Wabi Sabi Simple: Create beauty. Value imperfection. Live deeply. (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Find value in the imperfect, the handmade, the uncomplicated.

Wabi sabi is an ancient Japanese aesthetic that emphasizes the value of simple things as a path to harmony. In Wabi Sabi Simple, author Richard R. Powell explains this intriguing Eastern philosophy in easy-to-understand terms to help you find peace and truth throughout nature and apply it to all facets of your life-at work, at home, and in your relationships.

About the Author

Richard R. Powell studied creative writing at the Kootenay School of Writing under such authors as Fred Wah, Audrey Thomas, Leon Rooke, Margaret Atwood, David McFadden, and John Newlove. He holds a certificate in biblical studies and works as executive secretary for the Island Christian Care Society.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media (November 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593371780
• ISBN-13: 978-1593371784
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #325,014 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Total waste!! Save yourselves!!, December 15, 2005

By	neophile (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This book is masquerading as a book about wabi sabi, but it actually is a collection of rambling, disorganized, incoherent personal journal entries. The topics include some of the most random and inconsequential subjects I have ever encountered. I have many books on wabi sabi and even the how-to books on things such as the wabi sabi house or the wabi sabi garden cover a deeper level of the philosophy in 4-5 pages than this entire book achieves. This is one of those books that you start reading, and within the first sentences you see, immediately start thinking of how to dispose of it. I would feel guilty selling this book to anyone else because it would not only be a waste of the buyer's money but the buyer's time and shelf space. This is, quite seriously, the worst book I currently own.

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Become aware of the Wabi Sabi You're Already Living, January 8, 2005

By	John Woods (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this book, the author looks at the everyday and finds the magic in it. His prose quickly engages and literally sets a mood that helps readers appreciate the ideas he is writing about. In other words, the book itself is an example of what makes Wabi Sabi consciousness special. Although, let me quickly say that Wabi Sabi is like Zen--as soon as you think you have a grip on it, it slips away. With chapters like Wabi Sabi at Home, Wabi Sabi Friends, Wabi Sabi at Work, and Wabi Sabi in the Garden, the author gives us methods and perspectives for more fully appreciating what has always been right in front of our eyes. I have seldom read a book that puts you more in the mood its subject. I highly recommend this book.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wabi Sabi Subtle, November 27, 2006

By	bronx book nerd (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews

I found this book a bit of a challenge initially because my left, analytical, logical brain was searching for a step-by-step description of what wabi sabi is. Having never heard of wabi sabi, at times I wondered if someone had pulled a fast one me with a spoof of Eastern beliefs and the way Westerners embrace them. As I continued to read I realized that Powell was teaching wabi sabi by writing, shall we say, in a wabi sabi style. He never provides a clear definition, yet his beautiful prose conveys the sense of what wabi sabi is. Powell is a very talented writer, and the book is worth the price just for the prose - elegant, tight, beautiful imagery with sometimes powerful and sometimes subtle metaphors. I would recommend this book as an initial dip into the waters of wabi sabi, with further exploration the responsibility of the reader.