Book Review- Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life
Will it be the key to a happy life? Will you need to buy crystals?
My parents love reading. This means that from a young age, I’ve lived in houses filled with books. Every time I come home for vacations, I like to scroll through their collections and pick whatever I find interesting. This time, I picked up Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life, by Hector Garcia and Albert Liebermann. I knew it was a famous book, and something a lot of people thought profound. So I thought, I’d give it a whirl. Maybe I would find something in it that would change my life. Maybe it will validate my views? Maybe I was focusing on the wrong things. With all these possibilities, I picked up the book. In this article, I will share my views on the book. I will mention the positives and negatives, along with a score out of 5. If this book is your jam, feel free to check it out here.
Quick Disclaimer: Demographic Mismatch
I recognize that I might not be the target demographic for the book. I’m 20 years old, and generally happy with my life. So far I don’t really see the need for having a “purpose” or any other such fancy words. I don’t know if something like “lasting happiness” is strictly needed to live a good life. Instead of a half-hearted attempt at objectivity, I figured I’d acknowledge any implicit biases that I had when reading. Keep this mind, as you read my review. If you have any comments, leave them in the comments below. They really help with improving my content.
Spoiler-Free Summary
Ikigai seeks out to answer an age-old question: What should we do to be happy? It breaks down the ideal life into different components (physical, social, etc.) and analyses each. Each claim is supported with relevant examples. The book presents a combination of these different facets as the way to find your “Ikigai” and living a good life.
The Good
Simplicity
Although the book tackles a very grandiose topic, it keeps the content relatively simple. The steps it lays out, and the things we need to align for our Ikigai. There are no complex or over the topic antics, and the basics of the book are undeniably solid. Anyone who picks up the book will be able to implement the given steps.
Examples
The book supports each claim with plenty of examples. The examples are primarily taken from Okinawa, Japan but there is geographical diversity in it’s examples. This is a strength because it shows the ideas it preaches are applicable across geographies.
Size
It’s not a very big book. This might cause some eye rolls, but it is a strength. The book doesn’t waste readers' time on random tangents, and with fluff. The book is minimalistic in its approach. It brings up a point, validates with examples, makes any relevant connections, and moves on. It delivers exactly what it sets out to do, and doesn’t waste anyone’s time. I have nothing against big books, but in a world where lots of books add fluff, this was pleasantly surprising.
The Bad
I couldn’t find anything to disagree with
That might be a strange weakness to have. But it is important. At no time did I feel like anything the book said was wrong. I never had to stop to think about what it was saying. In a way, it changed very little about me. I was already aware of the non-negotiable aspect of each pillar it mentioned. There wasn’t any especially interesting articulation, something that changed how I view an aspect of life. If someone deleted my memory of this book, I would have absolutely no change to my life.
Closing: Should you read it (and Score)?
Honestly, I’d say the answer to the first is an “It depends.” If you have time (roughly 1–1.5 hours to kill), pick it up. It does no harm. As mentioned, there’s no fluff. This book delivers exactly what it promises, so at least you will not feel it to be scammy. Even if you’re like me, and find what it says obvious, it’s a good way to learn about different cultures. I haven’t experienced a need for a purpose, and this book did not leave me with one. So if you are looking for it, I can’t say that it will give it to you. The reviews are very favorable, so take my thoughts with a pinch of salt.
This is however only if you have time. If you’re busy, I can’t recommend this book to you. While it is a small book, it still seemed largely forgettable to me. Obviously, this depends heavily on your views. If you’ve prioritized different things, this might give you pause. I can only speak for myself, and if you were extremely busy, I would recommend it. You can check the book yourself, to make your opinion. I’ve left one link for your convenience below.
Score: 2.5/5. A solid book, but nothing remarkable.
Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2F0Dp56
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