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The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere (TED) Kindle Edition

by Pico Iyer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
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A follow up to Pico Iyer’s essay “The Joy of Quiet,” The Art of Stillness considers the unexpected adventure of staying put and reveals a counterintuitive truth: The more ways we have to connect, the more we seem desperate to unplug.

Why might a lifelong traveler like Pico Iyer, who has journeyed from Easter Island to Ethiopia, Cuba to Kathmandu, think that sitting quietly in a room might be the ultimate adventure? Because in our madly accelerating world, our lives are crowded, chaotic and noisy. There’s never been a greater need to slow down, tune out and give ourselves permission to be still.

In The Art of Stillness—a TED Books release—Iyer investigate the lives of people who have made a life seeking stillness: from Matthieu Ricard, a Frenchman with a PhD in molecular biology who left a promising scientific career to become a Tibetan monk, to revered singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, who traded the pleasures of the senses for several years of living the near-silent life of meditation as a Zen monk. Iyer also draws on his own experiences as a travel writer to explore why advances in technology are making us more likely to retreat. He reflects that this is perhaps the reason why many people—even those with no religious commitment—seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or seeking silent retreats. These aren't New Age fads so much as ways to rediscover the wisdom of an earlier age. Growing trends like observing an “Internet Sabbath”—turning off online connections from Friday night to Monday morning—highlight how increasingly desperate many of us are to unplug and bring stillness into our lives.

The Art of Stillness paints a picture of why so many—from Marcel Proust to Mahatma Gandhi to Emily Dickinson—have found richness in stillness. Ultimately, Iyer shows that, in this age of constant movement and connectedness, perhaps staying in one place is a more exciting prospect, and a greater necessity than ever before.

In 2013, Pico Iyer gave a blockbuster TED Talk. This lyrical and inspiring book expands on a new idea, offering a way forward for all those feeling affected by the frenetic pace of our modern world.
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  1. Part of series
    TED
  2. Print length
    97 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster/TED
  6. Publication date
    November 4, 2014
  7. File size
    15305 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book isn't a meditation guide or a New-Age tract but rather a celebration of the age-old practice of sitting with no goal in mind and no destination in sight.... Rather than reading it quickly and filing it, readers will likely slow down to meet its pace and might continue carrying it around as a reminder." ― Kirkus (starred)

“A heartfelt manifesto to the benefits of ditching the cellphone and snipping up the frequent flier card, The Art of Stillness is anything but a self-help book or how-to guide for achieving inner peace.” ― Associated Press

“[A] beautiful little book. . . fills an important niche. . . Iyer wants to make the conscious practice of stillness palatable to everyone.” ― Los Angeles Review of Books

“[A] cool drink of water, in book form” ― People

“[A] wonderful read in its entirety.” ― Brain Pickings

"A bustling paean to the stationary life . . . Iyer’s argument is an engaging amalgam of memoir, reportage, and literary essay . . . Iyer uses a fluid blend of argument and anecdote to make a persuasive and eloquent case that contemplating internal landscapes can be just as rich an experience as traveling through external ones. The fact that he has traveled to some of the world’s most obscure corners only strengthens his credibility as a defender of stillness.” ― Boston Globe

“In lesser hands this tiny volume might be a throwaway of glib, “new age” comfort-speak, but like Henry David Thoreau’s equally brief classic on another seemingly mundane exercise — walking — Iyer’s thoughtful nature leads him to peel back layer upon layer, nodding toward the infinite…. Plunging effortlessly beneath platitudes, this wafer-thin volume reminds us of what might just be the greatest paradox of travel — after all our road running, after all our flights of fancy to the farthest corners of the globe, after all our touring, our seeking and questing, perhaps, just perhaps, fellow travelers, there really is no place like home.” ― New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Pico Iyer is a British-born essayist and novelist long based in both California and Japan. He is the author of numerous books about crossing cultures, among them Video Night in Kathmandu, The Lady and the Monk, and The Global Soul. An essayist for Time since 1986, he also publishes regularly in Harper’s, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, and many other publications across the globe.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00JSRQSJS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster/TED (November 4, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 4, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 15305 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 97 pages
  • Customer Reviews:

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  1. Pico Iyer

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    Pico Iyer was born in Oxford, England--to parents from India--raised in California and educated at Eton, Oxford and Harvard. Since 1987 he has been based in Western Japan, while traveling everywhere from Bhutan to Easter Island, North Korea to Los Angeles Airport. Apart from the two novels and ten works of non-fiction he has published, he has written the introductions to more than fifty other books, as well as screenplays, librettos and many liner-notes for Leonard Cohen. He speaks regularly everywhere from West Point to Davos and Shanghai to Bogota and between 2013 and 2016, he delivered three talks for TED.com

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
2,003 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read, with stunning photos and production quality. They also describe the writing style as poetic and enlightening, with beautiful quotes, pictures, and stories. Readers also mention the content is practical and speaks of stillness as a means of clearing stress. They say the book is very short and speaks clearly about stillness.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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ReadabilityWriting styleContentLengthNarrative clarityOverall quality
69 customers mention "Readability"69 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an awesome, lovely, and enlightening read. They also say the production quality is stunning and the photos are complimentary. Readers also say it's worth every minute and is expressive.

"...This is an important and valuable book. I find myself often thinking about the glut of information and data we face...." Read more

"...Well worth the relevant short read." Read more

"...3 stars! It was a nice, quick read, but I didn’t find anything spectacular about it." Read more

"...For what it is, this is a good read and written very well, deserving four stars." Read more

52 customers mention "Writing style"48 positive4 negative

Customers find the writing style easy to read, beautifully written, and with many quotes. They also say it's an excellent, simple book based on a TED talk.

"...Nothing for twelve hours. No reading, no watching movies, nothing...." Read more

"...3 stars! It was a nice, quick read, but I didn’t find anything spectacular about it." Read more

"...For what it is, this is a good read and written very well, deserving four stars." Read more

"...Although it can be a quick and easy book to read - it is thoughtful and reflective in a way that stays with you for long after reading it...." Read more

46 customers mention "Content"46 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very enlightening, with plausible ideas worth pursuing. They also say the message is basic, and they find supportive advice. Readers mention the book is comprised of beautiful quotes, pictures, and stories of those who have found stillness. They say it offers vital tools for dealing with modern life and practicality.

"...The book is filled with insights both philosophical and scientific regarding the wisdom of taking time to slow down and celebrate one’s own Sabbath...." Read more

"I go back to this short book every year or two and continue to find supportive advice. Well worth the relevant short read." Read more

"...Comprised of really beautiful quotes, pictures, and stories of those who have found stillness, this short book gives off a very powerful message..." Read more

"...Well it rung in me, it does have a lot of substance. Maybe listen to Old Ways album while reading, as an icing on the cake...." Read more

24 customers mention "Length"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very short, easily digestible, and quick to read. They also say the first sentence is sufficient. Customers also mention the book is a page-turner with plenty to chew on.

"...It is a slim book on an important topic, best appreciated while unwinding on vacation.“..." Read more

"It's short, perhaps too short, as if in its brevity it is emulating the stillness that Pico Iyer feels we are missing out on in our lives...." Read more

"...I recommend this book to everyone. It's short and easy to read...." Read more

"A very quick read but plenty to chew on as the idea of stillness and introspection talks hold...." Read more

11 customers mention "Narrative clarity"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the narrative clarity of the book to be clear and beautiful. They mention that it speaks of stillness as a means of clearing stress. They also appreciate the author's ability to allow the reader to sit still within the words.

"...It was remarkable in its novelty for me. Iyer's book has a number of examples of stillness in practice...." Read more

"...The Art of Stillness is an important holiday read. Iyer offers the following summary advice: “Don’t just do something. Sit there.”..." Read more

"...This emphasis on stillness is pretty ironic, considering the fact that Iyer is a travel writer—he literally makes a career out of NOT staying still!..." Read more

"...This book actually speaks of stillness, as a means of clearing stress and anxiety. I highly recomend this book to "busy" people." Read more

9 customers mention "Overall quality"0 positive9 negative

Customers find the book has little substance, and the examples are bad. They also say it's too general and flat.

"...This was the point of the book. So the content of this book is pointless." Read more

"...Boring at times, and I didn't pay big bucks for it which is good.... but an otherwise easy read." Read more

"A little light on any practical details for this small tome to be useful...more a history of other people met" Read more

"Super short and not much details to really get into it. It was alright" Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

B. Grant
5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Book for our Times
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2014
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The ability to consume a book in a brief time is in and of itself a special and rare experience. One easily could have made it much longer, but would it have been any better for the added pages? It is a pearl that resonates and challenges the reader to consider his/her choices and direction.

This is an important and valuable book. I find myself often thinking about the glut of information and data we face. I am currently assisting my son in getting his new phone up and running and in the process of converting thousands of his songs on his computer so they can transfer to the new phone. This level of digital consumption was simply not possible for the vast history of our species and is he or we any better for it?

In generations past, one did not have to make the choice to do nothing, or be still; that was the state of being for many, much of the time. We lived and died within 30 miles of our birth. Travel abroad was a one way trip or the stuff of adventurers. Today, we are awash in stuff and choices.

We as a society face a real challenge in organizing our lives in the face of infinite choices and consumptive options that are so brilliantly marketed and instantly available. This in contrast to the fact that we have not and will not eliminate the essential limits of our consumptive capacity and our finite lives. This book reminds the reader that we exercise choices in our daily norms.

Recently on a flight I elected to do as one of the Iyer's fellow passengers did as described in the book - sit quietly and do nothing, . but only for a brief time. I experienced a brief portion of the ride without reading, listening or external engagement. It was remarkable in its novelty for me. Iyer's book has a number of examples of stillness in practice. Many readers may give it a try themselves.

There is an inherent challenge in this book that devotes pages discussing some celebrities and celebrated people who have to a degree commoditized their stillness. There is benefit in this as in the cases of Merton or Dickenson; who wrote brilliantly of their experiences. The challenge for most is to find a personal path that is not subsequently commoditized for others, which to a degree defeats the purpose of inner stillness by public declaration. And can there be anything less still than TED conferences (TED published this book) and the acolytes who attend? But at least there is a level of awareness by many attendees and the organizers of their inherent contradictions in actions vs. ideas, and some as Iyer points out are trying to figure out how to reconcile them.

An added treat are the interspersed photographs in this lovely book.
60 people found this helpful
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Ian Mann
4.0 out of 5 stars best appreciated while unwinding on vacation
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2017
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Pico Iyer is a travel writer, and a regular contributor to the New York Times, Harpers, Time, and other magazines. His is a lifestyle determined by deadlines and the rigours of travelling for work. “I’m not a member of any church, and I don’t subscribe to any creed; I’ve never been a member of any meditation or yoga group,” he disclaims.
The title of the book, The Art of Stillness, is a call to use stillness in a world he accurately describes as “madly accelerating.” If you have any doubts about this description, try recall when last you had nights off, or did no work at all on the weekend. (Reading business literature does qualify as work.)
To get the most benefit from this book you should read it slowly and thoughtfully. It is a slim book on an important topic, best appreciated while unwinding on vacation.
“More and more of us feel like emergency-room physicians, permanently on call,” says Iyer. We have mastered so many parts of our lives in the last half century, except how to enjoy living. Geography is fast coming under our control; we send messages around the world in seconds, parcels in hours and can talk to people anywhere easily and inexpensively. However, the clock seems to be “exerting more and more tyranny over us.”
Iyer advocates regular periods of stillness, daily if possible. Times when we take a journey to “Nothing.” It is a short period when we retreat from our busy-nes, “so that you can see the world more clearly and love it more deeply.”
In the second century, the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius pointed out that it is not our experiences that form us, but the way we understand them and respond to them. Being still puts distance between our present and our experience, so we can view experiences with “clarity and sanity” and reap the benefits that comes from that. The opportunity to distance ourselves helps experiences acquire the appropriate importance. All it involves is sitting still. Nothing more.
Iyer reports that in his work world, “Every time I take a trip, the experience acquires meaning and grows deeper only after I get back home and, sitting still, begin to convert the sights I’ve seen into lasting insights.”
When he attended retreat centres, he met bankers, teachers, real estate agents, people leading normal business lives who came the centres, just to be still for a few days.
Kevin Kelly, the founding executive editor of Wire magazine is certainly one of the most articulate representatives for the technologies of our time. His wrote his latest book on the uses of technology to expand human potential while living without a smartphone, a laptop or a TV in his home. He explains that he keeps “the cornucopia of technology at arm’s length so that I can more easily remember who I am.”
Many in Silicon Valley observe what Iyer calls an “Internet Sabbath” turning off their devices from Friday evening to Monday morning. It is telling that people who do so much to speed up the world see the benefit of slowing down regularly.
At General Mills, a company with revenues of almost $14b offered a seven-week programme to senior executive on “stillness.” 80% reported a positive improvement in their ability to make decisions, and 89% that they were becoming better listeners. It is estimated that programmes like this save American businesses $300b a year!
The most telling report Iyer relays is a Stanford peer-reviewed study of the effect of stillness of military veterans. The author’s husband, a Marine Corp Scout Sniper, undertook a 40-day personal trial to see if he has similar results. He reported that his hours of concentrated attention left unusually happy, and worrying him that he was softening.
His adviser assured him that he was still hyper-alert only more selective about the “potential threats or targets to respond to.” He reported his surprise that “something so soft could also make me so much harder as a Marine.”
On a flight from Frankfurt to Los Angeles Iyer was seated next to a woman who after a few pleasantries, sat in silence, doing nothing, for the next twelve hours. At the end of the journey, she explained that her job was exhausting, and she is beginning a five weeks of vacation in Hawaii. She was using the flight to get rid of the stress ready for her days of rest. Nothing for twelve hours. No reading, no watching movies, nothing.
We are living in an age of constant movement that makes being still so much more urgent.
The Art of Stillness is an important holiday read. Iyer offers the following summary advice: “Don’t just do something. Sit there.”
Readability Light +--- Serious
Insights High +---- Low
Practical High ----+ Low

*Ian Mann of Gateways consults internationally on leadership and strategy and is the author of Strategy that Works. .
9 people found this helpful
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Jim Gray
5.0 out of 5 stars A Travel Guide to Stillness, Slowing Down, and Creating One's Own Sabbath... Ancient and Current Widsom
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2014
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I just finished reading the Art of Stillness; Adventures in Going Nowhere by Pico Iyer. What a stimulating yet calming and thoughtful book. The book is filled with insights both philosophical and scientific regarding the wisdom of taking time to slow down and celebrate one’s own Sabbath. Iyer offers beautifully that not only will it be good for us but also we the reader will get more done, and done well, if we make time for stillness.

The Book is filled with great characters and quotes. Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz offers: “ If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.” And the musician Leonard Cohen “ Sitting still as a way of falling in love with the world and everything in it” … And Iyer himself say’s “… talking about stillness is really a way of talking about clarity and sanity and the joys that endure. “

Accompanying this book and as a supplement to it is a Ted Talk , Here is link to Iyer’s 15 minute Ted Talk http://www.ted.com/talks/pico_iyer_the_art_of_stillness?language=en

I heartily recommend feasting on this book about stillness, and unexpected pleasures … and enjoy the advice of a travel writer who provides an invitation to the adventure of going nowhere. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.

I give it 5 Stars… And heartily recommend it as a simple pleasure.
37 people found this helpful
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William T Donahoo
5.0 out of 5 stars Lasting advice
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2023
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I go back to this short book every year or two and continue to find supportive advice. Well worth the relevant short read.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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E. Garduno C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro. Muy recomendable.
Reviewed in Mexico on June 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
Libro que me ha sacado en más de un apuro por regalar algo que sea verdaderamente útil. Particularmente, para quienes pueden aprovechar el tiempo de una convalecencia en leer algo constructivo, o en general, para quienes no se han dado la oportunidad de detenerse en el tiempo para reflexionar sobre su vida, como le sucedió al inolvidable cantautor canadiense Leonard Cohen, según se menciona en el libro.
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Alan Fisher
5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful new perspective
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2023
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Read the last page over again. It gives the vision of a different way of living- all realistically possible in our busy world.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing grace...
Reviewed in Germany on February 15, 2019
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Short but nevertheless delish read! Makes you want to seek out that silent place of clarity as soon as you put the book down.
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Sue T.
5.0 out of 5 stars TED Talk book a great read
Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2017
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I enjoy most of the TED talk books and videos on the computer. This was particularly interesting so I ordered the book. Great read.
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Michelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Like coming home
Reviewed in Australia on March 12, 2019
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It was, as promised, an invigorating story of a man uncovering what most people are afraid to dream is true: that standing still is the best way to move forward. Beautifully simple and restrained. The photos between chapters were like palate cleansers. It was like a close friend tapping you on the shoulder and reminding you what really matters.
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