Barbara Ann KipferRezensionen

Being in nature and observing the natural world can help you ground your thoughts and get a sense of your place in the world.

I don't know why I keep trying meditation books because I can never still my mind enough to meditate. Nevertheless, sometimes I do think it wouldn't hurt to try and slow down a little, and some guided meditations can at least help.

This book, however, was not that. It jumped from topic to topic to topic, ending up being far more stream of conscious than I myself usually am when listening to an audiobook. Some topics would be revisited at other points, so I'm not sure why the various threads weren't tied together in one place. Other topics felt like sidebars (and perhaps they were in the print version) and therefore were just random thoughts there and then gone again. Literally, there's a minute about Zen gardens followed by 30 seconds about how neat it is that bananas come in their own handy package. Huh? What does that have to do with anything?

Also, when I do seek out meditation books, I usually go for those that are generally secular. This one made no mention of being anything but secular (in fact, the "through nature" part made me think it would be more secular than most), but it is very clearly rooted in Buddhism. That's not a bad thing per se for some readers, but it wasn't what I was seeking. There's also mentions of other religious traditions including Hinduism and Jainism at various points.

In general, it was just a little too "woo-woo" for my tastes. For instance, at one point the author mentions sitting down to your meal and asking the food to nourish you. Sorry, but no amount of pleading will make McDonald's nourish you; meanwhile, healthy meals will be beneficial whether you talk to the food or not. Earlier the author mentioned being mindful before eating a meal and thinking about all the steps that went into getting the food before you. This seems more reasonable to me, but as mentioned above, these two thoughts are nowhere near each other but thrown out hours apart from one another seemingly as asides. It's like there's no time to actually slow down and focus with this book, which is very much the opposite of meditation.

Some of the advice the author gives seems useful but also kind of obvious. For instance, she says that even when you are busy and stuck indoors, take a few minutes to yourself to look outside and observe nature. And at another time, she advises parking further away from your destination when shopping or doing other errands so you can walk across the parking lot and use that for a few meditative moments. These are helpful hints, but not exactly groundbreaking.

Other times, her advice was so bizarre that I found myself literally talking aloud to the book due to its absurdity. For example, at one point she says to let go of the idea of your car being clean because it rains every time you go to the car wash anyway so you might as well not have that stress on you. What? I've had my car for 16 years and never brought it to a car wash ever, but when I think about the things that cause me stress, that isn't even on the list at all. It was such a strange thing to say.

Also, as you may have noticed from some of these examples, very little of this book has much to do about nature anyway. All in all, it was a weird experience to listen to a book supposedly about natural meditation that was instead just jumping around in this author's random thoughts about literally everything she could think of from laundry detergent to candles and more. I don't even necessarily disagree with many of her beliefs, but she spent more time talking about being environmentally conscious, eating less meat and processed food, and so on than talking about how to meditate and/or providing meditative guidance.

On the plus side, the audiobook narrator did have the perfect soothing voice to put the reader at ease without lulling them into sleep. Too bad she didn't have a better book to read that might have actually been beneficial.

7/8/22

This is a fun guide book. During the current state of events in present day, this book helps to provide entertainment. It is a book that the whole family can have fun with. Who knew there were so many things to do. A lot of them get you outside.

This book is a good bonding one. There are so many ideas like teach someone to cook your favorite dish, or there is write backwards. How about go on a secret mission. Some of the ideas were really silly but funny. Like I did not know there is thirteen ways to fold a napkin. Cat lovers. Why not rig a cat feeding device. There are tons more things to be found in this book. So, pick up a copy today and start having fun without electronic devices.

Clearly I'm happier about other things :)

A wonderful kitchen reference with one small drawback: the small very light print. Otherwise, it's a veritable treasure.

What if you gave your full, thoughtful attention to the words you said—or texted, or emailed? In What Would Buddha Say?, best-selling author Barbara Ann Kipfer presents 3,000 mindful communication tips based on the Buddhist concept of Right Speech—a belief that what you say can greatly affect your happiness.
Poor communication lies at the heart of most relationship problems. Everyone wants to be heard, to be understood, and to be treated with respect. But in our digital age of texting and social media, it’s easy to distance ourselves from the words we put out into the world, and many times, we may not be aware of the negative impact our words can have on people, whether they are our friends, family, or coworkers.
This is where the concept of Right Speech comes in. An important part of the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path, Right Speech is the philosophy that what you say can positively or negatively impact your life, as well as the lives of those around you. Speech to avoid includes divisive speech, abusive speech, lies, and idle gossip. In addition, most of what we say fails to convey what we really mean in our hearts.
With this book as your guide, you’ll learn thousands of tips to help you speak your truth, say what you really mean in your heart, improve all of your relationships, and choose your words wisely and conscientiously in every situation.

I love pithy sayings, one-liners, quick quotes, words to live by, inspirational things. This book is chock full of things I love...molasses sweet bread, reveling in time alone, sandalwood, snow globes, plush over-sized bath sheets, shoofly pie, hotel rooms equipped with terry-cloth robes, champagne and orange juice with bacon and eggs, squirrels building nests low in trees, book stores, libraries, ocean view, licorice, rice krispy treats, nanaimo bars, bell bottomed jeans, peasant blouses, movie popcorn, drive-in movies. I bought this book in 1990 and I read it with pen in hand and put a check mark beside each of my favourite things. I also wrote my husband's name beside things I knew were his. Today as I read the book, again with pen in hand to add new check marks I see an X beside some and I wonder...who was that person. I know it was not me because the choices are not mine. It is female because she chose sling back pumps. The only one I can imagine is my mother and her choices give me pause...we have a number in common but so many seem strange to me and make me think about the sides of my mother I never knew/saw. She is no longer with me and this is like seeing her again.

Another book from my past and I find I can mark off a lot of completed wishes. Then there are some that once were possible but are now impossible like - looking good in a mini skirt.

The Happiness Diary by Barbara Ann Kipfer is a delightful journal format guide to creating happiness and cultivating gratitude in your own life. With playful prose, and plenty of prompts to prod your mind, this nifty book will help you determine what makes you happy- what your deepest values are, what happiness means to you, what you most want, and how to create a plan for getting it. Kipfer takes you through keeping a gratitude journal, happiness lists, and making mind-maps to focus your thoughts. She presents several different tools, encouraging readers to explore and see what suits them best. I enjoyed reading through it, and plan on getting a hardcopy for both myself and my sisters.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Happiness Diary: Practice Living Joyfully by Barbara A. Kipfer guides you through various self-reflection exercises and prompts to connect with the potential for happiness that already exists in your life. It’s designed to be used as a notebook and written in, and each page is beautifully illustrated.

I’m always a tad wary of happiness-promoting books/articles, because the message that people just need to choose happiness is a) annoying, and b) not particularly relevant for people living with mental illness. However, this book doesn’t take that stance. It’s also less about happiness as a transient emotion and more about an attitude of joy towards the positives that are available to us.

The book tries to help you find your own way in identifying the things that are meaningful and valuable for you, and find all the little sources of happiness you might not be noticing. It doesn’t provide instructions or give you a recipe for happiness.

Mindfulness is one of the major topics in the book, but instead of coming at it from a meditation-focused angle it’s presented more in terms of slowing down and savouring what’s going on in the moment and what you’re experiencing through your sense. The book encourages you to find pleasure in the simple things in life.

There are list prompts, mind mapping, self-reflection prompts, exploratory questions, life mapping, gratitude journalling, writing prompts, and mindfulness exercises, among other things. There is a challenge to develop a media reduction plan.

The book encourages us to think about how we can connect with the people in our lives, and offers prompts around sharing positives with others.

Here’s an example of a two-page spread taken from the book’s Amazon listing:

The reviewer copy of this book that I got was an ebook version, but this is definitely the kind of book where you would want to get the paper version so you could write in it. The ebook version is still beautiful, but I doubt in can do justice to the paper version.

Practice Living Joyfully – Exercises, Reflections and Journal Prompts for Finding Happiness

This book LOOKS happy from front cover to back. Each page has illustrations, simple activities and ideas to find personal happiness and then increase it. I have to say that with a husband who teaches emotional intelligence, leadership and mindfulness I did not really find anything new for myself to incorporate into my own journey but did come away with some ideas to put into my daily journal that will enhance it. If you are looking for in-depth information on happiness and mindfulness with explanations and definitions then this book is probably not for you but if you would like a simple book that will encourage you to think and look into your life a bit then this might be the perfect book to keep by your bedside and do an activity in daily or weekly for awhile and see how it impacts your overall happiness quotient.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto – Four Winds Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars½

1,001 Ways To Be Creative is a charming little book filled with plenty of ideas, thoughts, reminders and projects to keep your creative juices flowing. The perfect size for the coffee table, desk or bringing along with you in a bag, 1,001 Ways To Be Creative offers a list of starting points, activities and new perspectives for when you are stuck in a rut, just plain bored or looking for a new approach.

When I first got this book I dug right in and started noting which things I wanted to try! I absolutely loved that the very first item on the list is simply "Play." Other items that I tagged included: "Make today the first day of your new hobby," I have a back-list of things I would love to do, "Volunteer for archaeology digs in your area...", this combines my love for outdoors, history and mystery! "Delve into the study of design in nature, called teleology," a new word and something that sounds fascinating, and "Lose your fear of being wrong," a good reminder to tell myself every day. These are not just ideas for artists, but ties to creativity in general, creativity in how you live, work and relate to others as well as nature. Aside from just the list, there are motivational quotes as well as "Inspirations" pages which asks questions as well as some fill in the blank spots. My only wish is that the book came in journal form so I could fill in more of the things that I tried or at least check them off and make some notes!

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

This beautifully illustrated volume does just what the title promises, offering 1,001 ways to slow down.

In her introduction, Kipfer writes about "living at the speed that brings you the most joy and satisfaction", which resonated deeply with me. I'm not a slow person by nature, but I could use with more reminders to be attentive to the moment.

Designed to be cracked open when needed, rather than read through in a sitting, this book is like a zen friend who offers those reminders without judgment. The tips range from the easy -- Slow down and enjoy eating. -- to the more complicated -- Consider a move to a smaller house. -- so every suggestion may not be right for each reader. But even those that really weren't or won't be applicable to me -- Chop your own wood. -- still offered me a moment of pause -- and really, isn't that what it's about?

I found immediate use for this book from the day it arrived -- a random page offered the perfect centering sentiment for opening a work meeting, and I've taken to paging through it when keyed up about something. It's not a book one might immediately think "I need!" and yet, it's probably a book many of us need in our days! (I've taken to leaving it out at my desk, and many of my colleagues browse through it -- use this a bit like a coffee table book!)

I am particularly taken with the illustrations of this book: each page is detailed with a gorgeous border, soft and appealing, with quotes illuminated in pretty repeating patterns.

A very welcome volume in tense times, I was surprised by appreciative of this hefty book. A perfect gifting volume, this would be great for high school and college graduates, as well as those whose lives are packed full of, well, life! (I'm thinking end of year holidays and birthdays -- forget New Year's resolutions -- why not moments of calm?)

How Would Buddha Act has lots of short, one or two sentence teachings on how to live a balanced life. It discusses mindfulness, compassion, priorities, wisdom, practicing awareness, interconnectedness, controlling behavior, living generously, and so much more. I read this in one sitting but will probably go back and read one or two daily for motivation/encouragement/meditations. There are also a variety of one page essays on thought provoking subjects. A very soothing book.

Subtitle: "How Everything in the World is Organized Into Hierarchies, Structures, and Pecking Orders"

Preface: "From the inner workings of the smallest things to the complex system of the universe, The Order of Things is an attempt to cover all those things that we ourselves have organized, or what we have found naturally organized, into:
hierarchies
structures
orders
classifications
branches
scales
divisions
successions
sequences
rankings."

Does this give you an idea of the book's contents?

Chapters: Earth Sciences & Geography; Life Sciences; Physical Sciences; Technology; Mathematics & Measurement; Religion; History; Society & Economy; The Arts; Domestic Life; Sports & Recreation; and General Knowledge

If you LOVE Lists (especially scientifically ordered ones), this is the book for you. There are numerous B&W illustrations, but I would have preferred colored photos.... as this book is more of a textbook than a pleasure read.

I thought this book would make me happy, but it really annoyed me. The list includes things I don't have but I desperately want. Lots of food. And many things I couldn't care less about. This book just didn't do it for me.

An interesting collection. All of this is, of course, available free on-line, but it's the 'collective' aspect of it that's interesting. It's a fun little curiosity to have around.

201 Little Buddhist Reminders: Gathas for Your Daily Life is one of more than 30 books written by Barbara Ann Kipfer. According to the “About the Author” page in this book, she is quite an accomplished scholar with two Ph.D. degrees (linguistics and archeology), an M.Phil. in linguistics and an M.A. in Buddhist studies. This book provides short (two-to-five-sentence) Buddhist perspectives and advice on ordinary daily activities. Although traditional gathas are usually in “verse” form, Kipfer has written informal gathas using normal declarative sentences. Each entry begins with an activity, action, feeling, or experience. Then each suggests an example of a Buddhist interpretation of those activities, feelings, etc. For example, one entry deals with laundry: “doing laundry – As I sort clothes for a laundry load, I am mindful of the effort it took to make the clothes and the machines that will care for them. As I do my part, my mind is still. I rejoice in having fresh, clean clothes.” Another entry addresses an activity or experience: “restraint – Practicing conscious restraint with small desires gives me strength of mind when there are powerful desires. Restraint is seeing that wise activities bring greater happiness and understanding – and that unwise activities lead to further suffering and conflict.” I read one or two of these per day over a lengthy period of time and I found them to be informative and useful way to help integrate Buddhist thinking with my experience of daily life. Kipfer’s “Little Buddhist Reminders” should be a very calming, enjoyable, addition to the reading of anyone interested in a Buddhist perspective, whether they are beginners or long-time practitioners. I will continue to read random entries from this book in the future.

If you love lists and happy thoughts, you'll love this book.½

fascinating! Must have.

A wonderful book for people who love words and learning interesting facts about how words are used.

A wonderful book for people who love words and learning interesting facts about how words are used.

A wonderful book for people who love words and learning interesting facts about how words are used.

This is a fun book to thumb through, but as noted, I've found a couple of mistakes which gives me a bit of hesitation in actually relying on the information. Average four stars for fun and volume of information, and one star for questionable reliability.½

I'm confused as to the purpose of this book - it is supposed to provide etymology and origins of words, or act more as a casual dictionary?

There are definitions of English mustard (mustard), english breakfast (a large fry) and English Breakfast tea (surprisingly, tea). To me these words are nouns, not phrases.

I suppose I should have guessed that it might not be the best when I saw the defition of the phrase "pushing the envelope" that features on the cover. "A pilot's term for flying an aircraft at or beyond its reasonable limits". That's the definition alright, but what about the origin as promised at the top of the cover?

I went straight to the definition of one of my favourite phrases - "mind your p's and q'". Kipper gives the definition as being an admonishment used by teachers monitoring students' handwriting. There's no mention of two other widely-accepted theories. Firstly, a warning to typesetters in the days of printing presses when the letter 'q' did not feature its characteristic tail, and hence could be mistaken for a 'p' in reverse. The second hails back to the days of drinking pints and quarts in public houses and recording of such on the slate.

For me this was the acid test, and the book failed it.

Ultimately, it's a novelty book, and you probably will learn something from it. But you'll probably be better off searching on the internet.½