Why read The Beauty of Everyday Things?

Book cover of The Beauty of Everyday Things

Book description

"Radical and inspiring ... Yanagi's vision puts the connection between heart and hand before the transient and commercial" - Edmund de Waal

The daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects, common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such, writes Soetsu…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Beauty of Everyday Things as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Laura Calder

Author

It’s not often you can say a book was life-changing, but this one was for me.

It is a series of essays by a Japanese philosopher and authority on craftmanship. He writes of his travels through Japan and Korea, about the Japanese aesthetic, and the vital importance of good craftsmanship, particularly in everyday objects.

The author warns of the dangers of cheap, mass-produced objects and shows the many ways in which they erode the quality of everyday life. The book changed how I see the objects around me, how I choose them, how they affect me, and even how I…

From Laura's 3 favorite reads in 2023.