The Art of Stillness cover art

The Art of Stillness

Adventures in Going Nowhere

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

The Art of Stillness

By: Pico Iyer
Narrated by: Pico Iyer
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £5.31

Buy Now for £5.31

Summary

 A follow up to Pico Iyer’s essay “The Joy of Quiet,” The Art of Stillness considers the unexpected adventure of staying put and reveals a counterintuitive truth: The more ways we have to connect, the more we seem desperate to unplug.

Why might a lifelong traveler like Pico Iyer, who has journeyed from Easter Island to Ethiopia, Cuba to Kathmandu, think that sitting quietly in a room might be the ultimate adventure? Because in our madly accelerating world, our lives are crowded, chaotic and noisy. There’s never been a greater need to slow down, tune out and give ourselves permission to be still.

In The Art of Stillness—a TED Books release—Iyer investigate the lives of people who have made a life seeking stillness: from Matthieu Ricard, a Frenchman with a PhD in molecular biology who left a promising scientific career to become a Tibetan monk, to revered singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, who traded the pleasures of the senses for several years of living the near-silent life of meditation as a Zen monk. Iyer also draws on his own experiences as a travel writer to explore why advances in technology are making us more likely to retreat. He reflects that this is perhaps the reason why many people—even those with no religious commitment—seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or seeking silent retreats. These aren't New Age fads so much as ways to rediscover the wisdom of an earlier age. Growing trends like observing an “Internet Sabbath”—turning off online connections from Friday night to Monday morning—highlight how increasingly desperate many of us are to unplug and bring stillness into our lives.

The Art of Stillness paints a picture of why so many—from Marcel Proust to Mahatma Gandhi to Emily Dickinson—have found richness in stillness. Ultimately, Iyer shows that, in this age of constant movement and connectedness, perhaps staying in one place is a more exciting prospect, and a greater necessity than ever before.

In 2013, Pico Iyer gave a blockbuster TED Talk. This lyrical and inspiring book expands on a new idea, offering a way forward for all those feeling affected by the frenetic pace of our modern world. Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Meditation Personal Development Personal Success Spirituality
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
All stars
Most relevant
This was an enjoyable book to read for anyone. there are useful experiences for anyone who is yet to open a new chapter in your life.

enjoyable book to read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I always knew that I know you and that we kept and keep meeting for the same purpose. To stay home within myself. To grow the home within. To mature into a space for stillness abiding

The Art of Stillness

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a simple travel story but not as exciting as the title and preview suggest. would have been much better if the author could have gone a bit dipper into looking inside to find joy within inside.

A good to listen travel story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a bit too much on Leonard Cohen and a very American West coast perspective. It was however quite interesting.

quite good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.