Incisive observations on happiness drawn from Eastern philosophy.
A guide to finding contentment by looking inward.
Hung’s debut comprises blog posts written over the course of the past 10 years. By sharing his “thoughts and feelings” on his “ongoing journey to happiness,” he hopes to “inspire everyone to have a positive, well-rounded, peaceful, meaningful, fulfilled, energetic, and intense life.” The posts (which can be read in any order and have been capably translated from Vietnamese by the author) cover multiple topics—suffering, joy, sadness. Many are brief musings, with Hung writing a few sentences on the power of nature, barriers to happiness, or finding peace in being alone by “being in touch with your body and mind.” Longer essays reflect on what he learned climbing Yen Tu, a Vietnamese mountain and holy site, and the importance of living ethically. Much of the thoughtful, Buddhist-influenced book considers the ways self-reflection and looking inward can lead to happiness. The mind-body connection and the relationship between physical health and joy are also discussed. In the middle section, the focus shifts to work. Hung (the founder of a technology company) believes that an unhappy work environment is like hell while a positive environment is like heaven. The advice in this section tends toward the prosaic. Run-of-the-mill tips (which seem borrowed from typical career advice) cover how to handle criticism, become a better public speaker, and set goals. The author doesn’t steer the reader onto a clear path toward happiness; rather, he recommends mindfulness, gently pushing people to pause and evaluate their life choices. The mind is like a stormy lake’s surface, he writes, “surging with crashing waves caused by negative thoughts and feelings.” To “realize the deeper meanings” below the tumult, you must make your mind still. Throughout, his words offer encouragement and insight: “We and not anyone else are responsible for our own lives.”
Incisive observations on happiness drawn from Eastern philosophy.Pub Date: Dec. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-69238-493-7
Page Count: 198
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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