Wabi Sabi. Trova la bellezza nell'imperfezione

Triết lí sống khoẻ của người Nhật

by Oliver Luke Delorie

Find beauty and harmony in the unfinished, fleeting, modest, and simple things in life. Learn how to let go of judgment and see things differently. Embrace the ancient Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi and appreciate the imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. The essence of this slippery, intangible concept can only be found by embracing inevitable discord, disarray, and disfunction in all we see, hear, think, feel, do and say. Seemingly complex, yet delightfully simple, wabi sabi is the spirit of change; the passing of time; the acknowledgement, appreciation and acceptance of the transient and temporary nature of all things in the cycle of life.


[Source: https://books.google.com.sg/books/abo...]

Genres: Nonfiction, Japan, Philosophy, Lifestyle, Psychology

Hardcover

Published October 24, 2018

Reviews

[Huy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mình luôn cho rằng, cái đẹp là cái không hoàn hảo, vì nếu nó quá hoàn hảo, thì chẳng có gì để nói về nó nữa, và nó sẽ dễ khiến cho ta cảm giác nhàm chán và mau quên.
Nhưng những thứ khiếm khuyết lại thu hút sự chú ý của tôi bởi sự giản dị của chúng, bởi chúng không sợ những sứt mẻ, những rạn vỡ, và ta có thể tác động vào chúng thay vì chỉ đứng từ xa thán phục, không muốn phá vỡ mọi thứ.
Cuốn sách đẹp, chỉnh chu từng trang nhưng về nội dung thì hơi chung chung mà thật sự thì không có gì quá mới mẻ và thuần lý thuyết nên có lẽ khó làm theo, nhưng dù gì đi chăng nữa để đạt đến Wabi Sabi cũng không phải dễ dàng. Nói chung sách đọc cho vui cũng được, không đọc cũng được vì chắc nó cũng chẳng ảnh hưởng hay tác động nhiều.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."

I've been interested in the philosophy of Wabi Sabi ever since learning about it. This is a meaningful read full of good reminders and lessons:

✨ Use not only your eyes to see
✨ Appreciate the magnificence of both order and chaos
✨ Seek beauty and you shall find it
✨ Clutter is distraction: Use it or lose it
✨ Let life unfold in its own time and in its own way
✨ The power of appreciation and gratitude
✨ Functionality over fancifulness: Don't fix what's not broken
✨ Embrace imperfection

The photographs are beautiful as well. Definitely a book that we can all do with on our shelf.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Klein, handig boekje met enkele ideeën over de wabi sabi filosofie.
Snel te lezen, heel basic. Ik mis een beetje diepgang.

[Mariia Vlodarchuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Візуально дуже гарна книжка. І варто купити її просто для того, щоб порозглядати фотографії. Але деякі думки були, наче набір слів. Коли ти розумієш кожне з них окремо, але не концепцію загалом. І скільки б не перечитувала, все одно не було ясно, що хотів сказати автор. Чомусь очікувала більшого.

Але загалом концепція вабі-сабі сподобалась. Суть описана була в кількох словах. А далі — просто "додатки" до суті

[Sbwisni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean it’s small and nice to look at. Okay for an intermittent car trip distraction…coffee table in a waiting room…daily single-page read for meditation/journaling, but not worth seeking out for its own sake IMO!

Final words: “…you will fall deeper in love with the bona fide truth that ‘nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.’ “

[Andrew Lesiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Для мене ця книга не відкрила геть нічого нового, але дала якесь духовне примирення з тим, що періодично турбує в думках… прийняти себе, світ та непостійність в усьому - не просто, але потрібно. Бо саме в цьому і криється суть існування, адже щоб жити, треба жити)
Виключно за приємний настрій під час читання та прекрасні ілюстрації - оцінив на 4, бо це прекрасно)

[Suzanne Kramb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is perfect for anyone looking to learn more about Wabi Sabi: the appreciation of what's really important in life. It's succinct and organized into 9 parts (power of our senses, simplicity, appreciation, significance, mindfulness, importance, tradition, imperfections, and acceptance). I read Wabi Sabi by Beth Kempton first, so this book was the perfect condensed reminder, almost summary/highlights of the wabi sabi way of life. For anyone looking to change their life, I truly believe gradually moving into the wabi sabi lifestyle has limitless benefits.

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy." The Dalai Lama

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good that I sat in the library parking lot to finish reading the last little bit rather than turn it back in without finishing fully. I'll likely buy this one to have on hand for when it's needed. Lots of bite-sized nuggets of wisdom that help to remind me of the things that are most important to me in this life.

[Salwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I pick this due to its aesthetically pleasing cover, and it was placed side by side with IKIGAI (another Japanese term that intrigued me). To be honest, I know more about Ikigai than Wabi Sabi. But, I picked it anyway. I don’t quite like it. The description is very vague. May be I should pick a longer book, try to understand the principle around it, then get back to this book.

[Yen Pham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book shares a similar philosophy with other books on Buddhism that I have read. While nothing stands out as entirely new, the message of wabi-sabi remains meaningful. It’s less about learning something new and more about implementing these teachings. I read it with a sense of calm, and it serves as a valuable reminder, though simple, to incorporate these practices into my daily life.

[Niloufar Karimi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t really enjoy this book. The author discusses poorly a philosophy that is not even part of his own culture, the approach felt very superficial to me. The references used were to figures that are quite far from what wabi-sabi truly represents, which made the message feel disconnected from the essence of the concept.
That said, I did enjoy the visuals throughout the book.

[Fu Sheng Wilson Wong · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the general philosophy and ideas in this book is wholesome, the bulk of the book's content appears to be hodge podge collage of random quotes assembled with no discernable arrangement, order and pattern.

[Aargee]

Better I don't rate as I'm confused about what to rate this!! Simple message: don't worry about anything, appreciate beauty even in imperfection, watch as life goes by every day & appreciate everything that happens

[Марія Горбач · Rating 2 out of 5]

Одна зірочка цій книжці за те, що розраджувала мене в лікарні, а ще одна — за підбір ілюстрацій. Зміст, попри велику цікавість до теми, не відкрив абсолютно нічого нового. І ще тут дуже неякісний переклад і редактура.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, designed to be consumed as a page a day for immersion/meditation on a theme or wabi sabi example. Driven by library checkout deadline, I didn’t marinate in it and instead read via chapters. A nice intro to the wabi sabi concepts.

[Vivian Adram · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a simple book. The language used.. a little confusing and unnecessary but its fine.

[Mandy Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter rubbish. Unnecessarily long sentences which do not even capture the essence of Eastern wisdom. A waste of time and money.

[Oskar Brandt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice coffee table book with cozy but not too neither serious nor always original thoughts on the beauty of the imperfect.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very nice book for multitasking.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuốn sách nhở và rất đẹp. Mấy bức tranh phù hợp với lời nhắn ngay cạnh nó. Nhưng lời dịch thì nhiều chỗ không thoát, khó hiểu nên khá đáng tiếc.

[winnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short-form book that touches on how you can apply the Wabi-Sabi philosophy in different aspects of your everyday life. Plenty of quotes and illustrations. Not bad!

[Augustus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing is perfect, nothing is finished, and nothing lasts forever. That is part of the beauty of life.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is wabi sabi? The author doesn't know either.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good colourful book, serves more as a statement, fashion book than any real info. Lots of very beautiful, aesthetic pictures, easy information. Great gift for beginners.

[Hidayatul Husna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too short. And just throws of words that don’t relate to the previous ones. Not a good example to those new to wabi sabi. A recap? Probably fine

[Kietaaatje ;) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was niet mijn ding

[The Adaptable Educator · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oliver Luke Delorie’s Wabi Sabi: Finding Beauty in Imperfection is a slender but profound exploration of an aesthetic philosophy deeply rooted in Japanese culture. In its modest form—both physically as a book and conceptually in its content—it mirrors the very principles it seeks to elucidate: simplicity, transience, and the quiet elegance of imperfection.

The Essence of Wabi Sabi

Delorie approaches wabi-sabi not as an exhaustive academic treatise but as a meditative offering. This book is less a traditional analysis and more a fragmented guide, encouraging the reader to embrace impermanence and find beauty in the incomplete. His reflective prose—at times poetic, at times aphoristic—invites contemplation rather than dictation, creating a dialogic relationship with the reader that aligns with the subject's ethos.

The strength of Delorie’s work lies in its ability to gently reorient a Western audience toward the subtleties of this Japanese aesthetic sensibility. While many might approach wabi-sabi expecting rigid definitions, Delorie resists this impulse. Instead, he provides glimpses, metaphors, and evocative examples, illustrating that wabi-sabi is better felt than articulated.

Literary Form and Function

Structurally, the book reflects wabi-sabi principles. It eschews linear argumentation and exhaustive elaboration, instead opting for a patchwork of musings, interspersed with visual elements that embody the aesthetic. This format might frustrate readers seeking a straightforward guide but rewards those open to lingering in the liminal space between knowing and experiencing.

Delorie’s writing style is deliberately sparse yet rich in imagery, evoking the weathered surfaces, muted colors, and asymmetrical forms that characterize wabi-sabi. His prose occasionally borders on the didactic, but these moments are rare and often tempered by his overarching humility in approaching a philosophy not native to him.

Cultural Sensitivity and Adaptation

One of the book’s most commendable aspects is its respectful treatment of wabi-sabi as a living philosophy. Delorie avoids appropriating or diluting it for commercial purposes—a common pitfall in works that engage with non-Western concepts. He acknowledges the challenges of translating such an ephemeral idea into English, emphasizing its untranslatability as a form of reverence. His acknowledgment of the philosophy's roots in Zen Buddhism and its connections to the Japanese tea ceremony provides crucial context without overwhelming the reader with historical exposition.

Limitations and Opportunities

While the book excels in evocation, it occasionally risks oversimplifying wabi-sabi by framing it as universally accessible without sufficient engagement with its cultural specificity. Readers deeply familiar with Japanese aesthetics might find Delorie’s interpretations to be surface-level. However, for those newly introduced to the concept, the book serves as an inviting gateway.

Moreover, its brevity may leave some readers yearning for a deeper dive into the philosophical underpinnings of wabi-sabi, such as its relationship with ma (negative space) or its parallels with Western philosophies like existentialism. Yet, this very incompleteness could itself be considered an embodiment of wabi-sabi, leaving space for the reader to explore further.

Final Reflections

Oliver Luke Delorie’s Wabi Sabi: Finding Beauty in Imperfection is less a definitive guide and more an invitation to pause, reflect, and perceive the world differently. Its imperfections—the vagueness, the brevity, the lack of comprehensive detail—are, in a way, its greatest strengths, aligning perfectly with the philosophy it celebrates.

This book will resonate with readers who are open to subtlety and ambiguity, willing to engage with the ephemeral and incomplete. It is not a manual but a mirror, offering glimpses of wabi-sabi that, like the philosophy itself, shift and evolve with the reader’s perspective. In embracing its imperfection, the book transcends its form, leaving a lasting impression akin to the fleeting beauty of a falling cherry blossom.

[Ghada · Rating 3 out of 5]

another light reading, i find lots of comfort in eastern philosophy!

[Samira Mohamed · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book unnecessarily complicated, yet I truly loved the photography and the presentation.

[Csaba]

Nice book with a lot of interesting thoughts and pictures.