Seven Sins for a Life Worth Living

by Roger Housden

“Conventional wisdom,” says Roger Housden, “tells us that nobody goes to heaven for having a good time.” Seven Sins for a Life Worth Living , then, is a refreshing, liberating, and decidedly welcome dose of unconventional wisdom that awakens us to the simple delights and transformative joys of the world around us.

With elegance, gentle humor, and remarkable openness, Housden takes us along as he recalls his personal journey toward an appreciation of what he calls the Seven The Pleasure of All Five Senses, The Pleasure of Being Foolish,The Pleasure of Not Knowing, The Pleasure of Not Being Perfect, The Pleasure of Doing Nothing Useful, The Pleasure of Being Ordinary, and The Pleasure of Coming Home.

Housden writes, for instance, of submitting to the ultimate folly of falling in love, of celebrating our imperfections, of coming to understand the virtues of the Slow Food movement while enjoying an all-afternoon lunch in a small French village, and of discovering in a Saharan cave that, however extraordinary our surroundings, “we are human, a glorious nothing much to speak of”—and learning to be at peace with the notion.

Such pleasures may be suspect in today’s achievement-driven, tightly scheduled, relent-lessly self-improving, conspicuously consumptive culture, but surely the greater sin lies in letting them slip away moment by precious moment. “The purpose of this book,” says Housden, “is to inspire you to lighten up and fall in love with the world and all that is in it.” Reading it is a pleasure indeed.


“When you die,God and the angels will hold you accountablefor all the pleasures you were allowed in life that you denied yourself.”


Roger Housden, author of the bestselling Ten Poems series, presents a joyously affirmative, warmly personal, and spiritually illuminating meditation on the virtues of opening ourselves up to pleasures like being foolish, not being perfect, and doing nothing useful, the pleasure of not knowing, and even (would you believe it?) the pleasure of being ordinary.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion, Philosophy, Self Help

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Roger Housden is the author of some twenty books of non fiction, including the best selling Ten Poems series. His new book, SAVED BY BEAUTY: ADVENTURES OF AN AMERICAN ROMANTIC IN IRAN, comes out on May 17 2011 with Broadway Books.

Reviews

[Natali]

This book was just not good. It is a diary, not a life anthem. The author organizes the book into seven sins but he barely articulates what they are. Instead he talks about his own life in egregiously touchy feely detail. I would only forgive this kind of writing if the author is on shrooms or ecstasy. I swear I tried to find a lesson that I could use from this book but I failed miserably. If I could unread this book, I would.

[Annie ⚜️]

Trippy. The “seven sins” aren’t sins at all. The title is a bit misleading but I enjoyed his ramblings arriving at age old discoveries found elsewhere like “bien dans sa peau“ or “dolce fare niente”. The book is more about pleasures. The pleasure of the five senses, of being foolish, of not knowing, not being perfect, doing nothing useful, being ordinary and coming home.

[Kristy]

There were several quotes in this book that inspired me. I'll share a few:

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." -Joseph Campbell

"Not being perfect allows us to feel empathy and compassion, not just for ourselves but also for others. We see our own frailties and shortcomings in our friends and spouse, or we see that they stumble in their own way just as we do in ours. Not being perfect together joins us in our humanity."

"Not knowing can be a pleasure, because it give you your life back."

"Acknowledge that our intention is best served by an open mind, one that is receptive and cooperative with the larger forces of life around it, whatever they may be. Then life can be what it is, a mystery, not just an agenda."

[Aubree]

Everyone needs to read this book. It touched me in a very profound way. The author talks about the seven things that we can do that most see as wrong or a waste of time, such as the "sin" of beign foolish, the "sin" of not knowing your direction in life, the "sin" of doing nothing, and more. As a person with three jobs and a goal of savings in mind, this book really made me think about what's truly important...having love, being yourself, enjoying the moment, etc.
Some fantastic quotes from the likes of Theodore Roethke and more. Very, very inspirational.

[Darleen]

Self-indulgent, me me me, type of "spirituality" book....The author used quotable quotes from various thinkers as a platform to talk about his own "enlightenment"....I loved the quotes, but not much in between. This book got way too much positive press. I'm glad I checked it out of the library rather than buying it.

[Deb]

I really loved this book. It makes you realize that every ordinary, mundane, precious moment of your life deserves to be savored and appreciated. I highly recommend reading this.

[Daniela]

I picked up this book because it seemed interesting. Plus, I like different opinions on what gives life meaning. The introduction gave me hedonist vibes (living for the pleasurable times) but with some “logic” mixed in - basically with reasons on why seeking pleasure is more meaningful than not. The advice in this book seems like a kind of remix on living life fully. The book has examples and quotes meant to demonstrate the importance of noticing the world with all 5 senses. A quote that I think fully captures what this book is about is “…ordinary and wonderful are what life is.” This book helped me embrace doing nothing, admitting when I don’t know things, and doing dumb things just for the sake of it. However, sometimes the author seems a bit preachy. This was especially evident when talking about how “nowadays” (2005) people value image more than substance. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I liked reading it.

[Beth Bonness]

A friend told me about this book, and how she loved so many passages. I do love the quotes he includes. One of my favorite is by Helen Keller, "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature… Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." And another by Joseph Campbell,"We must be willing to let go of the life we have plans so as to have the life that is waiting for us."

When he talks about the pleasure of coming home and about presence, the concept that lingered with me -- "Presence is catching, and it's a good thing to catch. Someone with presence imparts a feeling of substance, a confidence that is reassuring, at home with itself. That's a nourishing feeling for those in the vicinity, whereas charisma can feed off of people. Presence extends energy outward, but charisma draws energy toward itself from others."

Allowing oneself to be fully present gives us an opportunity to be with who we are in the moment.

[Benjamin Yeh]

I am in my mid-50s, a Harvard MBA and senior corporate executive. And I read this book twice - trying to distill the essence of the unassuming wisdom from this small book. Warn you: this is not a self-help book for those go-getters, corporate ladder climbers, earnest pursuers of financial freedom...etc.
But this is an enlightenment for readers overstressed by the doctrine of this world's push for productivity, usefulness, self-improvement, and never-ending restlessness. It help me to find an oasis, to recognize my true nature and the beauty and satisfaction of being a regular human being. Love this book!

[Neal]

Some of the pleasures (seven sins) mentioned I already practice and the chapters served as reminders for daily living. When I reached the later chapters new thoughts were spurred, and some insights gained. Also reflections to take with me maybe to learn more from later. The ideas are told through the author’s personal stories, but really approachable and therefore easy to understand and translate into my own life. I actually would have preferred without the full page quote every few pages, which seem to break up the flow of the chapters too much.

[Holly]

2.5 stars. Meh. Mostly skimmed it. I’m a type B who has no problem smelling the roses. Perhaps this book would be of more benefit to Type A people.

[Susan]

My husband gave this to me with a silly inscription (he liked the word "sins" mainly) but I only made it two thirds through... thoughtful thoughts but I am finding these type of books annoying lately. Probably why I can't read Eat Pray Love lately or watch Oprah anymore. Maybe it's an age thing.

[Katie]

If simple pleasures are your thing, read this book. Housden basically addresses the little things in life and how to ensure you don't miss them as you rush around in your harried day to day activities, because experiencing these simple pleasures is what will help you to truly enjoy life. It's a quick read and just a little reminder to stop and smell the roses from time to time. (I own this so let me know if you would like to borrow it.)

[Diane]

My cousin and I hooted over this. Yes, it is self-indulgent and he is so in love with his much younger wife who has two small children. We'd like to catch up with him when the children are teenagers and he is teaching them to drive, in New Jersey, no less. Great quotes though and good jumping off point for other books to read.

[Carol Ansara]

Interesting reading. Somewhat self indulgent at times, but certainly approached life from a different angle. Refreshing look at life as worth experiencing to the full and embracing the enjoyment of life.

Good paradigm shift for anyone brought up a heavy dose of responsible guilt!

[Jenny Webb]

I would have given this book 5 stars, but I don't agree with everything the author says from a religious point of view. I really liked this book, and loved several of the thoughts and insights the author shared.

[Brenda]

instead of focusing on achieving, having it all, doing more--this book recommends slowing down, learning who you really are--not what everyone says you should be, appreciating life, doing less. I have the 7 sins hanging up at work--to remind me....good advice for everyone.

[Susan]

Nothing terribly new in the content but I enjoyed the writing and viewpoint.

[Louisa]

Although pretty preachy, the quotes throughout are worth it. An easy enjoyable read with good ideas.

[Doug]

This is a nice, thoughtful read.

[Dyan]

two favorite "sins" - being foolish, and doing nothing. for instance, take a walk for no reason - i still need to try this.

[Elisabeth]

Another good book from Roger Housden. A good reminder of what really matters in life.

[Michellehthorne]

This book is a very easy read. Although it does have a few interesting insights it wasn't my favorite.

[Connie]

Amazing.

[Katherine Doll]

Interesting and valid premise, but I found the execution to be too flighty and ethereal. Like a lace handkerchief. Maybe that metaphore only makes sense to me...

[Valerie]

The pleasure of all five senses shared by the author in an honest and sometimes humorous manner.

[Laura]

A series of essays celebrating "the little things in life" and why they should be part of one's spiritual practices.

[Yariella]

apparently, this was my year of self-help reads. this was a nice, healthy read and reminder to appreciate the 'little things.'

[Paul Manytravels]

Housden's reflections on living a life with meanig, purpose and fulfillment was an enjoyable read and a great affirmation of what life ought to be all about.

[India]

A quick, immensely enjoyable read and a must-read for the over-achiever.