The Longing for Less

The Longing for Less Living with Minimalism

Kyle Chayka2020
New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice "More than just a story of an abiding cultural preoccupation, The Longing For Less peels back the commodified husk of minimalism to reveal something surprising and thoroughly alive." -Jenny Odell, author of How to Do Nothing “Less is more”: Everywhere we hear the mantra. Marie Kondo and other decluttering gurus promise that shedding our stuff will solve our problems. We commit to cleanse diets and strive for inbox zero. Amid the frantic pace and distraction of everyday life, we covet silence-and airy, Instagrammable spaces in which to enjoy it. The popular term for this brand of upscale austerity, “minimalism,” has mostly come to stand for things to buy and consume. But minimalism has richer, deeper, and altogether more valuable gifts to offer. Kyle Chayka is one of our sharpest cultural observers. After spending years covering minimalist trends for leading publications, he now delves beneath this lifestyle's glossy surface, seeking better ways to claim the time and space we crave. He shows that our longing for less goes back further than we realize. His search leads him to the philosophical and spiritual origins of minimalism, and to the stories of artists such as Agnes Martin and Donald Judd; composers such as John Cage and Julius Eastman; architects and designers; visionaries and misfits. As Chayka looks anew at their extraordinary lives and explores the places where they worked-from Manhattan lofts to the Texas high desert and the back alleys of Kyoto-he reminds us that what we most require is presence, not absence. The result is an elegant new synthesis of our minimalist desires and our profound emotional needs.
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Reviews

Photo of John Manoogian III
John Manoogian III@jm3
3 stars
Apr 4, 2024

A series of historical analysis and biographies of various minimalist movements, trends, monks, aesthetes, and other exponents of minimalism through time, with an emphasis on Japan. Great writing and thinking, but ultimately not really my thing.

Photo of Matías Valenzuela
Matías Valenzuela@matiasvalenzuela
2.5 stars
Mar 22, 2023

Great subject but misses a more critical approach as the author just dismisses other perspectives on minimalism aside from art history.

Photo of Gianfranco Chicco
Gianfranco Chicco@Gchicco
4 stars
Jul 26, 2021

Loved Kyle Chayka's exploration into minimalism. "[Minimalism is] about seeking unmediated experiences, giving up control instead of imposing it, paying attention to what's around you without barricading yourself, and accepting ambiguity, understanding that opposites can be part of the same whole."

Photo of Natalie
Natalie@gigameow
3 stars
Oct 17, 2022
Photo of Colin O'Brien
Colin O'Brien@onepointzero
5 stars
Dec 28, 2021
Photo of Hugo Ahlberg
Hugo Ahlberg@hugo
2 stars
Aug 17, 2021
Photo of Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis@aaronglewis
4 stars
Jul 30, 2021
Photo of Cristian Rus
Cristian Rus@cristianrus4
4 stars
Jul 29, 2021
Photo of Jackie Luo
Jackie Luo@jackie
4 stars
Jun 11, 2021
Photo of Jack Baty
Jack Baty@jackbaty
3 stars
Jun 10, 2021
Photo of Brook
Brook@brook
5 stars
Jun 9, 2021