Who we are impacts how we experience the world. If we are grumpy and miserly, the world will often be gray and demanding. If we are grateful and joyful, the world will give us many more things to celebrate. How can we become the second sort of person, one who sees all the ordinary joys that life has to offer?
In The Book of (More) Delights (Algonquin Books, 2023), Ross Gay helps us see the world through the lens of delight, reveling in a celebration of the beauty and joy of life’s simple pleasures. A collection of short, daily essays, Gay’s genre-defying book invites readers to pause and savor the small delights that can often go unnoticed. A nostalgic song playing in a passing car. A guinea pig named Oreo Speedwagon. The annual garlic planting. A grandmother baking 18 kinds of cookies for her grandkids. Through his vivid, poetic descriptions, Gay challenges us to cultivate a sense of mindfulness and appreciation for the beauty of the many delightful moments that surround us every day.