Sarah Ban Breathnach
Biography
Sarah Ban Breathnach
SARAH BAN BREATHNACH'S (pronounced "Bon Brannock") work celebrates quiet joys, simple pleasures and everyday epiphanies. The wisdom, warmth, compassion and disarming candor of her No. 1 New York Times bestsellers, SIMPLE ABUNDANCE: A DAYBOOK OF COMFORT AND JOY and SOMETHING MORE (both published by Warner Books) have made her a trusted voice to millions of women.
First published in November 1995 with little fanfare, SIMPLE ABUNDANCE-a daily inspirational guide written for people who wish to live by their own lights - soon found its audience through word-of-mouth raves including Oprah Winfrey's, who named it "her favorite book" of 1996 and called it "life-changing."
SIMPLE ABUNDANCE has been back to press 44 times, and has sold nearly 4 million copies in the United States alone. It has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years, topping the list at No. 1 for a year. It was named one of the top ten best selling books in the United States for the last five years (1994-1999) according to USA Today.
In October 1998 Sarah's book SOMETHING MORE: EXCAVATING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF debuted at No. 1 on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and Publisher's Weekly and within six months had sold a million copies. Her SIMPLE ABUNDANCE JOURNAL OF GRATITUDE (published by Warner Books) has also sold over a million copies. Warner Books added to the SIMPLE ABUNDANCE experience with THE ILLUSTRATED DISCOVERY JOURNAL: CREATING A VISUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF and THE SIMPLE ABUNDANCE COMPANION.
SIMPLE ABUNDANCE has been highly praised from different corners of American culture. Thomas Moore, the best selling author of Care of the Soulcalled it "a book of real wisdom--a satisfying blend of the sassy and the profound." The book's phenomenal success has been parodied in the nationally syndicated comic strip "Cathy" and featured twice as a question on the hit television quiz show "Jeopardy."
According to Deepak Chopra, writing in George magazine (September 1998) which named Sarah Ban Breathnach as one of America's twenty most fascinating women of power and influence, "she's a one-woman women's movement--just the subversively cosmic voice society needs" to help the country "re-evaluate our values." Because its editors felt that Sarah had her finger on the pulse of the American people, in September 1997 she was commissioned by People magazine to cover the funeral of Princess Diana. As a contributing editor of Good Housekeeping she writes a regular column on "everyday spirituality," the first such feature in a mainstream American woman's publication.
Sarah Ban Breathnach is also the President and CEO of Simple Abundance, Inc., a consultancy firm specializing in publishing and multimedia projects which give creative expression to the timeless Simple Abundance principles and the concept of personal authenticity. Recently her company entered into a ground-breaking joint venture with Scribner to create The Simple Abundance Press. This new publishing imprint will include both original books by Sarah Ban Breathnach as well as books of "Substance, Style and Spirit" by other writers. The Press's mission is to help readers explore innovative and inspirational ways of enriching their lives.
In early 2000, her magazine Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance debuted on her website simpleabundance.com prior to a print version later next year.
She is the founder of the Simple Abundance Charitable Fund, a non-profit bridge group between charitable causes and the public dedicated to increasing awareness that "doing good" and "living the good life" are soul mates. In acknowledging Sarah's contributions to rethinking the role of philanthropy, The American Benefactor noted that while "it's not necessary to reconcile your public persona with your personal life these days, it's refreshing when someone does, like Sarah Ban Breathnach?" Since 1995, the SACF has supported the vision of over 100 non-profit organizations by awarding over $1 million in financial support. The Simple Abundance Charitable Fund is underwritten with proceeds from Sarah's speaking engagements, royalties and product sales.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
