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THE FRENCH ART OF LIVING WELL: Finding Joie de Vivre in the Everyday World
by Cathy Yandel

THE FRENCH ART OF LIVING WELL: Finding Joie de Vivre in the Everyday World by Cathy Yandel

In the tradition of French Toast, a delightful look at French culture, from literature to cuisine to humor and more, showing how the French have captured that magic elixir known as joie de vivre

What is joie de vivre, and why is it a fundamentally French concept?

In search of those ineffable qualities that make up the joy of living, this lively book takes readers on a voyage to France through forays into literature, history, and culture. How does art contribute to daily life? Why is cuisine such a central part of French existence? Why are the French more physical than many other cultures? How do French attitudes toward time speak volumes about their sense of pleasure and celebration? And finally, to what extent is this zest for life exportable? These and other questions give way to a dynamic sketch of French life today.

Peppered with anecdotes and humor, this book uncovers some of the secrets of the celebrated French art of living well.

CATHY YANDELL is a professor at Carleton College, teaching courses in French Renaissance literature and culture, contemporary cultural and political issues in France, and the French language. In 2019, she was knighted by the French government into the Order of Academic Palms. When not buried in books, she loves dance, yoga, and flying trapeze.

Early Praise for The French Art of Living Well:

“A wonderful celebration of and guide to the many joys of life in contemporary France...Yandell provides first time visitors as well as dedicated Francophiles with a host of ideas for ways to deepen their understanding of this rich, complex and diverse culture.”—Janet Hulstrand, author of Demystifying the French

“[An] erudite book sprinkled with amusing and informative personal anecdotes...Yandell manages to capture the uncapturable by showing the multitude of ways the French find joy in a culture where even the simplest things are celebrated.”—Harriet Welty Rochefort, bestselling author of French Toast and Joie de Vivre

“This book is a delight, a high-spirited portrait of a culture that does indeed embody joy and possibility...Yandell knows France, having lived, studied, and taught there over the course of several decades...lives up to the joie de vivre of its subtitle.”—Susan Cahill, author of Sacred Paris and The Streets of Paris

Kirkus:

“Yandell shares her understanding of the recipe for the unmistakably French flair for enjoying life. She begins with the approach to food…Yandell then moves on to perfume and ‘physical contact,’…The author discusses French sports, dancing, and the art of seduction…The book is not a typical memoir of an American in Paris…A largely witty and often highbrow look at the French exuberance for life. The full review is here:

https://tinyurl.com/yckrtk27

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