating the patterns in the Amish, and celebrating the patterns formed by the distinctive "patches" of her own life. Charmingly illustrated and refreshingly spare, Plain and Simple speaks to the seeker in each of us.

Prioritizing your time and your life, you'll be able to manage a bustling home in a way that honors God and builds up family relationships. By following the clear model of Proverbs 31:10, and adapting the characteristics that make up a faithful homekeeper, you too can become an "Excellent Wife."

The projects in Pam Allen's Plain & Simple: 11 Knits to Wear Every Day are proof that, with the right yarn, simple shapes and stitches are all that's needed to create essential knits. Worked in Quince & Co.'s worsted weight wool/alpaca Owl yarn, the 11 designs featured in the book cover all manner of plain, simple, and utterly necessary knits including pullovers, cardigans and accessories with details to keep the knitter engaged and the wearer happily warm--a classic collection for the ages.

MINDFULNESS PLAIN & SIMPLE provides the tools, tips and tricks you need to de-stress and de-clutter your mind. Inner peace and happiness are available now, and they're closer than you think. By taking just a few minutes out of your day and making the simple but dramatic shift into the present moment, you will find more focus, effectiveness and clarity than you ever thought possible. There is no jargon, religion or new age vision quest, just simple tools to be happier and more confident straight away. Oli Doyle is renowned for teaching mindfulness directly to those with no experience. For anyone seeking a simple, practical guide to living mindfully, this book is a must.

An easy-to-read, pocket-sized primer on brief coaching basics. This is a highly practical and condensed introduction to solution-focused coaching, offering a simple and clear structure for coaching sessions that is easy to learn. Content is illuminated through exemplary dialogues from real coaching sessions and bullet-point toolboxes for greater variety of choice. Narrative explanations create a helpful framework for understanding the general idea of coaching and the practicalities of the solution focused approach. Several illustrating graphs and symbols give the book an easy to read, light touch. The book targets beginners in coaching who are looking for simple guidance and step-by-step ideas in their learning process. Topics include: What is coaching? • Coaching—simple, concise and effective • Overview: Major elements of the coaching conversation • Contracting—before you start • Coaching agreement for the first session • Preferred Future • Resources and forerunners of solutions • Small steps and clues of upcoming progress • Session conclusion • Follow-up sessions • Brief coaching of executives—three examples • Beyond technique—continuous learning as a coach

Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis is the book you've been waiting for! As the title indicates, this book presents the Tarot in clear language that anyone can understand. If you've had trouble learning the Tarot, this book gives the meaning of each and every one of the 78 Tarot cards—both in simple terms and in-depth ones, both upright interpretations and those for when a card is drawn reversed. Illustrations are from the elegant and mystic Robin Wood Tarot. This book leaves nothing out! It includes an overview of the history of the Tarot and suggests why this divinatory method works from a scientific point of view. It even includes several spreads and example readings. That way you can see exactly how the Tarot works, how the cards play off of each other and how to give a reading. Turn to any page and see how you can learn meanings and interpretations. The Five of Cups shows a cloaked person with head down and three of five cups knocked over, spilling their contents. Upright the card means "mourning." But the key words and phrases give you so much more. It can also mean regret, sadness, loss of trust, an emotional letdown, betrayal in love, and much more. How can you tell which expression best fits the card? It depends upon where it falls in the spread and the cards that surround or lead up to it. This is explained in the clear but comprehensive section on Tarot card spreads, and is illustrated in the sample readings. If you have been waiting for an ideal book to help you learn the Tarot, this is it. The longer you wait, the longer it will be before you can give effective Tarot readings. Get out that Tarot deck and get this book today!

Take control of everyday disorder. With strategies for everything from keeping track of mittens and scarves to combining two households, Donna Smallin takes a personalized, nonjudgmental approach as she explains how to assess different situations and decide where to start organizing. Whether you’re craving a more functional closet, having trouble planning meals for your family, or trying to make sense of your finances, this straightforward guide offers proven techniques for living an efficient and clutter-free life. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.