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hk_read's review
4.0
Stumbled upon this little book in the library while hunting for a quick weekend read.
[a:Pico Iyer|75520|Pico Iyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1251645857p2/75520.jpg], in his book the [b:The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere|21976060|The Art of Stillness Adventures in Going Nowhere|Pico Iyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418670911s/21976060.jpg|41247649], explores the age-old practice of slowing down and discovering stillness. Doing absolutely nothing, sitting still and quiet is a challenge in today's world where instant action is demanded every moment. He quotes Pascal who remarked once that ' All the unhappiness of men, arises from one simple fact that they cannot sit quietly in their chamber" and many practices followed around the world prescribing 'doing nothing' as a powerful method to find yourself again in this chaotic world.
Meditation is an integral part of Buddhist and Hindu scriptures and Sabbath is considered holy by Jews and Christians. Author brings in the point that our forefathers prescribed stillness which is absence of any activity as a practice. Most of what we call life happens in our head, so are its problems. Allowing it to untangle itself is now proven and practiced by monks in Tibet to US Military veterans, rock stars and intellectuals across the world.
It takes courage to step out of the fray he says, just as it takes courage to take action. We need to find that place in the world or home that is the real NoWhere for us, were things stand still. Overall, this is a real good read and the pictures of Icelandic landscapes in between the chapters add a mesmerizing charm to this TED original publication.
[a:Pico Iyer|75520|Pico Iyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1251645857p2/75520.jpg], in his book the [b:The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere|21976060|The Art of Stillness Adventures in Going Nowhere|Pico Iyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418670911s/21976060.jpg|41247649], explores the age-old practice of slowing down and discovering stillness. Doing absolutely nothing, sitting still and quiet is a challenge in today's world where instant action is demanded every moment. He quotes Pascal who remarked once that ' All the unhappiness of men, arises from one simple fact that they cannot sit quietly in their chamber" and many practices followed around the world prescribing 'doing nothing' as a powerful method to find yourself again in this chaotic world.
Meditation is an integral part of Buddhist and Hindu scriptures and Sabbath is considered holy by Jews and Christians. Author brings in the point that our forefathers prescribed stillness which is absence of any activity as a practice. Most of what we call life happens in our head, so are its problems. Allowing it to untangle itself is now proven and practiced by monks in Tibet to US Military veterans, rock stars and intellectuals across the world.
It takes courage to step out of the fray he says, just as it takes courage to take action. We need to find that place in the world or home that is the real NoWhere for us, were things stand still. Overall, this is a real good read and the pictures of Icelandic landscapes in between the chapters add a mesmerizing charm to this TED original publication.
skylarkochava's review
3.0
The layout and pictures? Fantastic. The writing? Lyrical. The length? A one sitting read. The structure? What structure? I don't know what the book was trying to accomplish other than sharing some nice thoughts beautifully written about stillness. There is the one part advocating a technological Sabbath, which was relatively persuasive (ironically, I read this during my religious Shabbat!).
The book is good, it's just lacking structure and purpose. And that made it somewhat difficult to read because I wasn't sure what I'm supposed to do with the information. Without a structure, the widely disparate stories shared are like a Vaudeville show. Interesting, but little more. Perhaps I'm supposed to acknowledge that stillness is a good idea? I already knew that, and the secular Sabbath and long-term vacations to Nowhere were the only ways actively presented to accomplish it. That's great for people who can afford to be away from "work" that long while the rest of our culture is still trying to catch up to the idea of stillness and occasional disconnection. Thank Gd I have a religious excuse that employers are required to respect. (And all of that is a huge reason why I work for myself now!)
Perhaps I'm just not the right audience for it.
The book is good, it's just lacking structure and purpose. And that made it somewhat difficult to read because I wasn't sure what I'm supposed to do with the information. Without a structure, the widely disparate stories shared are like a Vaudeville show. Interesting, but little more. Perhaps I'm supposed to acknowledge that stillness is a good idea? I already knew that, and the secular Sabbath and long-term vacations to Nowhere were the only ways actively presented to accomplish it. That's great for people who can afford to be away from "work" that long while the rest of our culture is still trying to catch up to the idea of stillness and occasional disconnection. Thank Gd I have a religious excuse that employers are required to respect. (And all of that is a huge reason why I work for myself now!)
Perhaps I'm just not the right audience for it.
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. A short little book but a lot of this is what I've been told before in other books:
Notes:
Being connected and having information at the ready used to be such an improvement in living. But now it's more important to disconnect.
The wisest who have developed technologies are ones who place limits on it.
The key isn't gathering information it is sifting through it.
Notes:
Being connected and having information at the ready used to be such an improvement in living. But now it's more important to disconnect.
The wisest who have developed technologies are ones who place limits on it.
The key isn't gathering information it is sifting through it.
mariyakeeka's review
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
In essence, it feels like Iyer wanted to see just how much name-dropping he could get away with. It's not a particularly groundbreaking or profound book. If you are new to the concept of stillness, it may be a decent introduction but very little is said about stillness, if I'm being honest. There are better introductory books out there.
tommyhousworth's review
4.0
Published by TED, "The Art of Stillness" is designed to be read in one sitting. Iyer doesn't prescribe to a specific spiritual path, but stays open to all he can learn from anyone he settles in with. Known for his travel writing, Iyer spent time at Thomas Merton's Kentucky hermitage, with Matthieu Ricard, one of the Dalai Lama's translators, and with Leonard Cohen at his Mt. Baldy Zen retreat. His quest is to better understand "Nowhere", the notion of learning to sit still long enough to turn inward. As he says, if you car is broken down, you don't find ways to repaint its chassis. And so it goes with us. Our minds scattered, disconnected from our bodies and the present moment. Iyer's gentle aspiration here is to steer his readers into moments of still reflection and presence. To invite them to embrace the "Adventure of Going Nowhere".
It's a brief, pithy read, written conversationally - like a TED Talk - and filled with passages worth revisiting. A favorite of mine was "anyone who longs to see the light is signing on for many long nights alone in the dark." Daunting, but honest. I also enjoyed reading about one of my heroes, Leonard Cohen, occasionally leaving his monastic robes for a day or two to drive down Mt. Baldy and get a Fillet-o-Fish from McDonald's, going home to watch Jerry Springer, and then returning to the Center, reminded of why he chose to go there in the first place. Even our most gifted poets must, sometimes, indulge in the world's guilty pleasures, if only as a means to appreciate their commitment to some higher sense of purpose.
I'd say unless you plan to turn to this book time and again for inspiration, it's the ideal library loan. A quick read that will give you a bit of premium fuel for the journey, and that points you toward Iyer's TED Talk (available online) as a resource for future reminders and renewal.
It's a brief, pithy read, written conversationally - like a TED Talk - and filled with passages worth revisiting. A favorite of mine was "anyone who longs to see the light is signing on for many long nights alone in the dark." Daunting, but honest. I also enjoyed reading about one of my heroes, Leonard Cohen, occasionally leaving his monastic robes for a day or two to drive down Mt. Baldy and get a Fillet-o-Fish from McDonald's, going home to watch Jerry Springer, and then returning to the Center, reminded of why he chose to go there in the first place. Even our most gifted poets must, sometimes, indulge in the world's guilty pleasures, if only as a means to appreciate their commitment to some higher sense of purpose.
I'd say unless you plan to turn to this book time and again for inspiration, it's the ideal library loan. A quick read that will give you a bit of premium fuel for the journey, and that points you toward Iyer's TED Talk (available online) as a resource for future reminders and renewal.
cosy_novel_niche's review
Not mindblowing, yet a good starting point if you think that a bit more mindfulness can only improve your life