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“When we lack proper time for the simple pleasures of life, for the enjoyment of eating, drinking, playing, creating, visiting friends, and watching children at play, then we have missed the purpose of life. Not on bread alone do we live but on all these human and heart-hungry luxuries.”

—Ed Hayes

THERE'S A ZEN STORY ABOUT A MONK who was climbing a steep mountain. Suddenly there appeared above him a snarling tiger, blocking his path. Below him, the cliff fell away to a gaping chasm. While he was deciding what to do next, the monk turned his gaze to the mountainside in front of his face. There his eye fell upon a little plant that had managed to root itself in a crevice. And from the plant's single stem hung a perfect wild strawberry, ripe and red and glistening with dew. The monk reached out his hand, plucked the tiny fruit, pressed it against his tongue, and closed his eyes in ecstasy.

This book is about seizing the day and savoring the moment. It's about finding a touch of bliss in everyday events. And it's about paying attention to wild strawberries, whatever form they may take.

While most people would gladly agree that the pursuit of happiness is high on their list of priorities in life, they might think twice about saying the same about the pursuit of pleasure. In a culture that places so much emphasis on productivity, pleasure gets bad press. Somehow we associate it with idleness and decadence. But happiness, that elusive butterfly, has a lot to do with our ability to take delight in the day-to-day pleasures of our existence, whether that means the smell of a rose or the love felt for a child or the comforting rituals that soothe us. Too many of us pass these basic satisfactions by in the rush and clutter of modern life. And sometime later, whatever our grand achievements, like Citizen Kane we often long for a simpler life and remember best our Rosebuds, those small delights that seemed like nothing much at the time and brought us happiness when we thought about it least.

The simple pleasures of our lives are too important to be reduced to memories. They contribute to our physical and emotional health, and they even make us more “productive” by increasing our contentment. Whatever our situation, they're right at hand, if we only take the time to enjoy them. The grass may be greener on the other side, but a single flower that thrusts up through a crack in concrete can give as much delight as a whole meadow, if only we let it.

The people who seem to be most content don't focus on a time years ahead when they hope to have whatever they imagine it takes to be happy—money or time or a wonderful relationship. They live in the present and take their pleasure seriously. And they create their own pleasures.

We decided that the best way to create a book about simple pleasures was to ask people to tell us about the small delights in their lives. Some people talked about pleasures that they enjoy over and over, like the little girl who told us without hesitation that her greatest pleasure is “having my Dad rub my back with the palm of his finger.” Others told of isolated moments of intense pleasure that kept coming back in their memories—an emotional chance reunion with a family long gone but not forgotten, the incredible sense of wellbeing after a prolonged illness. Still others talked of soothing comforts in their lives—ranging from hot water bottles and special foods to the cherished constancy of a special friend.

Some people not only talked about their pleasures but gave us instructions for creating them. That led to an idea that grew, and now the book is packed with recipes for comfort foods, both healthy and outrageously decadent, to satisfy every conceivable palate—recipes such as chocolate chip cookies and garlic soup and sun tea and jalapeño corn bread. You'll also find tips for making your own massage oils, foot lotions, potpourri and many other simple sensual delights. And garden tips and kitchen tips and things to do for fun, like tractor tracks in the snow and the dictionary game.

Finally, we added a sprinkling of quotes from many centuries and many places. The reason certain quotations survive in people's memories is that they have a way of capturing the essence of an experience or feeling, so you find yourself saying, “That's exactly it!”

We believe that the secret of happiness in today's helter-skelter technological world is to learn how to enjoy less than we can afford. We need to rediscover the pleasures our grandparents knew when life was quieter and slower, when children without TVs knew how to amuse themselves, when pleasures were made, not bought—and enjoyed all the more because of it. We hope you'll remember many of the simple pleasures in your life that you may have drifted away from, and come away with many ideas for adding new pleasures into your life.

David Greer