Wabi Sabi: Timeless Wisdom for a Stress-Free Life

by Agneta Nyholm Winqvist

According to the American Psychological Association, more than one in five Americans experience extreme stress on a daily basis. In an age when most people spend more time looking at a computer screen than out a window, and when human interaction flies by at the speed of an email, it’s no wonder we’re a society searching for a sense of meaning and purpose.

Now Swedish expert Agneta Nyholm Winqvist offers a ray of hope in her succinct and unadorned introduction to wabi sabi. An Eastern philosophy with roots dating back 5,000 years, “wabi sabi” at its most elegant base is the search for “timeless wisdom.” The antithesis of a too-much society, wabi sabi philosophy has helped guide millions of practitioners to a more fulfilling, efficient, and stress-free lifestyle. Applicable to almost every stressful circumstance, Winqvist’s Wabi Sabi will teach readers to search for their own inner calm, while allowing them to embrace the beauty and simplicity of everyday life. From the businesswoman looking to de-stress and refocus, to the family struggling with finances, to the young college student seeking a better future— Wabi Sabi has something for everyone.

Genres: Nonfiction

164 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2012

Reviews

[Patrick Hanlon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A truly disappointing read. I have been seeking material on wabi sabi for quite some time and gladly added this book to my collection on the topic. Ultimately I found it ambitious but unfocused in its efforts to move beyond the more common applications of wabi sabi to design to the topics more associated with self-help. I agree there may be a good application of wabi sabi concepts to self-help but this is not the book that does it. Concepts are not fully elaborated upon, especially that of "resting in" and there are digressions into topics beyond wabi sabi that diffuse the impact that perspective can offer to self-help topics. Tangential discussions of 12-step programs, yin-yang and meditation throughout the first 3/4 of the book render it unfocused. When the book turns to more design-oriented topics in the last 30-40 pages, there is a clarity that had been missing prior to that point and a foundation appears that offers a connection between wabi sabi concepts and improving your life in the ways that a self-help book would try to profess or assert. If you are interested in deepening your knowledge of wabi sabi, I would recommend reading Leonard Koren, who was conspicuously absent from the recommended readings featured at the back of this book.

[Sheelie Kittee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great reminder for the importance of mindful, silent, quiet living.
The three main concepts that Wabi Sabi does seem to embrace are:
- nothing lasts forever
- nothing is perfect
- nothing is ever finished.

Life will always have worries. It is not who you are but rather how you deal with it that makes the whole difference.

Accept things as they are. We are allowed to get upset, sad, disappointed, but we must not allow this to take over our lives.

Anything I do to you, I also do to myself.

The web that binds the entire universe became apparent. Every breath was a creation in the web. I could weave beautifully and I could weave less beautifully but everything I created became my own reality.

Everything I directed my attention to, grew larger. The wisdom crystallized: I chose my own reality.

The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have. To be able to lose all desire for things beyond your reach.

Anything that provides enjoyment, peace of mind, happiness, reverence, silence, and tenderness is valuable.

Sacred geometry: a wonderful world to visit. Precision is vital, result is magic.

All should be: good, true, and beautiful.
Beauty gives the soul dignity and respect.

Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.

[Kristina Chalmain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Läste det svenska originalet. Visst finns charm och vissa intressanta delar, men den var den ostrukturerad och hoppar mellan 12-stegsprogram, ying-yang, feng shuei och så vidare. I slutet blev den rent av fånig, om hur vi i det framtida arbetslivet ska kunna "skräddarsy våra karriärer" - det gäller möjligen för de högre samhällsklasserna, de som inte behöver ta fysiska jobb där en människas kropp brukas och förbrukas. Nä, jag ser fram emot att läsa Andrew Junipers bok om Wabi sabi, förhoppningsvis är den mer fokuserad och inte så ytlig.

[Marianne Mullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it on my Dad's bookshelf and knowing how much he loved metaphysical and psychological topics, I gave it a read. While it was a bit disconnected and choppy at times, I really appreciated the overall philosophy and energy of the book. I am interested in reading more versions and explanations of this way of being.

[Sal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhere b/w 2 and 3 stars. Most of it was psycho-babble. The more worthwhile parts were when the concept was dealt with as an aesthetic guide. From there it was possible to see where the author made the leap to some of her claims to the concept as a way of being. Like Zen, Wabi-Sabi is much reduced when verbalized. But when one wants to know more, one resorts to reading up on it.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book fairly unfocused, the structure was confusing and (probably due to the translation) the writing felt clumsy. It was also full of typographical errors. All in all I wouldn’t read it again, it felt more like psychobabble than factual information about wabi sabi and wasn’t particularly informative.

[Brittney Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

**re-read**
This is the best self-help I’ve ever read, and this is my second time reading it. I struggle with stress and overthinking so it helps me A TON to remember the beauty and simplicity of life.

[Donna Nincic · Rating 1 out of 5]

A somewhat new age reinterpretation of wabi sabi. I’m afraid it didn’t work for me.

[Denise Caudell · Rating 4 out of 5]

YES EVERYONE WHO IS STRESSED OUT THERE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. Seriously, it is good and leaves the reader with some good advice on how to live a stress free life.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is rather difficult to read due to several reasons. First the translation is "off" in many places. Second, I am totally unfamiliar with Wabi Sabi, so the ideas were challenging and even confusing in some places. Lastly, the book is long and this author's life experiences are very different from mine, so some of the context wasn't very clear for me.

[Nicole Albertin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The editor missed a lot when reviewing the English translation of this book. Grammar and spelling errors are fairly common and in some cases make the sentence impossible to understand. That being said, I thought this was a nice introduction to wabi sabi, as someone who isn't familiar with it. More than anything, it makes me want to find more detailed texts about wabi sabi.

[Oleksandra Neschetna · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this book I highlighted for myself some areas which I can apply the things I learned to, but there were also many things I don't think I'll ever apply and they just didn't resonate with me. Also, I am quite sure I found several small spelling errors, which I didn't really like; unless I am wrong.

[Moonstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are not many books written about Wabi Sabi. It is interesting but I had to re-read some paragraphs as the translation was confusing sometimes.It looks at Wabi Sabi from different perspectives and I would recommend it as a good introduction.

[Kin Guan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apart from a few typos and pseudoscience, it'd be a neat little book on the topic of Wabi Sabi. Better to search for Japanese authors' though.

[Nina Morel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the topic, but very poorly edited, full of typos and misquotes. If you can look past that some good content. A shame.

[Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simply put, austere, calming.

[Laurie]

Great!