Reviews

Vabi-sabi by Beth Kempton

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hexagong's review against another edition

3.0

There are some great exerpts and take aways, but like other people, the format was a little confusing. I think it would have been stronger (and much shorter) if the writer has left out the personal tales, perhaps include theose in their own seperate book.

cauchemarlena's review against another edition

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3.0

It was an OK read for me. I liked the question prompts and copied some for future use; the philosophy of wabi sabi wasn't lost on me either, but I suppose I had already found my way to it before reading the book. The stories from the author's life were also lovely, though I didn't connect to them very much - probably because of the vast difference in our Japanese experiences.

minifirehazard's review against another edition

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adventurous informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

lauradoesnothing's review against another edition

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3.0

I'd buy a memoir or travelogue from Kempton in a heartbeat - her anecdotes, though brief, are evocative and wonderful, perfect examples of the feeling she's trying to explain to us - but ultimately this was just another self-help book. It didn't tell me anything I hadn't already learned from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or a previous self-help book, and I found the pace of the book, ironically, a bit anxiety-inducing; each beautiful story of a perfect fleeting moment in an imperfect world is immediately followed by a reminder that we're all too consumed by our busy worker-bee lifestyles, or living up to the standards set by social media influencers, or (the author's favourite) those darned smartphones.

I'm also not a fan of the way it exoticises, romanticises, almost fetishises, Japanese culture - whilst it makes sense for a book about a uniquely Japanese notion to want to uplift the culture as a whole, it presents this idea that Japan is a nation of exquisite perpetual calm (even in corporate Tokyo, we're told, everyone takes time to be still and marvel at the wonder of nature every day) and everyone in the West is a workaholic with a head full of ADHD and eyes permanently glued to a phone screen.

I would have liked to see more examples of wabi-sabi moments, more of all the fascinating people Kempton interviewed explaining what wabi-sabi means to them in their own words (as opposed to "I spoke to an old woman who said X") and more leading by example - it's hard to fully absorb the lesson of slowing down and being content in the small moments when the book barrels from one point to another at breakneck pace with AWKWARDLY LARGE pull quotes on every page.

I did really enjoy the question sections (of which there are only a handful scattered throughout) as these actually provided some insight and practical guidance on slowing down and figuring out what holds meaning in your life for you to focus on. I feel the book could be great as a series of guided journalling exercises, or a collection of haikuesque short stories illustrating the concept of wabi-sabi, but its incredible potential is mostly squandered on trying to appeal to the "logical, rational-thinking Westerner... [who wants] step-by-steps, how-tos and exact translations". Maybe this was an editing choice, or a requirement of the self-help format, but it left me feeling infantilised and a little insulted.

jpt007's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.5

This book is hard to review like my typical reads so I’m just going to just say I loved it. It has really opened my eyes to another way to view the world. Only taking off some stars because I recommend the physical copy. She has you do some exercises during. Seriously if you need a change in your life read this book!

robotswithpersonality's review against another edition

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I'm torn. There are elements that make this book unique: reflections from someone who's spent serious time, living and working in Japan, talking to and learning from all kinds of people, that resembles a great memoir, a series of moments with a certain theme running through them. But much of the self-help advice feels like something I've read before, repackaged. It also feels like it might be more useful when read slowly/referred to as needed.