The rather exotic sounding name of this book, ikigai, as the authors explain, is relatively straightforward. “This Japanese concept, which translates roughly as “the happiness of always being busy,” is, “like logotherapy, but it goes a step beyond.” Logotherapy, they explain, “…helps people find their purpose in life.”
It is a good book. My overall rating of the book has little to do with the quality of the writing or the underlying concept. The former is quite good and the latter is valid. My rating is strictly personal and relates more to who might be considering adding it to their reading list. Not a “don’t,” for sure. More like, “understand it for what it is.”
For those who are ardent fans of all things philosophical and psychological, as I am, this is a good book that plows relatively little new ground. Finding purpose in life, keeping busy, eating well, and finding connection to the world around you is important. It’s ground, however, that has been covered by many authors over the years.
If you haven’t sampled of these past triumphs you will enjoy this book very much. It is a great and easily read introduction to the topics of longevity and the benefits of living in the moment. And it chronicles many of the philosophies and prior contributions to the topic, from Buddhism to Stoicism, with a stop at the Serenity Prayer. Eastern, and particularly Japanese, contributions are given extra attention. Wabi-sabi and ichi-go ischi-e, for example, are explained in some detail, but remain an overview. Relatively newer concepts like antifragility are also explained. It even covers the Six Healing Sounds introduced by Sun Simiao in the sixth century. (This one was new to me.)
A lot of the book turns on Ogimi, in the Okinawa Prefecture in Japan, which holds the distinction of being the oldest village on the planet. (In that many of the residents have lived very long lives.) It’s a delightful visit. Having lived in China for nine years and having visited Japan many times over the course of more than three decades, I have a deep fondness for places like Ogimi. I’m not sure, however, that they aren’t byproducts of the totality of Japanese culture. Could they take seed in places like California or Virginia, for example?
Part of my ikigai is to be a nice person and not think disparagingly of anyone. And I am not here. This book was an interesting read for me, and may be a revelational read for you. I make no judgment on that. I just give you my experience as a reader.
This book would, in my opinion, make an excellent gift for anyone in your life that might need a little boost or is otherwise hard to buy for. There is absolutely nothing here that could meet with controversy or resistance. It is decidedly upbeat throughout.
And that is saying a lot of good things about any book.
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life Hardcover – Illustrated, 29 August 2017
by
Héctor García
(Author),
Casa de Col on de Las Palmas
(Author)
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Product details
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 208 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0143130722
- ISBN-13 : 978-0143130727
-
Best Sellers Rank:
414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 4 in Self-Esteem
- 8 in Philosophy
- 11 in Practical & Motivational Self Help
- Customer reviews:
Product description
Review
"Ikigai urges individuals to simplify their lives by pursuing what sparks joy for them. . . . Much in the same way that The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up emphasizes 'choosing what we want to keep, and not what we want to get rid of, ' [Ikigai] demonstrates that aging could be an opportunity to keep working, keep smiling, keep active, and keep being social." --KonMari Newsletter "Want to live longer? Keep super busy. If hygge is the art of doing nothing, ikigai is the art of doing something--and doing it with supreme focus and joy. . . . Pack up those cozy blankets and candles you purchased in last year's hygge-fueled Ikea spree. Fall's biggest imported lifestyle trend is ikigai, and it might help you live to 100." --New York Post "Busy-ness is a concept I'm familiar with and fascinated by, especially living in New York City. . . . The Japanese concept of ikigai (the happiness of being busy) [is] attainable and even an important key to living longer." --Mia Feitel, Elle.com "Discovering your ikigai, or passion, can be one of the greatest journeys you will embark on." --Forbes "Definitely worth the time it will take you to enjoy a cup or two of green tea as you digest this small, charming book." --Minneapolis Star Tribune "A must-follow lifestyle hack, ikigai makes hygge look like a trip to Ikea. . . . Think feng shui with Venn diagrams--although this time there is no need to move the front door." --The Guardian "You've tried hygge and lagom--but it turns out ikigai is the key to happiness." --The Independent (London) "Forget hygge. It's all about ikigai." --The Times (London) "Ikigai is what allows you to look forward to the future even if you're miserable right now. . . . It might just help you live a more fulfilling life." --BBC "Originating from a country with one of the world's oldest populations, ikigai is becoming popular outside of Japan as a way to live longer and better. . . . [It] is helping people live longer on Okinawa as it gives them purpose." --World Economic Forum "Ikigai. Ick-ee-guy. It's a word you'll be hearing quite often come autumn. . . . It's Japanese, and it means something like 'purpose in life, ' or 'thing that you live for, ' or 'thing that gets you out of bed in the morning.' . . . An extended lifespan, according to the long-life expert Dan Buettner, is what awaits havers-of-ikigai." --The Sunday Telegraph
"A refreshingly simple recipe for happiness." --Stylist "The most eye-catching autumn lifestyle trend is the Japanese concept of ikigai, which translates as 'reason to live.' . . . An attractive and absorbing book." --The Bookseller "A Japanese concept that offers a new perspective on finding happiness." --The Debrief "Persuasively shows that small changes can help readers find more joy and purpose in their lives [with] clear, succinct information . . . skillfully compiled . . . into an engaging, easily accessible format with lists, charts, and illustrations." --Publishers Weekly "Ikigai gently unlocks simple secrets we can all use to live long, meaningful, happy lives. Science-based studies weave beautifully into honest, straight-talking conversation you won't be able to put down. Warm, patient, and kind, this book pulls you gently along your own journey rather than pushing you from behind." --Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation
"A refreshingly simple recipe for happiness." --Stylist "The most eye-catching autumn lifestyle trend is the Japanese concept of ikigai, which translates as 'reason to live.' . . . An attractive and absorbing book." --The Bookseller "A Japanese concept that offers a new perspective on finding happiness." --The Debrief "Persuasively shows that small changes can help readers find more joy and purpose in their lives [with] clear, succinct information . . . skillfully compiled . . . into an engaging, easily accessible format with lists, charts, and illustrations." --Publishers Weekly "Ikigai gently unlocks simple secrets we can all use to live long, meaningful, happy lives. Science-based studies weave beautifully into honest, straight-talking conversation you won't be able to put down. Warm, patient, and kind, this book pulls you gently along your own journey rather than pushing you from behind." --Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation
About the Author
Héctor García and Francesc Miralles are the coauthors of The Book of Ichigo Ichie: The Art of Making the Most of Every Moment, the Japanese Way. Héctor is a citizen of Japan, where he has lived for over a decade, and is the author of A Geek in Japan, a #1 bestseller in Japan. Francesc is the author of a number of bestselling self-help and inspirational books and of the novel Love in Lowercase, which has been translated into twenty languages.
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Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon.com
Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars
248 reviews

Gary Moreau, Author
3.0 out of 5 stars
As always, it depends what you're looking for
11 September 2017 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
377 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lacking substance
1 January 2018 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
The book felt disjointed. It wandered all over the place touching multiple concepts, but there was really very little substance to any of it. It felt like a series of loosely-rated articles that reviewed works or research by other people all presented together in one book. The stories from the supercentenarians were lovely and most of the comments from them made me smile.The chapter discussing yoga, tai chi, etc. was a joke. I thought the wrap-up chapter might finally bring it all together, but it fell short, too. There were a handful of quotes by others that I found interesting. The venn diagram in the beginning, which can readily be found on-line, is the most thought-provoking part of the book.
66 people found this helpful

N.O.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Very disappointing
26 March 2018 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
This is a beautifully designed but extremely shallow book. The notion of "Ikigai" seems like a kind of footnote to the discussion of the Singapore diet and lifestyle--and I learned more about that from an article I read in an airline magazine many years ago. Usually I don't like to post negative reviews of books, but this seemed to me like such a lazy endeavor that I had to speak out.
63 people found this helpful

CC
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Little Gem of a Book
17 March 2019 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
Anyone interested in taking steps toward living a long and healthy life has probably already read, heard, or surmised 95% of the tips offered in this book. But the 5% that makes the difference is the part where the Ikigai comes in. Here in the west we all hear about how stress is killing us, and we’re inundated with practices and techniques to alleviate it. We’re encouraged to be “mindful” but not much is forthcoming about how to be happy. And we don’t hear so much about purpose or finding our reason to live (Ikigai). I think anyone who is not clinically depressed or on the brink of suicide would say “yes” if asked, “Would you want to live to 110 years of age in perfect health, in a state of joy, with no need for assistance with any physical or mental task?” And in this book, there are scores of interviews with people doing exactly that. Ikigai shines the spotlight on the habits, approach to, and outlook on life that are most likely responsible for not just the longevity but the vigorous and joyful longevity of the people of Okinawa - lives filled with self-sufficiency, movement, gratitude, love, peace, and antifragility.
28 people found this helpful

Kelly
3.0 out of 5 stars
It’s nice that the author has such a positive view of ...
12 February 2018 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
I feel this book fetishises Japanese culture to a degree where it’s categorizing all Japanese as tidy, focused, and knowing what they want out of life.
I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. It’s nice that the author has such a positive view of Japan, but I would prefer if they hadn’t spent 30 pages espousing how amazing Japan is compared to everywhere else. And it is amazing, I’ve lived there and have visited many times since I moved away. This is simply too much.
I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. It’s nice that the author has such a positive view of Japan, but I would prefer if they hadn’t spent 30 pages espousing how amazing Japan is compared to everywhere else. And it is amazing, I’ve lived there and have visited many times since I moved away. This is simply too much.
41 people found this helpful