Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-272).

Introduction: Witches and shamans -- Part I: Spring: Paris -- Food -- Café et pluie = Coffee and rain: the science of savoring -- La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin = Life is too short to drink bad wine: on eating alone -- A picnic for one in the Luxembourg Gardens: alternatives to the table -- Of oysters and chablis: servings of delight and disappointment -- Beauty -- Musée de la vie romantique: how to be alone in a museum -- Window-licking: finding your muse -- Part II: Summer: Istanbul -- Nerve -- Üsküdar: the art of anticipation -- The hamam: the importance of trying new things -- Call to prayer: learning to listen -- Loss -- The rainbow stairs of Beyoğlu: appreciation -- Before it's gone: ephemeralities -- Part III: FAll: Florence -- Silence -- Arrows and angels: games for one -- Alone with Venus: on seeing -- Knowledge -- The secret corridor: schooling yourself -- Part IV: Winter: New York -- Home -- The city: on assignment -- Sanctuaries and strangers: designing home -- Ode to the West Village -- Tips and tools for going it alone.