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.
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As always, it depends what you're looking for
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