I thought the book was just ok. I appreciated the parts about Sabbath - taking a rest. I think that is spot on correct. ( )

A nice little book

We often aren't still and more times than not, we need to be. It is a simple message, but an important one. In this TED book, we are reminded to be still. The focus is mostly on Leonard Cohen, which seemed odd, but the more you learn about Cohen, the more it makes sense. A very short book, but some great writing. ( )

It was okay. If you want to "read" a TED talk, this is like that. Quick read that felt like it should have had more. I agree with the topic, we are in a very busy/noisy time with all the devices that are constantly attached to our person. This book isn't a how-to book, just saying that it is a good idea. There was a part that explained why we get so caught up: we are available to so much information, you never really catch up, i.e. email, social media, etc. It takes us away from the better things in life. ( )

The idea is great and anyone should listen to the TED talk. The book is inspirational but beside removing all electronic devices and people, does not say much else. Sorry I forgot, you need to shut up too (!) and probably to silence your brain which is easily said than done. ( )

Published by TED, "The Art of Stillness" is designed to be read in one sitting. Iyer doesn't prescribe to a specific spiritual path, but stays open to all he can learn from anyone he settles in with. Known for his travel writing, Iyer spent time at Thomas Merton's Kentucky hermitage, with Matthieu Ricard, one of the Dalai Lama's translators, and with Leonard Cohen at his Mt. Baldy Zen retreat. His quest is to better understand "Nowhere", the notion of learning to sit still long enough to turn inward. As he says, if you car is broken down, you don't find ways to repaint its chassis. And so it goes with us. Our minds scattered, disconnected from our bodies and the present moment. Iyer's gentle aspiration here is to steer his readers into moments of still reflection and presence. To invite them to embrace the "Adventure of Going Nowhere".

It's a brief, pithy read, written conversationally - like a TED Talk - and filled with passages worth revisiting. A favorite of mine was "anyone who longs to see the light is signing on for many long nights alone in the dark." Daunting, but honest. I also enjoyed reading about one of my heroes, Leonard Cohen, occasionally leaving his monastic robes for a day or two to drive down Mt. Baldy and get a Fillet-o-Fish from McDonald's, going home to watch Jerry Springer, and then returning to the Center, reminded of why he chose to go there in the first place. Even our most gifted poets must, sometimes, indulge in the world's guilty pleasures, if only as a means to appreciate their commitment to some higher sense of purpose.

I'd say unless you plan to turn to this book time and again for inspiration, it's the ideal library loan. A quick read that will give you a bit of premium fuel for the journey, and that points you toward Iyer's TED Talk (available online) as a resource for future reminders and renewal.

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