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Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life Hardcover – 18 September 2017
by Héctor García (Author), Francesc Miralles (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 54,398 ratings
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Ikigai - the Japanese secret to a long and happy life from the world's longest living people.
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
We all have an ikigai.
It's the Japanese word for 'a reason to live' or 'a reason to jump out of bed in the morning'.
It's the place where your needs, desires, ambitions, and satisfaction meet. A place of balance. Small wonder that finding your ikigai is closely linked to living longer.
Finding your ikigai is easier than you might think. This book will help you work out what your own ikigai really is, and equip you to change your life. You have a purpose in this world- your skills, your interests, your desires and your history have made you the perfect candidate for something. All you have to do is find it.
Do that, and you can make every single day of your life joyful and meaningful.
______________________________
'I read it and it's bewitched me ever since. I'm spellbound.'
Chris Evans
'A refreshingly simple recipe for happiness.' Stylist
'Ikigai gently unlocks simple secrets we can all use to live long, meaningful, happy lives. Warm, patient, and kind, this book pulls you gently along your own journey rather than pushing you from behind.' Neil Pasricha, bestselling author of The Happiness Equation
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208 pages
Language
English
Publisher
HUTCHINSON PUBLISHING - TRADE
Publication date
18 September 2017
From the Publisher
Product description
Review
Ikigai urges individuals to simplify their lives by pursuing what sparks joy for them ― Marie 'KonMari' Kondo
I love [this] book… I read it and it’s bewitched me ever since. I’m spellbound
A refreshingly simple recipe for happiness... According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai. It means your purpose – the reason you get up in the morning. The thing that fires you up and keeps you busy. Your raison d'être. ― Stylist
Curl up on the sofa with this and enjoy an insight into Japanese culture while picking up some self-care tips you may not have considered before... Ikigai offers an insight into a gentle yet focused way of life built around a sense of purpose. ― Independent
Ikigaigently unlocks simple secrets we can all use to live long, meaningful, happy lives. Science-based studies weave beautifully into honest, straight-talking conversation you won’t be able to put down. Warm, patient, and kind, this book pulls you gently along your own journey rather than pushing you from behind.
[The] Japanese art of ikigai ...Its basic message is about "authentic living". Practitioners must fill in overlapping circles that cover motivation, fulfilment, what they earn and what improves their life. The answer at the centre will be the key to a happy and long life. ― Guardian
If hygge is the art of doing nothing, ikigai is the art of doing something - and doing it with supreme focus and joy. ― New York Post
Book Description
2014 offered The life-changing magic of tidying2016 surrounded us with hygge In 2017, we'll discover our ikigai.Ikigai - the Japanese secret to a long and happy life from the world's longest living people.
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Product details
Publisher : HUTCHINSON PUBLISHING - TRADE; First Edition (18 September 2017)
Language : English
Hardcover : 208 pages
ISBN-10 : 178633089X
ISBN-13 : 978-1786330895
Dimensions : 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.28 cmBest Sellers Rank: 3 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)1 in Self-Esteem (Books)
1 in Philosophy Movements (Books)
1 in Other Eastern Religions & Sacred TextsCustomer Reviews:
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 54,398 ratings
About the authors
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Héctor García
Héctor García was born in Spain and worked at CERN in Switzerland before moving to Japan, his home for 16 years and counting. In Tokyo, when he is not writing his next book, he makes a living in the IT industry. His popular blog led to his international bestseller A Geek In Japan. He is the author of the bestselling Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life; translated to 57 languages, has the strange honor of being the most translated book ever originally written in Spanish language. To this day he has published seven books, his latest one is: The Book of Ichigo Ichie.
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Heather Cleary
Heather Cleary’s translations include Betina González’s American Delirium, Roque Larraquy’s Comemadre (nominee, National Book Award 2018), and Sergio Chejfec’s The Dark (nominee, National Translation Award 2014) and The Planets (finalist, BTBA 2013). She has served as a judge for the National Book Award (Translated Literature), the BTBA, and the PEN Translation Award. A member of the Cedilla & Co. translation collective and a founding editor of the digital, bilingual Buenos Aires Review, she holds a PhD in Latin American and Iberian Cultures from Columbia University and teaches at Sarah Lawrence College.
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reading this book easy read great book ikigai longevity insight joy japanese living
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Sevs
5.0 out of 5 stars GreatReviewed in Australia on 20 November 2023
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Enjoyed
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Mike A
4.0 out of 5 stars great book to readReviewed in Australia on 2 October 2023
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Reading this book open your eyes to the world and will help you understand what it is important in our lives or not
2 people found this helpful
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Anthony
5.0 out of 5 stars Ikigai is one of my all time favouritesReviewed in Australia on 25 January 2023
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It was December of 2022 when I visited one of the shopping centers, took a stroll to an amazing space full of books, browse the stockpile and discover this little blue covered book. Sat there, read and never put down the book for awhile - until I realise I have to go for lunch.
Ikigai gives me joy when I read it first thing in the morning. It gives me so much insight about living a joyful and fulfilling life. Reading this book makes me want to be one of the centenarians myself - event hough I am way way younger. As for now, I’m still searching for my Ikigai. And one day when I finally know it, I will pursue and happily do it everyday.
3 people found this helpful
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Emma
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful bookReviewed in Australia on 8 May 2023
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A brilliant way to re-think the way we live life. A beautiful book. I was gifted this by a friend and have since bought it to give to my siblings. Recommend.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars bookReviewed in Australia on 8 September 2023
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interesting
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Amanda laan
5.0 out of 5 stars such an amazing bookReviewed in Australia on 8 June 2023
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I breadths book and brought more to gift
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Hiten
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant inspirational bookReviewed in Australia on 29 September 2022
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I loved how easy it is to read and adapt to your life, truly recommend to anyone at the fork in their life or just lost.
2 people found this helpful
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Tim Baker
4.0 out of 5 stars interestingReviewed in Australia on 13 March 2023
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The book is interesting. But I would have liked more about Ikigai as a concept. The information on ageing was fine.
2 people found this helpful
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ronnie reazon
4.0 out of 5 stars IN DETAIL'S BEFORE YOU INVEST YOUR TIME IN ITReviewed in India on 7 January 2023
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Hector Gracia, born in Spain, is an author and an aspiring philosopher. He has been living in Japan for 18 years. He worked as a software engineer in Switzerland before moving to Japan. His most well-known books are Ikigai, A Geek in Japan, and Ichigo Ichie.
Francesc Miralles, also born in Spain, is an award-winning author of fiction, self-help, and inspirational books. He studied journalism, English literature, and German. He has also worked as an editor, translator, ghostwriter, and musician. He is well-known for his book Ikigai and Love in Lowercase.
The authors of Ikigai have interviewed hundreds of centenarians of Japan to unravel their secret of being young and happy, even at an old age. Most of the Japanese belonged to Okinawa, a Japanese Island, where 24 people out of 100,000 are over the age of 100- far more than the global average. Women of Okinawa live longer and have fewer diseases than anywhere else in the world. The book contains lessons based on what these Japanese centenarians eat and drink, how they treat their work and their style of living.
The book introduces the concept of ikigai and how it helps the Japanese people live a healthy life even at an old age. Then the authors describe the secrets of anti-aging and how stress can degrade our health. Concepts of Logo-therapy and case studies where people found their purpose are described. The basic principles of Morita Therapy are also explained. In the next chapter, the authors explain flow, three steps through which flow can be achieved in work, and how you can discover your ikigai with the help of flow.
The following chapters contain some information about Japanese centenarians and their philosophy, habits, lifestyle, and diet. Then the book explains some yoga and exercises of Japanese people which keeps them healthy. The last chapter contains the concept of resilience and antifragility, which can help you handle life’s challenges without getting broken. The book ends with an epilogue that includes the ten rules of ikigai.
Three key lessons which I have learned from the book is as follows-
(1)“Ikigai” is a Japanese word that means- a reason for living, a meaning for living. Having an ikigai means having a clear purpose that makes our life worthwhile. Your ikigai is something you love (watching Netflix, scrolling Instagram, sleeping, etc. won’t count), you are good at, you can be paid for, and something the world needs. For example, if you love singing a lot and are good at it, your ikigai is probably singing. The world needs good songs, and you can be paid for them.
So, first, you need to find your ikigai or purpose, and then you should constantly take action to fulfill this purpose. The good news is this action wouldn’t seem boring because it will give a sense of satisfaction. If you have a definite purpose, an Ikigai, you would never feel lost.
“He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.”
-Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist
(2)Work with the flow
We all have experienced a situation in our lives where we lost track of time. It may be when you were reading a book, and you got so much immersed in it that you didn’t realize how 3 hours passed like a flash of light. But there are also times when the opposite happens, and time doesn’t pass at all. You have probably experienced this during a boring lecture. What causes this difference? Why does time pass slowly when we do something that we don’t like while it passes swiftly when we do something of our interest?
The answer is flow. Ta-dah! The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term flow and described it as the pleasure we feel when we completely immerse ourselves in what we are doing. According to him,
The state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at a great cost, for the sheer shake of doing it.
When we are in a state of flow, we focus on our work and not on distractions. The intensity of focus leads to Deep Work which increases our productivity and at the same time gives satisfaction. Once we find flow in our work, the work will be fun.
(3)Be resilient
This is the most powerful lesson which I learned from the book Ikigai– to be resilient. Resilience is defined as the ability to withstand harm without getting weakened. It means to accept everything life throws at us, without blaming others, without getting frustrated, without feeling discouraged.
When you have a clearly defined ikigai, you have to pursue it no matter how difficult the situation becomes. You can’t give up even if things are not going according to your expectation. That’s when the importance of resilience comes. Resilience is our ability to deal with setbacks. The more resilient we are, the easier it will be to handle the obstacles without getting broken. Those who are resilient, they are good at dealing with negative situations without getting discouraged. They adapt to changes and concentrate only on those things which they can change.
What did i liked about Ikigai?
First of all, I liked the concept of ikigai and how our ikigai can help us live a meaningful life. This is life-changing. The concept of flow and how to experience flow in our work was the most beautiful chapter in the book. I liked it so much that I made notes of this concept. I also liked the part where the authors describe resilience and anti-fragility.
The book made me feel the importance of slowing down, being in the moment, and showing gratitude for every small thing I have in this life. This book helped me to live with peace, make friends, and enjoy each and every moment. I don’t know; the book is a kind of magic, which made me realize that there is nothing to worry about but only to be happy. I was happy after reading it.
What didn’t I like about Ikigai?
Before reading the book, I expected that this book is all about ikigai and finding purpose and will help me find my own. But when I read it, I found that it doesn’t contain much information about finding ikigai, which disappointed me. The book includes advice about exercises and eating vegetables, which are somewhat familiar and can be found in any blog. These were the few things that I didn’t like in the book.
Is Ikigai worth reading?
Yes, the book Ikigai is worth reading because it contains many powerful and proven concepts which can help you to improve your way of living. It can help you realize the value of a purposeful life and find your purpose. In today’s stressful and fast-paced world, we rarely get any time to heal our body, mind, and soul. This book can help you to understand the importance of slowing down and being in the present. If you feel bored in life, Ikigai can help you to enjoy and get lost in your work. This book contains interviews of Japanese centenarians, which would motivate you to live a simple life with high thinking. I found all the lessons highly practical, which anyone can easily implement in their life and get remarkable results.
Who should read Ikigai?
The book Ikigai must be read by all those people who don’t enjoy their work and are frustrated, or who are stressed and busy in their work and hardly live their life, or who doesn’t have a purpose in life and feels lost, or who are discouraged by failures, or all of the above. This book can also help those people who don’t have a good lifestyle, eat junk foods, don’t exercise, drink and smoke, etc. Ikigai can make anyone understand the importance of living a purposeful life. I will recommend this book to anyone who wants to live a long, happy, and purposeful life.
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Robin
4.0 out of 5 stars This book emphasizes on disciplines of lifeReviewed in India on 13 November 2023
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This is a good read to understand that simple things in life can be fulfilling and make one happy.
One good takeaway is make friend and meet them regularly.
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Mj
4.0 out of 5 stars NiceReviewed in India on 21 November 2023
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Nice
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars It is not original copyReviewed in India on 28 October 2023
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Worth reading, content is useful. But the quality of the paper is not nice. The illustrations and other highlights are in black. That means it is a Xerox of copy. I wanted the original book. But anyway I am not returning it . It's worth the cost. The cover looks appealing. Size of the book is convenient to carry in a small handbag
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sobhna
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth readingReviewed in India on 21 November 2023
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The book is really meaningful, most of the human beings don't think
about natural remedies and simple tasks that enhance our happiness
and make us healthy . We need to change our thought process ..critical thinking. Thanks Ikigai for giving us the insight of our life.
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