Nothing Left Over: A Plain and Simple Life

by Toinette Lippe

Toinette Lippe, a prestigious book publisher and founder of Bell Tower publishing house, shares her life wisdom in Nothing Left Over. Her memoir speaks to living with full-tilt generosity and joy while not clinging to material clutter, resentments, and unfulfilled passions. "In truth, it is not the number of and diversity of our possessions that is the problem but our attachment to them.... The freedom we are all seeking is the freedom from the fear of losing what we believe we own." We've heard these sentiments before, but somehow coming from Lippe, who has her share of foibles, the words feel palatable and the wisdom feels earned. Like the gentle, intelligent voice in Gift from the Sea, Lippe contemplates the stories of her life as she passes on humble advice and observations. Whether she is writing of her existential crisis at 17 years old, her arrival in New York City as a 25-year-old virgin, the amazing conception of her son, or insider stories at Random House, Lippe offers a spiritual framework. In other words, she is an excellent storyteller--able to make meaning from her life so that readers can glean the rewards of her thorough contemplation. --Gail Hudson

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Inspirational, Biography

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

I worked in book publishing for 50 years, as reprint rights director and senior editor at Alfred A. Knopf, and editorial director of Bell Tower. Tarcher published NOTHING LEFT OVER in 2002 and CAUGHT IN THE ACT in 2004, and Monkfish released ebook and new paperback editions of both books in 2004, with my paintings on the covers and frontispieces. I teach brush painting in NYC. You can read my blog here: http://ofnotebytoinette.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is interesting is that I read Nothing Left Over A Plain and Simple Life before, but I did not remember it -- until I read Toinette Lippe's passage about talking her way into a job as an administrative assistant in the United States.

I cannot remember how long ago I first read this book (maybe early 2000s?), and while parts of it resonated at the time, nothing stuck with me in a salient way. I now realize that some of her wisdom did make an impression, and I am glad to have rediscovered Lippe's lovely little book.

[Martin Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who's been the recipient of one of Toinette's long, beautifully composed, and vivid reports of her travels around the world will recognize the honest, wry, and acute voice in "Nothing Left Over." I read this book when it first came out several years ago, but this month I've been reading books by people I know personally, and somehow "Nothing Left Over" called to me from the bookshelf. I feel close to Toinette—we're English ex-pats, we were educated at boarding schools, we've worked in publishing, and we're interested in spirituality. We also find it hard to go with the flow. In the Myers-Briggs scheme, we're both "J"s: we enjoy getting stuff done; we like order, precision, clarity, and purpose. We're frustrated by—but inevitably drawn to—"P"s: those who like open-endedness, speculation, ambiguity, chance, nuance, and situations where there's no obvious goal or purpose. Unstructured play and unnecessary activity worry us. We orient ourselves to frugality, even parsimony; and fear excess or profligacy, perhaps because it threatens our love of boundaries, discipline, and directness.

"Nothing Left Over"—a very apt title for a book that simultaneously expresses exhaustion and plenitude, emptiness and fullness—captures perfectly the ambivalence of the J when confronted by the attractions of the P. In a telling moment, Toinette's soon-to-be-husband asks her "Why do you always hold yourself back?" She can come up with no good answer—her vigorous honesty forbids her from speculating. Yet the book is full of moments of holding back, of saying "No" to opportunities or invitations, and of not risking newness or moreness, all the while the book attempts to explore the possibilities, challenges, and wisdom of saying "Yes" to life. Some might find this inconsistency, even blinkeredness, annoying. Yet for all the book's confusion over what it's really trying to say, the rawness of Toinette's (perhaps accidental) self-disclosure makes this a valuable work for all readers who, like me, tend to examine life with a gimlet rather than open eye.

[LuAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find goodreads rating confusing because three stars is actually a pretty good rating but seems like it isn’t as it’s in the middle which often implies neutral. Anyway, this book is more a 3.5 to me. The author has much good advice and wisdom, though some probably suits her particular personality more others. Some I’ve read elsewhere, though her style and stories are interesting andI appreciate her spirituality, although her tone at times is very slightly pontifical.

I find I have to review (as in go over again) books like this, and consciously work on incorporating the suggested practices and ways that I want to try; otherwise, I just read it and forget them. The one that does strike me is to act on inspiration when it hits, if possible, as that’s when you have the energy for it.

[Russell King · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would not recommend this book to anyone. This meant to be a book about how the author suggests one should live their life but her life is not one I would think should be followed. To me she made many poor life decisions and uses those as example of what she did right, go figure. Also, each chapter starts with a title that you would think she is going to promote and support. The chapter may start that way but soon wonders in many different directions with seemingly unrelated points. Many times I had to read the chapter title more than once to remind myself what she was trying to get across. If you are looking for a self help book, this is not the one.

[Evelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author discusses how to live a plain and simple life rooted in the present. She occasionally provides some glimpses of her own life to illustrate the points that she is making. The book can be a bit tiresome and claustrophobic at times. One can only think how much better the book would have been had the author been more forthcoming and not so private when touching on examples from her own life. The book rates 2.75 stars.

[Frankie Laird · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely little book. While some of Lippe's suggestions are a bit idealistic, she gives wonderful advice on how to live more simply and focus on what matters in life. It was amazing to learn from her.

[Kathy Heare Watts]

I won a paperback copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.

[Ellen Keener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to warm up to this author but when I returned to reading it found a lot of useful wisdom.

[Susan C Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guidelines, but very general, on simplifying your life. A book that needs to be read again to absorb all the philosophies

[Laura Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

A keeper. There were many nuggets of wisdom here. Thoughtful and admirable.

[Rudy Seifert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually I avoid books that are annotated or underlined; this book was quite good, and I will try to find a clean copy so that I can re-read it without the previous readers interruptions.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is not afraid to use the wisdom of many sources and the philosophy of practicality to explain her simple and ordered lifestyle. I like that.

[Ronda Six Garnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

She had a few good points to remember that I could apply to my life...

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quiet and peaceful book. I wouldn't say that all the stories are masterfully told. Some parts are somewhat too mild and not very engaging, but it's a short book, and you just merrily plod through and keep reading until the end. And there were some nuggets of wisdom which I enjoyed. I wonder if I still have the book? If so, I will pull out the paragraphs that I particularly enjoyed.

I think I was drawn to the concept of the book because of the title. I am drawn to the idea of letting go of attachments and living life with out a lot of extra clutter and other things to leave behind when you die. Years ago, I received an e-mail fable about an old woman who had been very active in the community, always volunteering and helping out. She didn't have any family to speak of, but when she died, the community members went to where she lived and were shocked to see that she had almost no possessions. She had lived her life helping others and not accumulating collections of stuff in her apartment. Sorry, that's all I remember, I'm sure there was more to it, but the point is, I would love to live my life that way.

The problem I have with that e-mail fable is, it takes TIME to actually get rid of the clutter because it keeps coming in, through the mail, work, conferences, etc, more paper, pictures, books, magazines keep piling up all the time. So you have to set aside major swaths of time to keep that stuff OUT. If I spent all my time helping people in the community, my house wouldn't be empty, it would be STUFFED with paper!

Back to the idea of this book, I'm writing this review more than a year after I read it, but I believe the author talk a little bit about reducing clutter and traveling light (yeah, the infamous packing list that another reviewer mentioned!). But mainly it's an autobiography of a woman who tries to live simply. It's not a self-help book. It's just a peaceful quiet read, as I said in the beginning. :)

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing Left Over is a gem of a book by Toinette Lippe. It is part memoir and part meditation on how to approach a simple yet full life. I intentionally avoided the term "self-help" because the connotation it carries is one of a step-by-step process by which to do or be something. This work is both something more and something less than that, and sometimes less is good.

The suggestions and ideas for appreciating life are presented as both basic statements ("not only was [telling the truth] the right thing to do but it was also the simplest") as well as embodied in anecdotes from her life. In this way one can read the book as a memoir and gain some wisdom as well, or read it to learn and learn within the context of Lippe's life. In other words, a win-win (another phrase I usually avoid, but it fits here).

If you are looking to simply be told how to lead a simple life or a full life, you may well be disappointed, at least at first. From that perspective she may well come off as sounding superior, which I personally did not find. If, however, you are used to learning useful life lessons from novels or biographies, from within the context of lived (real or imaginary) moments, there will be many insights in this book beyond the basic ones presented in each chapter. Or, simply read it to experience some aspects of her rich and wonderful life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who might be looking for advice (not necessarily a checklist) on living and enjoying life. I also think those who enjoy biographies and memoirs, especially literay ones, will find this quite interesting.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing.

[Kristina Emmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Toinette's style of writing, as though she were sitting with me at a table over coffee imparting wisdom. I felt spoken to in a personal way, and although the book had a "meandering" feel as opposed to the direct style I normally like, I found many deep insights in it that I will surely put to use in my own life.

One thing: I did find some things to be contradictory, such as in one chapter she says she tries never to turn down an offered engagement because you never know what might lie at the other end of an open door. Then in a later chapter she turns down a friend who'd asked her to go see a movie with the response that she'd seen something similar long ago and that was enough for her (this was an example of being straightforward, yet it seems she has contradicted her own "open door" code as well.) Or, taking time to justify her marriage despite everyone's warnings against it, but to my surprise he left her not long after(...which begs, why take the time to justify the choice?)

Nevertheless, for the wisdom I gained from reading it, I give it 4 stars.

[Clara · Rating 2 out of 5]

About a third of the way into this book, I started feeling frustrated. As some other reviewers have mentioned, Lippe's book seems somewhat disjointed and in need of editing. Since Lippe has long worked in publishing, that struck me as both ironic and disturbing. Although the book has some useful--or at least resonant, to me--things to say about living simply (externally and internally), Lippe ultimately reveals herself as a fairly rigid individual in ways that belie the initial tone of the book. The book ends with a copy of her (much requested, she tells us) packing list for traveling. This hit a strikingly utilitarian note that, again, seemed contrary to what I'd signed on to read. This may have been part of the problem. though: that I expected a book different from what Lippe intended to write, so I was bound to be disappointed.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first the writing style seems scatter brained and distracted, but if you persevere to end of each chapter you'll see how each thought ties together in an unconventional way. I found it more useful than most "simplify your life" type books as it seemed to speak from the heart through autobiographical vignettes.

This poem at the end of the book eloquently sums it up:

To live content with small means,
to seek elegance rather than luxury
and refinement rather than fashion,
to be worthy, not respectable
and wealthy, not rich,
to study hard, think quietly,
talk gently, act frankly,
to listen to stars and birds,
babes and sages, with open heart,
to hear all cheerfully,
do all bravely,
await occasions,
hurry never---
in a word, to let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.
-William Ellery Channing (1780-1842)

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I was initially attracted to the similarity between Lippe's philosophy of the universe and mine, she lost me for technical reasons. Instead of flowing from concept to concept, she writes as if she hasn't figured out where she's going yet. When I believe she's going to elaborate on the heavy concept just laid down, she begins her next topic in the next sentence. Not even new chapters delineate new ideas/events, they're a formality. This is odd to me, considering she has been a publisher for forty years and established Bell Tower, a division of Random House, on her own in 1989. After so much editing and reading, one would think she'd have writing on lockdown. But then, I guess I should be an incredible pianist after all these years listening to classical radio.

[Snickerdoodle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It felt nourishing to read. I liked the author’s style of writing as well as what she had to say. It wasn’t on my to-read list or on my radar at all but the title caught my eye. To live life plainly, simply, fully, with nothing left over … of course there is always something left over because you can’t do all things even if you want to. Her point, I think, is to point our attention to some things she’s found important, to encourage the reader to live on purpose, in ways that make sense to you, that make the most of what you are and the opportunities in front of you. It’s an easily read book but I wanted to take my time with it. She offers so much to think about.

[Holly McIntyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book was like meeting a somewhat older, Buddhist, British-New Yorker version of myself. It did not so much introduce new ideas as reflect values I already have. Part biography, part lifestyle reflection, Nothing Left Over details a life intentionally distilled to essentials. The advice Lippe gives: nothing in excess, rid yourself of what you do not use, travel light, now blares from every minimalist blog, but was far more novel in the boom years of the early 2000s. I found it quietly encouraging that it is possible to live a life well-lived.

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading this book was like getting a spritual lecture from someone's prissy English auntie. Maybe it's just the culture clash, but I don't think I would enjoy meeting Ms. Lippe face to face. She made the path to enlightenment read like a food-processor instruction manual.

[Lenore · Rating 3 out of 5]

On my first read through this book, I was most struck by Lippe's method of task management: she does what occurs to her when it occurs to her. It seemed impossible for me at the time. Now less so.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its short, its sweet, it also has some unusual stories and fine wisdom all mixed in. I was very impressed and read it in 2 days because i couldn't put it down. Very nice.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joyous and wonderful in simplicity, truth, and a clear-eyed review of the author's perspective. Thank you.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book would contain a lot more philosophical insights. Instead, you simply get a boring collection of vignettes from someone who seems to have led a workaholic lifestyle for most of their life. The worst book I've read in a long time. Don't waste your time with this.

[Corbet]

read twice. complete.