The Importance Of Living

Lin Yutang

HarperCollins, Sep 16, 1998 - Self-Help - 480 pages

The Importance of Living is a wry, witty antidote to the dizzying pace of the modern world. Lin Yutang's prescription is the classic Chinese philosophy of life: Revere inaction as much as action, invoke humor to maintain a healthy attitude, and never forget that there will always be plenty of fools around who are willing-indeed, eager-to be busy, to make themselves useful, and to exercise power while you bask in the simple joy of existence.At a time when we're overwhelmed with wake-up calls, here is a refreshing, playful reminder to savor life's simple pleasures.

What people are saying

Review: The Importance Of Living

User Review - Goodreads

Lin Yutang is the kind of man whom I shall secretly devote an unrequited love. He is witty and extremely lovable in his writing, despite the fact that you may not agree with him.

Review: The Importance Of Living

User Review  - Bill Kinzie - Goodreads

A book to be savored in bits and pieces. A variety of discourses on how to life well from many wise Chinese practitioners. It's a tome I return to again and again.

Contents

• Preface One The Awakening I Approach to Life: 1
• A PseudoScientific Formula: 4
• The Scamp as Ideal: 11
• Two Views of Mankind 15 I Christian Greek and Chinese: 15
• Earthbound: 23
• Spirit and Flesh: 25
• A Biological View: 26
• Human Life a Poem: 30
• Three Our Animal Heritage 32 I The Monkey Epic: 32
• In the Image of the Monkey: 35
• HI On Being Mortal: 37
• On Having a Stomach: 41
• On Having Strong Muscles: 50
• On Having a Mind: 55
• Four On Being Human 64 I On Human Dignity: 64
• The Rise of Human Civilization: 65
• On Dreams: 72
• On the Sense of Humor: 76
• On Being Wayward and Incalculable: 81
• The Doctrine of the Individual: 86
• Five Who Can Best Enjoy Life?: 94
• Mencius: 97
• Laotse: 104
• Tsesse: 110
• Tao Yüanming: 114
• Six The Feast of Life: 121
• Human Happiness Is Sensuous: 125
• Chins Thirtythree Happy Moments: 129
• Misunderstandings of Materialism: 136
• How About Mental Pleasures?: 139
• Seven The Importance of Loafing: 144
• The Chinese Theory of Leisure: 147
• The Cult of the Idle Life: 150
• This Earth the Only Heaven: 155
• What Is Luck?: 159
• Three American Vices: 160
• Eight The Enjoyment of the Home: 165
• Celibacy a Freak of Civilization: 169
• On Sex Appeal: 175
• The Chinese Family Ideal: 181
• On Growing Old Gracefully: 190
• Nine The Enjoyment of Living: 200
• On Sitting in Chairs: 204
• On Conversation: 209
• On Tea and Friendship: 219
• On Smoke and Incense: 229
• On Drink and Wine Games: 237
• On Food and Medicine: 245
• Some Curious Western Customs: 254
• The Inhumanity of Western Dress: 257
• On House and Interiors: 263
• Ten The Enjoyment of Nature: 274
• The Vase Flowers of Yuan: 308
• The Epigrams of Chang Chao: 315
• Eleven The Enjoyment of Travel: 331
• The Travels of Mingliaotse: 340
• Twelve The Enjoyment of Culture: 364
• Thirteen Relationship to God: 399
• Fourteen The Art of Thinking: 413
• The Return to Common Sense: 419
• Certain Chinese Names: 429
• Index of Names and Subjects: 451

About the author

LIN YUTANG was born in 1895 to a mission family and became one of the best-known Chinese scholars and writers.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Importance Of Living
• Author: Lin Yutang
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: HarperCollins, 1998
• ISBN: 0688163521, 9780688163525
• Length: 480 pages
• Subjects: Self-Help / General; Self-Help / Personal Growth / Happiness