The Abundance of Less
Lessons in Simple Living from Rural Japan
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Narrated by:
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Adam Riley
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By:
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Andy Couturier
About this listen
An evocative study of life in rural Japan, this inspiring book for fans of Marie Kondo proves true wealth can be found by living sustainably among life’s simple but profound luxuries
The Abundance of Less captures the texture of sustainable lives well lived in these ten profiles of ordinary—yet exceptional—men and women who left behind mainstream existences in urban Japan to live surrounded by the luxuries of nature, art, friends, delicious food, and an abundance of time. Drawing on traditional Eastern spiritual wisdom and culture, these pioneers describe the profound personal transformations they underwent as they escaped the stress, consumerism, busyness, and dependence on technology of modern life.
This intimate and evocative book tells of their fulfilling lives as artists, philosophers, and farmers who rely on themselves for happiness and sustenance. By inviting listeners to enter into the essence of these individuals’ days, Couturier shows us how we too can bring more meaning and richness to our own lives.
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Critic reviews
“We are in an overheated world—physically and spiritually. It is extremely powerful to read of people who have managed to escape that world, not by traveling to outer space but by heading toward reality. This is subversive in the best possible way.” —Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy
“Reading this magic book is like drinking from a fresh wellspring deep in the mountains: it slowly returns one to sanity. In an era when the allure of ten thousand digital screens eclipses the inner radiance of a stone lying among the reeds, how clarifying to encounter the eloquence and humility of these well-lived lives.” —David Abram, author of The Spell of the Sensuous
“Couturier catches everything that is essential and beautiful in Japan with a clarity, sincerity, and openness that move me to the core. It’s been years since such a fresh and liberating voice has emerged to remind us of the true heart of a country that so many of us fail to see.” —Pico Iyer, author of The Lady and the Monk
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must read
- By Jeff Darlington on 10-22-17
By: Xiaolu Guo
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Because Our Fathers Lied
- A Memoir of Truth and Family, from Vietnam to Today
- By: Craig McNamara
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright, Craig McNamara
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Craig McNamara came of age in the political tumult and upheaval of the late '60s. While Craig McNamara would grow up to take part in anti-war demonstrations, his father, Robert McNamara, served as John F. Kennedy’s Secretary of Defense and the architect of the Vietnam War. This searching and revealing memoir offers an intimate picture of one father and son at pivotal periods in American history. Because Our Fathers Lied is more than a family story—it is a story about America.
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Title Does Not Reflect Scope of the Book
- By Amazon Customer on 07-15-22
By: Craig McNamara
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Without You, There Is No Us
- My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite
- By: Suki Kim
- Narrated by: Janet Song
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Every day, three times a day, the students march in two straight lines, singing praises to Kim Jong-il and North Korea: Without you, there is no motherland. Without you, there is no us. It is a chilling scene, but gradually Suki Kim, too, learns the tune and, without noticing, begins to hum it. It is 2011, and all universities in North Korea have been shut down for an entire year, the students sent to construction fields - except for the 270 students at the all-male Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST).
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The King and I meets Mary Poppins
- By Michael on 02-22-15
By: Suki Kim
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Brida
- By: Paulo Coelho
- Narrated by: Linda Emond
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Brida, a young Irish girl, has long been interested in various aspects of magic but is searching for something more. Her search leads her to people of great wisdom. She meets a wise man who dwells in a forest, who teaches her to trust in the goodness of the world, and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the music of the world. As Brida seeks her destiny, she struggles to find a balance between her relationships and her desire to become a witch.
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Very disappointing
- By Jen Terry on 01-11-09
By: Paulo Coelho
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Artful
- By: Ali Smith
- Narrated by: Ali Smith
- Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2012, Ali Smith delivered the Weidenfeld lectures on European comparative literature at St. Anne’s College, Oxford. Those lectures, presented here, took the shape of discursive stories that refused to be tied down to either fiction or the essay form. Thus, Artful is narrated by a character who is haunted - literally - by a former lover, the writer of a series of lectures about art and literature. A hypnotic dialogue unfolds between storytelling and a meditation on art that encompasses love, grief, memory, and revitalization.
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#Reality/Loss/Mythology
- By Ellen K. on 11-14-18
By: Ali Smith
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Tales of Wonder
- By: Huston Smith
- Narrated by: Michael McConnohie
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Huston Smith, the man who brought the world's religions to the West, was born almost a century ago to missionary parents in China during the perilous rise of the Communist Party. Smith's lifelong spiritual journey brought him face-to-face with many of the people who shaped the 20th century. His extraordinary travels around the globe have taken him to the world's holiest places, where he has practiced religion with many of the great spiritual leaders of our time.
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Takes of wonder for sure, by a wonderful man.
- By Dr. D. Brian Austin on 04-03-19
By: Huston Smith
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Jaguar in the Body, Butterfly in the Heart
- By: Ya'Acov Darling Khan
- Narrated by: Ya'Acov Darling Khan
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Shaman, meaning "intermediary between spirit and the natural world", has become a much overused word in the West. It's not a job title one can give oneself, and in indigenous societies a shaman is usually born to this role. Ya'Acov Darling Khan is one of the few Westerners who have been acknowledged as shamans by indigenous elders or teachers. After being hit by lightning, Ya'Acov took a 30-year journey into the heart of shamanism to seek his own healing and to learn how he could serve others with the wisdom he acquired through his experiences.
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AHHHH not so good
- By Michelle Moore on 07-06-19
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Aging as a Spiritual Practice
- A Contemplative Guide to Growing Older and Wiser
- By: Lewis Richmond
- Narrated by: Fred Sullivan
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Everything changes. For Buddhist priest and meditation teacher Lewis Richmond, this fundamental Buddhist tenet is the basis for a new inner road map that emerges in the later years, charting an understanding that can bring new possibilities, fresh beginnings, and a wealth of appreciation and gratitude for the life journey itself.
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Aging as a Spiritual Practice ensures a life fulfilled.
- By Rizalina C. Galicinao on 06-18-17
By: Lewis Richmond
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The Zahir
- By: Paulo Coelho
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi, Emilia Fox
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
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It begins with a glimpse or a passing thought. It ends in obsession. One day a renowned author discovers that his wife, a war correspondent, has disappeared leaving no trace. Though time brings more success and new love, he remains mystified - and increasingly fascinated - by her absence. Was she kidnapped, blackmailed, or simply bored with their marriage? The unrest she causes is as strong as the attraction she exerts.
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Beautiful and deep read!
- By Top 1% Buyer on 09-13-15
By: Paulo Coelho
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Across Many Mountains
- A Tibetan Family's Epic Journey from Oppression to Freedom
- By: Yangzom Brauen
- Narrated by: Yangzom Brauen
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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A powerful, emotional memoir and an extraordinary portrait of three generations of Tibetan women whose lives are forever changed when Chairman Mao’s Red Army crushes Tibetan independence, sending a young mother and her six-year-old daughter on a treacherous journey across the snowy Himalayas toward freedom.
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Excellent all around!
- By Lynn on 09-06-12
By: Yangzom Brauen
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The Harvard Psychedelic Club
- How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America
- By: Don Lattin
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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It is impossible to overstate the cultural significance of the four men described in Don Lattin's The Harvard Psychedelic Club. Huston Smith, tirelessly working to promote cross-cultural religious and spiritual tolerance. Richard Alpert, aka Ram Dass, inspiring generations with his mantra "be here now". Andrew Weil, undisputed leader of the holistic medicine revolution. And, of course, Timothy Leary, the charismatic, rebellious counterculture icon and LSD guru.
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A Fascinating, Engaging Story, Expertly Told
- By Gillian Culff on 12-12-19
By: Don Lattin
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Wouldn’t get it if have to pay a full credit
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Fascinating Even If A Little Dated
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Useful information, but seemed like an AI creation
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Most of us know we own too much stuff. We feel the weight and burden of our clutter, and we tire of cleaning and managing and organizing. While excess consumption leads to bigger houses, faster cars, fancier technology, and cluttered homes, it never brings happiness. Rather, it results in a desire for more. It redirects our greatest passions to things that can never fulfill, and it distracts us from the very lives we wish we were living. But it doesn't have to be this way.
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The daughter of a Chinese mother and a Japanese father, Gail Tsukiyama uses the Japanese invasion of China during the late 1930s as a somber backdrop for her unusual story about a 20-year-old Chinese painter named Stephen who is sent to his family's summer home in a Japanese coastal village to recover from a bout with tuberculosis. Here he is cared for by Matsu, a reticent housekeeper and a master gardener. Over the course of a remarkable year, Stephen learns Matsu's secret and gains not only physical strength, but also profound spiritual insight.
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Pimsleur Japanese Level 1 Lessons 1-5
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This course includes Lessons 1-5 from the Japanese Level 1 program featuring 2.5 hours of language instruction. Each lesson provides 30 minutes of spoken language practice, with an introductory conversation and new vocabulary and structures. Detailed instructions enable you to understand and participate in the conversation. Practice for vocabulary introduced in previous lessons is included in each lesson. The emphasis is on pronunciation and comprehension and on learning to speak Japanese.
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SO EASY
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Ikigai is the place where our passion (what we love), mission (what we hope to contribute), vocation (the gifts we have to offer the world) and profession (how our passions and talents can become a livelihood) converge, giving us a personal sense of meaning. This book helps you bring together all of these elements so that you can enjoy a balanced life.
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very odd choices of example stories throughout
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In her late 20s, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in the consumerism cycle that grips so many of us: earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. Even after she worked her way out of nearly $30,000 of consumer debt, her old habits took hold again. When she realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy - only keeping her from meeting her goals - she decided to set herself a challenge: she would not shop for an entire year. The Year of Less documents Cait's life for 12 months during which she bought only consumables.
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Twenty-something coming of age
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Ikigai & Kaizen
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Discover the Japanese secret to unlocking your purpose, productivity, and passion in life!
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Interesting perspective to conscious goal setting!
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Ikigai
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Bring meaning and joy to all your days with this internationally best-selling guide to the Japanese concept of ikigai - the happiness of always being busy - as revealed by the daily habits of the world's longest-living people.
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Not insightful but inspirational
- By A. Yoshida on 02-27-18
By: Héctor García, and others
What listeners say about The Abundance of Less
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Danny and Sheila
- 07-26-22
What a beautiful beautiful book
This book was such a welcome surprise. Didn't know what to expect because I stumbled on it and randomly decided to buy it. It was beautiful, comforting, healing, and a such a gentle teacher in living from deep within. I recommend it wholeheartedly!
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- S.C. Miller
- 07-27-23
Real people living remarkable lives!
Very good performance, except for some strange pronunciations: (e.g. "Vague" does not rhyme with"bag".)
The people whose life choices and experiences the author describes are extraordinary, interesting, and worthy subjects. I so wish that I - and the world at large - could hear more!
The world would be a better place if more people lived as they have.
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- Mary Mumma Brown
- 08-09-20
Great Book!
The whole book is great but the last two chapters are brilliant. This book could change your life.
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- Anita
- 02-14-21
So much to think about
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The narrator did a great job. The stories of each persons life depicted here gives the listener many things to think about and chew over in their mind. Not many of us could live the lives depicted but we all can make small changes in our own little world which together can significantly impact the world as a whole.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Diana K
- 11-04-19
a life changing book!
In my search for ways to live a kinder life, one of meaning and fulfillment, one of less, and of a smaller carbon footprint, I tried to incorporate minimalism into my life. Although, the principles of the practice was effective and efficient, something was missing. Like a richness one feels when glancing upon a lush mound of wild grasses and flowers. Abundant, not bare. A lifestyle that’s like a blend of living in nature, surrounded by beauty, living in synchronicity with life, where one utilizes only what is needed and not wasting nor taking anything for granted.
But I was stuck cycling through habits of using disposable plastics, food packaging, takeout boxes, and coffee cups, and on. I was a shining example product of hustle culture working a fast-paced demanding job that would itch my attention deficit brain—so used to floods of information via the internet—to consume endless digital content. I was living in a dead-end junk pile. And I kept making excuses after excuses as to why minimalism was impossible, that there wasn’t a spark to light up the fire, and to be surrounded by nothing, but echoey walls just wasn’t a good enough "why".
Then... I found this book. Filled with succinctly written observations and stories of artisans, farmers and friends that the author have spent over 15 years getting to know. It covers the lives of those who adapted to living their in own way, working hard to pursue their purpose while living in tandem with nature. Including stories of some who left the city and escaped lives as office workers to live a life of simplicity and meaning. The author describes it in a way where one can easily through his eyes and experience, too, how it’s like to be there with him observing their daily life rituals. To live in peaceful existence. Rich in life and abundant in food for thought. I know I will be reading/listening to it many times over. A hardcopy of this book is now a permanent fixture on my desk.
So yea, definitely life changing! At least for me.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Chris
- 08-08-20
Excellent narration, pieces of wisdom
This book is one of those that I have scribbled notes throughout, capturing clips of the audio, while spending mornings sitting quietly drinking coffee and staring out the window. And while I’m thankful for the bits of wisdom captured in these stories, I also want to credit narrator, Adam Riley, for his ability to bring characters to life in a way that gave them personality so that I was able to imagine the conversations that I might have with them as well. In a way, the audiobook had its own life and personality and I imagine listening to it again so that I might imagine a return to remote Japan and drink tea with friends.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 09-18-20
an amazing, eye opening book
This book was one of the best books I've had the honor of reading, it has really opened my eyes and had a significant impact on my life. I have no doubt I will carry these words with me for my lifetime. I highly suggest anyone who is interested read this book, there is no way my review here could do it justice.
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- Cheryl
- 03-17-23
I will listen again and again.
This book has what so many books about "simple living" and homesteading lack, which is the rich historical and philosophical basis for the choice. Choosing to grow your own food or live without much money has it's practical aspects too, but mostly you just need encouragement that you are on the right path, that the inconveniences are worth it, that you need to transcend the physical cravings for stuff and status and comfort in order to gain a richer existence. And while some of the book is a little woo-woo for this pragmatic, naturalistic American, I still loved it and got a lot out of it. I will listen to this over and over again, and will probably get a physical copy of the book as well.
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- kyle mcdonald
- 12-08-21
Robotic narration
To be honest, even if this was a Pulitzer Prize winning book it would be unreadable / hearable with the narrator’s voice. Sadly, I didn’t get more than a page in because his voice was so sterile and un-human..
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