Ikigai The Japanese secret to a long and happy life

Short read that centres around the Japanese culture. Personally, there’s nothing new for me in this book, hence the rating. I also wished that the authors could have provided a section on how to implement the concepts mentioned in the book.

For me personally, this book didn’t have all too much to do with ikigai. Just “The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” would’ve been much more fitting in my opinion. I truly believe that a lot of research and tons and tons of work went into this piece, but at times it seems a bit… pretentious. Overcomplicated. It contains a lot of quotes from other authors, historical figures and so on that at some point start to bore you a little bit. They go into detail on a lot of things which personally, I don’t think they really matter. Overall though, I enjoyed the calming effect this book had on me as I read it. It genuinely did inspire me to try and improve my daily life a little bit, even if that only includes implementing little things such as stretching or eating more fruits into my routine. It also motivated me to go out and work on my garden again. I’d recommend this book to people who are genuinely interested in subjects such as longevity, health and self care with a very factual and well researched background.

Easy and fast paced book, nice little stories and hints how to see life

Ikigai is my very first self help book that I ever decided to read. Had come across an article published in a daily newspaper regarding this book and how a person should know one's ikigai, which inspired me to go ahead and read something out of my comfort zone. So I can say reading this book become my Ikigai Hahahaha. Now comes the question as to did I really like this book & am I still as inspired as i was when I had read that article? The brutal answer is a BIG NO. According to me the book speaks very very little about Ikigai. The author of the book only quotes and unquotes extract and references from other books, finding and researches. The author focuses more on Viktor Frankl's logotherapy and other such therapies. In my view the author has done very less research of his own while pening this book. As the name of the book (Ikigai: the secret to a long and happy life) suggest I failed to find the secret to a long and happy life with this book. The authors failed to provide a proper insight into what exactly Ikigai is and how one can attain it. I quite doubt that the authors himself has found his own Ikigai. Apart from the interviews and certain other practices which the people of Okinawa follow like: to eat only 80% till you are full, to eat small portions rather than larger ones, to engage oneself more in community activities, etc was of use to me. Beside this Ikigai was nowhere to be found. This book will be last on my recommendation list.

"Ikigai" is a thought-provoking exploration of the Japanese concept of finding purpose and fulfillment in life. The book delves into the idea that one's "ikigai" is the intersection of four elements: what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. This concept offers readers a valuable framework for self-discovery and personal growth. It encourages individuals to reflect on their passions, talents, societal contributions, and financial sustainability. By doing so, it inspires a holistic approach to life that goes beyond mere career goals. The book presents compelling case studies and practical exercises to help readers identify and incorporate their "ikigai" into their daily lives. It stresses the importance of aligning one's actions with their inner sense of purpose, leading to a more fulfilling and meaningful existence. However, while "Ikigai" is insightful and inspirational, it occasionally falls short in providing concrete strategies for those facing significant life challenges or complex circumstances. Additionally, some readers may find the writing style a bit repetitive at times. In conclusion, "Ikigai" is a valuable guide for anyone seeking to live a more purposeful and harmonious life. Its principles, if applied diligently, can lead to increased satisfaction and happiness. With its insightful perspective, this book deserves a 3.5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️1️⃣➗2️⃣/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads users who wrote one-star reviews for this cute little impulse-buy bestseller book seem like grumpsters. It’s a sweet little summary of concepts, inspirations, and motivations, cross-threaded with history & poetry of Japan, meditation, impermanence, stoicism, Tai chi, nutrition, and more. Kind of an awesome gift for mom — yours or someone else’s. Four stars, just for the haters! ✌🏼

How do I understand how I stumbled upon three books on discovering life’s meaning when I am between jobs? I read Viktor E. Frank’s Man’s Search for Meaning and Matt Haig’s Reasons To Stay Alive a couple of months ago, and I finished Héctor García and Francesc Miralles’ Ikigai this evening. They all are unlike many inspirational speakers, who hire ghost writers, and whose books fill our heads with insecurity and inadequacy. The authors of all the three books take me on a road that is free of traffic and pollution. The road is bordered by enormous trees and when I walk slowly with the authors, I can hear the birds’s songs. They chirp, “Discover your life’s meaning in your own time. It’s okay. There is no hurry.” Ikigai is my reason for being. What do I want to do with this wild, wild thing called life? Mary Oliver asked that question, didn’t she? But Ikigai is not about the question that recruiters pose — Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Oh! How I wish I could make them understand the beauty and agony of impermanence, how I wish I could laugh at the naivety of that question, how I wish I could tell them that I see myself loving my family more, reading more books, making more Zen-doodles, writing more, lifting more weights, bicycling more, discovering more hobbies, helping more animals, meditating more, relating more stories, eating well, sleeping for 7.5 hours, drinking three litres of water a day, eating more fruits, watching stars and sunsets, meeting more strangers, listening more to friends, smiling more, hugging more, moving more, collecting more feathers, observing more synchronicities, writing letters, being more vulnerable, being more antifragile, boarding more planes and buses and trains, taking more deep breaths… Oh! How I wish this list could never end! How I wish I could tell them that that is my Ikigai! The book Ikigai asks me to take life one day at a time and to invest time and love in what illuminates my soul. There are urgent things like money and financial security; the urgent things will be heard if the important things are addressed. It might sound like a reductionist’s idea, it might sound absurd to take one step at a time, but time is relative, isn’t it? Life will slow down and reach me like waves, one after the other, when I slow down, when I pause, when I listen. That is my Ikigai. That is enough. The review is also published in my blog: https://newfracturedlight.wordpress.c...

eh

This is a well researched book but it wasn't for me. I would have liked it more if there was more focus on ikigai itself and ways that we can discover our ikigai. But as that was just a small part of the book, and a part that imo wasn't as flushed out as it could have been, I didn't enjoy this book all that much.

Also, even though it is a well researched book, the way the information was conveyed was just not it. Definitely had the potential to be a decent book, but it fell short.

Cool message. Not my favorite writing style in the world.

meh.

The book fuelled my desire to go to Japan, so that's something. There were a lot of cool little things I enjoyed about the book. The nods to Stoicism, wabi-sabi, etc. However, the book seemed to be about more than just ikigai. It was enjoyable and quick so it might spark some deeper interest in you to explore. Will this book help you find your ikigai? Not likely.

Quite disappointing.

Good for people that are already retired. Doesn't explore fulfillment as I expected.

This could have well been a newspaper article, or even a blogpost. While you can learn a few insights here & there, it's not really a book; it's more like a compilation of a series of articles on the Japanese way of living. My favourite lines from this book: "If you want to stay busy even when there’s no need to work, there has to be an ikigai on your horizon, a purpose that guides you throughout your life and pushes you to make things of beauty and utility for the community and yourself."

a really easy and quick read, something simple to help reshape your view of the world and ideas towards a healthy lifestyle!

Informative and enjoyable to read, a useful book you can go back to to make changes or additions to your lifestyle when needed.

Informative book

Un libro que se lee rapido, ademas de que la forma en que esta escrito hace que sea facil de leer y entretenido. Muy recomendable, ahora espero ser capaz de encontrar mi Ikigai y vivir mucho tiempo!!

The Japanese have some of the best words to describe things and Ikigai is one of them. Really interesting read since I would like to live happily to be over 100.

While not the best overview of the concept of ikigai, the book still triggered important insights for me. One example is the field of "logotherapy", living a life of purpose — via the work of Viktor Frankl (look for his book, Man's Search for Meaning). Here are the 10 rules of ikigai, according to the authors: 1. Stay active. 2. Take it slow. 3. Don't fill you stomach. 4. Surround yourself with good friends. 5. Get in shape for your next birthday. 6. Smile. 7. Reconnect with nature. 8. Give thanks. 9. Live in the moment. 10. Follow your ikigai (purpose, passion, meaning).

Must read! to live with simplicity, stress-free and longevity...

"If you don't know what your ikigai is yet, as Viktor Frankl says, your mission is to discover ir" (Kindle pos 1777). Well, definitly this book wouldn't be much of help to find it. I feel a bit disappointed. I decided to read it looking for some inspiration and, while I've found that the way in which is written is "relaxing" (at least the English translation) I've ended up quite confused. It has some interesting data about how people live in the Blue Zones, which for me was new, but that's all.