Scan barcode
A review by papidoc
Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday
4.0
In Stillness Is The Key,, Ryan Holiday makes a case for developing the capacity for stillness as an essential aspect or quality of the life well-lived. Working on the premise that stillness is a function of harmony between mind, heart, and body, Holiday treats each in turn, examining and providing prescriptive counsel for each. His writing is studded throughout with relevant quotes, examples from the lives and experiences of others, and examinations of different contributors to stillness in mind, body, and spirit.
Each major section is composed of short chapters that deal with qualities, actions, or ideas that contribute to stillness. Herein lies the reason for my four star rating. In nearly every case, I found ideas and thoughts I could either put immediately to work, or that gave me reasons to ponder in more depth. Frequently, though, it seemed to me that he "forced" his efforts to relate each to stillness. They were good ideas, but sometimes seemed more generally to have to do with living a good life than with developing or accessing stillness.
Despite that drawback, I found it a thoughtful book, and one that prompted both ideas and actions for me. I ended with nine pages of notes that I will certainly revisit from time to time...too much to include here, but suffice it to say, the book was well worth the read.
Each major section is composed of short chapters that deal with qualities, actions, or ideas that contribute to stillness. Herein lies the reason for my four star rating. In nearly every case, I found ideas and thoughts I could either put immediately to work, or that gave me reasons to ponder in more depth. Frequently, though, it seemed to me that he "forced" his efforts to relate each to stillness. They were good ideas, but sometimes seemed more generally to have to do with living a good life than with developing or accessing stillness.
Despite that drawback, I found it a thoughtful book, and one that prompted both ideas and actions for me. I ended with nine pages of notes that I will certainly revisit from time to time...too much to include here, but suffice it to say, the book was well worth the read.