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The Longing for Less: Living with Minimalism
by
17/99
Critics' Rating Index
5/99
Readers' Rating Index
89/99
Scholars' Citation Index
77/99
Volume of Reviews
43/99
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About This Book
"More than just a story of an abiding cultural preoccupation, The Longing For Less peels back the commodified husk of minimalism to reveal something surprising and thoroughly alive." -Jenny Odell, author of How to Do Nothing "Thoughtful and absorbing . . . A superb outing from a gifted young critic that will spark joy in many readers." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Less is more": Everywhere we hear the mantra. Marie Kondo and other decluttering gurus promise that shedding our stuff will solve our problems. We commit to cleanse diets and strive for inbox zero. Amid the frantic pace and distraction of everyday life, we covet silence-and airy, Instagrammable spaces in which to enjoy it. The popular term for this brand of upscale austerity, "minimalism," has mostly come to stand for things to buy and consume. But minimalism has richer, deeper, and altogether more valuable gifts to offer. Kyle Chayka is one of our sharpest cultural observers. After spending years covering minimalist trends for leading publications, he now delves beneath this lifestyle's glossy surface, seeking better ways to claim the time and space we crave. He shows that our longing for less goes back further than we realize. His search leads him to the philosophical and spiritual origins of minimalism, and to the stories of artists such as Agnes Martin and Donald Judd; composers such as John Cage and Julius Eastman; architects and designers; visionaries and misfits. As Chayka looks anew at their extraordinary lives and explores the places where they worked-from Manhattan lofts to the Texas high desert and the back alleys of Kyoto-he reminds us that what we most require is presence, not absence. The result is an elegant new synthesis of our minimalist desires and our profound emotional needs.
Reviews
"Alluringly titled, Chayka's insightful book connects a wide array of thought-provoking approaches to the concept of less is more."
"Reading Chayka's book put me in mind of a longing for less stuff, and a longing for more support."
"Because of this disconnect, The Longing for Less leaves you wanting more: either a deep explanation of the cultural factors contributing to the rise of minimalist aesthetics today, or an incisive piece of art criticism that casts new light on the Minimalist art movement."
"He does have moments of productive discomfort ..."
"so thoughtful and absorbing it is quibbling to wish there were more photos and some consideration of literary minimalism ..."
"I found myself wishing that Chayka might occasionally live up to this rhetoric and succumb to the charms of a stand mixer or any other genuinely mass-produced object, minimalist in style or not."
"Chayka's odyssey through the modern minimalist tradition is worthy of a stand-alone text."
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