Bøger af Hector Garcia

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERWe all have an ikigai. It's the Japanese word for 'a reason to live' or 'a reason to jump out of bed in the morning'. It's the place where your needs, desires, ambitions, and satisfaction meet.A place of balance. Small wonder that finding your ikigai is closely linked to living longer. Finding your ikigai is easier than you might think.This book will help you work out what your own ikigai really is, and equip you to change your life. You have a purpose in this world: your skills, your interests, your desires and your history have made you the perfect candidate for something. All you have to do is find it.Do that, and you can make every single day of your life joyful and meaningful. 'I read it and it's bewitched me ever since. I'm spellbound.' Chris Evans'A refreshingly simple recipe for happiness.' Stylist'Ikigai gently unlocks simple secrets we can all use to live long, meaningful, happy lives.Warm, patient, and kind, this book pulls you gently along your own journey rather than pushing you from behind.' Neil Pasricha, bestselling author of The Happiness Equation.

For every fan of manga, anime, J-pop, or Zen, A Geek in Japan is a hip, smart and concise guide to the land that is their source. Comprehensive and well informed, it covers a wide array of topics in short articles accompanied by sidebars and numerous photographs, providing a lively digest of the society and culture of Japan. Designed to appeal to the generations of Westerners who grew up on Pokemon, manga and video games, A Geek in Japan reinvents the culture guide for readers in the Internet age.Spotlighting the originality and creativity of the Japanese, debunking myths about them, and answering nagging questions like why they're so fond of robots, author Hector Garcia has created the perfect book for the growing ranks of Japanophiles in this inspired, insightful and highly informative guide.

Learn to make the most of every moment - it will never come again.

I Japan bliver flere mennesker hundrede år end noget andet sted i verden. Hvorfor? For at finde svaret har bogens to forfattere besøgt øen Okinawa, som er det sted i Japan med flest hundredårige og interviewet beboerne om, hvad de mener, der fører til et langt og lykkeligt liv. Ud over sund mad, frisk luft, grøn the og klimaet lader det til, at nøglen er at finde i deres ikigai. I følge japansk tradition har alle en ikigai – en grund til at være. Det er den, som får os ud af sengen om morgenen, den som giver vort liv værdi og mening, eller rettere er meningen. Nogle mennesker har allerede fundet deres ikigai, andre leder stadig. Den ligger skjult dybt i os alle, og det kræver tålmodighed at finde frem til den. Men findes den, er vejen banet for et langt og lykkeligt liv.Ikigai kan også oversættes til ”kunsten at holde sig (godt) beskæftiget”, men ikke med hvad som helst – det handler ikke bare om at bare holde sig travl, som vi gør i vesten. Nej, snarere handler det om kvaliteten i det man gør; plej venskaber, spis sundt og ikke for meget, lev i nuet, bevæg dig roligt og skynd dig ikke og gør frem for alt, det du elsker. Det hele indfanges i valgsproget ”hara hachi bu” – ”fyld kun maven 80 %”. Det er en art asiatisk middelvejsfilosofi, som både eksistentialistisk psykologi og mindfullness har hentet inspiration i.

I Japan bliver flere mennesker hundrede år end noget andet sted i verden. Hvorfor? For at finde svaret har bogens to forfattere besøgt øen Okinawa, som er det sted i Japan med flest hundredårige og interviewet beboerne om, hvad de mener, der fører til et langt og lykkeligt liv. Ud over sund mad, frisk luft, grøn the og klimaet lader det til, at nøglen er at finde i deres ikigai.I følge japansk tradition har alle en ikigai – en grund til at være. Det er den, som får os ud af sengen om morgenen, den som giver vort liv værdi og mening, eller rettere er meningen. Nogle mennesker har allerede fundet deres ikigai, andre leder stadig. Den ligger skjult dybt i os alle, og det kræver tålmodighed at finde frem til den. Men findes den, er vejen banet for et langt og lykkeligt liv.Ikigai kan også oversættes til ”kunsten at holde sig (godt) beskæftiget”, men ikke med hvad som helst – det handler ikke bare om at bare holde sig travl, som vi gør i vesten. Nej, snarere handler det om kvaliteten i det man gør; plej venskaber, spis sundt og ikke for meget, lev i nuet, bevæg dig roligt og skynd dig ikke og gør frem for alt, det du elsker. Det hele indfanges i valgsproget ”hara hachi bu” – ”fyld kun maven 80 %”. Det er en art asiatisk middelvejsfilosofi, som både eksistentialistisk psykologi og mindfullness har hentet inspiration i.

A charming collection of quirky insights into Japanese culture.The Magic of Japan is writer Hector Garcia's intensely personal account of his fifteen years in Japan. A self-professed "e;otaku"e; or Japanese anime geek since childhood, Garcia has worked for a Japanese software company, mastered the language, and become one of Japan's most popular bloggers.This book is the culmination of his experiences and showcases Garcia's unique ability to delve beneath the surface of Japanese culture to describe its quirky and deep spiritual underpinnings. This collection of essays and beautiful photographs will appeal to his worldwide fan baseincluding those who devoured his previous bestsellers, A Geek in Japan and Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy LifeJapanophiles, armchair travelers and anyone with an interest in cultural and travel memoirs.The Magic of Japan features Garcia's keen observations on a wide variety of cultural topics:Japanese behavioral traits, including non-verbal communication, hansei (self-reflection), heijoshin (a calm mind) and shoshin (childlike openness)How Japan's geography and history have shaped its cultureits natural disasters, scarce resources, centuries of isolation and its feudal pastJapanese idiosyncrasies, ranging from food traditions and absurd jobs to a love of queuesThe Japanese spirit, as evidenced in traditional art, manga and attitudes to womenShintoism and Buddhism, looking at temples, festivals, rituals and how religious beliefs pervade popular culture, as seen for example in Studio Ghibli's movie Spirited AwayJapan's dark side, including crime, the yakuza, adultery, bullying and suicideThe book ends with a gloriously random selection of all things Garcia considers especially magical about Japanfrom izakaya to shiitake mushrooms, summer fireworks and green tea!

THE MULTI-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLERFind purpose, meaning and joy in your work and lifeWe all have an ikigai. It's the Japanese word for 'a reason to live' or 'a reason to jump out of bed in the morning'. The place where your needs, ambitions, skills and satisfaction meet. A place of balance.This book will help you unlock what your ikigai is and equip you to change your life. There is a passion inside you - a unique talent that gives you purpose and makes you the perfect candidate for something. All you have to do is discover and live it.Do that, and you can make every single day of your life joyful and meaningful.'A refreshingly simple recipe for happiness' Stylist'Ikigai gently unlocks simple secrets we can all use to live long, meaningful, happy lives' Neil Pasricha, bestselling author of The Happiness Equation

Learn to make every moment a once-in-a-lifetime experience with this definitive guide to the Japanese art of ichigo ichie (pronounced itchy-GO itchy-A), from the bestselling authors of Ikigai.Every moment in our life happens only once, and if we let it slip away, we lose it forever--an idea captured by the Japanese phrase ichigo ichie. Often spoken in Japan when greeting someone or saying goodbye, to convey that the encounter is unique and special, it is a tenet of Zen Buddhism and is attributed to a sixteenth-century master of the Japanese tea ceremony, or "ceremony of attention," whose intricate rituals compel us to focus on the present moment.From this age-old concept comes a new kind of mindfulness. In The Book of Ichigo Ichie, you will learn to...  •  appreciate the beauty of the fleeting, the way the Japanese celebrate the cherry blossoms for two weeks every April, knowing they''ll have to wait a whole year to see them again;  •  use all five senses to anchor yourself in the present, helping you to let go of fear, sadness, anger, and other negative emotions fueled by fixating on the past or the future;  •  be alert to the magic of coincidences, which help us find meaning among the disconnected events of our lives;  •  use ichigo ichie to help you discover your ikigai, or life''s purpose--because it''s only by learning to be present, to be tuned into what catches your attention and excites you in the moment, that you can identify what it is that most motivates you and brings you happiness.Every one of us contains a key that can open the door to attention, harmony with others, and love of life. And that key is ichigo ichie.