The Art of Silence

by Amber Hatch

Discover the art of silenceIn our day-to-day lives, most of us are absolutely bombarded by sound and visual stimuli. We lurch from one activity to the next feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Messages from media, advertising and popular culture tell us that having more will help us find happiness, yet instead we feel overloaded and burnt out.The Art of Silence offers us an antidote.It explores how we can use silence as a strategy for living well; a guiding principle to help us reign in our chaotic lifestyles and redress the balance of this crazy, noisy world that we live in. It can give us the space we need to allow our bodies and minds to relax and become the healthy, wholesome individuals we want to be.The Art of Silence explores three ways that we can harness the power of silence and bring more of it into our lives. It considers how we can take practical steps to quiet our environments and timetables; how we can cultivate peaceful relationships; and how we can work with the mind to nurture an inner peace, regardless of the circumstances.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development

110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Joelle Tamraz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear succinct and evocative overview of silence in its various forms and meanings, from the literal absence of noise and mental clutter to the deeper meditative search for moments of internal space. Highly recommend for anyone interested in a simpler way to live without wanting the marketing tone and repetitive format of much of the self-help literature.

[Vero]

Vlot & leerrijk boekje

[Hes Canister · Rating 2 out of 5]

Veel open deuren, weinig nieuws. Wel een lekkere bladspiegel en her en der een aardige quote/gedicht. Raad het niet aan.

[Peter Geyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The British musician John Martyn admitted in song a few decades ago that "silence has never been my thing" although the ambience of his performance at the university I was attending in the late 1970s suggested an affinity with the ethereal, in part at any rate.

In this book, Amber Hatch takes the reader through the notion of silence, how hard it is to access in today's switched-on 24/7 world, that some people avoid it, or don't know what to do with it, even though it has benefits.

Her prose is quiet and calming as befits her topic and the book reads better in silence, than with background noise (music, actually). There are brief chapters, poetry excerpts and suggested exercises, which I bypassed. I'm not really good at tasks and suggestions in books even when not part of a list.

One of the remedies is what she calls mindfulness, following her understanding and practice of Buddhism. This differs from the commercialised or corporatised versions and one doesn't feel pushed or cajoled or the subject of a conversion narrative. Some personal experiences are included and are helpful for understanding. Actually her language throughout is plain and grounded.

The only quibble I have is that her one sentence about Australian aboriginal people may come from an older source that uses language no longer seen as accurate or appropriate. This would be an honest error.

[Els · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stilte vinden door Amber Hatch

“Je leven ontdoen van lawaai.” Dat staat er op de sticker die op de cover van dit boek kleeft. Ik had dat nogal letterlijk opgevat maar blijkbaar gaat het in dit boek over meer dan dat. Het gaat ook over het vermijden van afleiding en het verlagen van het aantal prikkels.

Letterlijke stilte is in onze huidige maatschappij amper te vinden. Figuurlijke ook niet. We leven in een tijd die streeft naar meer en beter en sneller, iedereen is continu bereikbaar en dat is niet gezond. Wij hebben nood aan rust en stilte en daar kan dit boek bij helpen.

Stilte vinden is onderverdeeld in 3 grote delen: een rustigere omgeving scheppen, vredige relaties onderhouden en innerlijke stilte koesteren.
Het eerste deel gaat vooral over ‘minder’: keuzes maken, opruimen, minder online zijn, de natuur opzoeken.
In deel twee gaat het over actief luisteren, vriendelijk spreken, insluiten, maar bijvoorbeeld ook over gebarentaal.
Deel drie gaat over mindfulness, de stem in je hoofd doen zwijgen, geluiden beoordelen.
In elk deel heb ik nuttige en boeiende dingen gelezen, tips gekregen om meer stilte toe te laten.

Stilte moet ons geen angst aanjagen, we moeten het zoveel mogelijk nastreven om zo gezond en gelukkig mogelijk te leven.

[Antonio Gallo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si dice che un bel silenzio non sia mai stato scritto. Forse tante volte è meglio stare zitti perché la parola tradisce. Ma si dice anche che chi tace acconsente e allora bisogna parlare. Ma parlare facendo senso non è cosa facilmente raggiungibile. Si scopre così che anche il silenzio può avere un senso. Insomma queste libretto sul silenzio mi pare utile per imparare a come usare le parole piuttosto che stare in silenzio. Non so se mi spiego. È proprio vero che la parola è d'argento il silenzio e d'oro. Ma un bel silenzio non fu mai scritto. Perché è sempre meglio stare zitti che sbagliare parlando. Insomma, mi pare proprio che è meglio scrivere che parlare. Almeno quello che dici lo puoi cancellare o correggere. Non vi pare?

[Brittanie Rapsas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of refreshing reminders in this quick, soothing little book. I especially loved the idea of deliberately making quiet space, even a small amount, between tasks instead of frivolously running from one to another. We often think we’re giving ourselves downtime when mindlessly scrolling our phone, but isn’t mindlessness the enemy of mindfulness? I have found I need gentler reading entering this new year and I’m glad I finally picked this one up after having it on my shelf for quite a while!

“We may not be able to find silent moments in every minute of our day, but we will be able to find something of their essence wherever we look. Silence is about cultivating a spirit of receptivity, a watchfulness, an openness and the ability to listen. We can’t do these things without mindfulness.”

[Christine Cordula Dantas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friendly companion to guide you through this very rare and precious condition nowadays: the Silence. This little book offers a pleasant and easy reading, the insights are not particularly novel or surprising, but are a reminder for what is important in Silence, how to find it or even build it when it’s not obviously there. However, in a sense, it’s always available. This is perhaps the main thesis of this text. Clearly, it’s not only about the absence of sounds, but about finding your inner self in a horribly noisy world, full of distractions and consumerism.

[Mae Cayir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little book offering relevant advice for mental health self-care, most especially during this COVID19 pandemic. Although there is nothing earth-shaking in its content, which is mainly why my rating came to 3 stars, the style of writing flows well for a lovely reading session, almost conversational. Being in self-isolation during an extended social distancing and lockdown, this offers some sense of companionship. In the pre-pandemic life of hustle and bustle, this book offers an oasis of calm.

[Airaology · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s an easy-to-read book with sections that explore the idea of silence. With tips and memorable quotes, I find it to be insightful.



Favourite quotes

For babies, learning speech is intrinsically bound up with a growing sense of self. Perhaps this process happens in reverse in old age - as speech becomes less important as a means of defining ourselves, the ego becomes less dominant

—————————-
Silence heralds transcendence, the dissolution of the ego and, ultimately, death

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

'What we need is something radical: what we need is less. Perhaps what we really need is nothing.'

The message deserves a 4/5, and remains as essential reminder that the world needs to remember.
A simple quick read without any novel ideas, simplicity still deserves its credit in the cacophony of modern life.

[Carlijn Van Der Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best mooi, al heb ik vooral de gebruikte citaten van andere auteurs opgeschreven. Het is een soort verzamelwerk over de verschillende facetten van stilte, het leidt een beetje in in de achterliggende gedachte van mindfulness. Het kan geen kwaad het te lezen.

[Ingvar Bjarnason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book overall, some great reflection to be had during reading on what silence is and where to find it.

[Susana Filipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

"O que é o silencio?"
Talvez o melhor bem do mundo, talvez seja o bem mais raro tambem...~Tecnicas para alcançar algum silencio.

[MJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay. That’s it. Doesn’t add or take away anything.