| Edition |
1st Quill ed. |
| Description |
xiii, 462 pages ; 22 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Contents |
Preface -- Chapter 1: Awakening -- 1: Approach to life -- 2: Pseudo-scientific formula -- 3: Scamp as ideal -- Chapter 2: Views Of Mankind -- 1: Christian, Greek and Chinese -- 2: Earth-bound -- 3: Spirit and flesh -- 4: Biological view -- 5: Human life a poem -- Chapter 3: Our Animal Heritage -- 1: Monkey epic -- 2: In the image of the monkey -- 3: On being mortal -- 4: On having a stomach -- 5: On having strong muscles -- 6: On having a mind -- Chapter 4: On Being Human -- 1: On human dignity -- 2: On playful curiosity: the rise of human civilization -- 3: On dreams -- 4: On the sense of humor -- 5: On being wayward and incalculable -- 6: Doctrine of the individual -- Chapter 5: Who Can Best Enjoy Life? -- 1: Find thyself: Chuangtse -- 2: Passion, wisdom and courage: Mencius -- 3: Cynicism, folly and camouflage: Laotse -- 4: Philosophy of half-and half: Tsesse -- 5: Lover of life: T'ao Yuanming -- Chapter 6: Feast Of Life -- 1: Problem of happiness -- 2: Human happiness is sensuous -- 3: Chin's thirty-three happy moments -- 4: Misunderstandings of materialism -- 5: How about mental pleasures? -- Chapter 7: Importance Of Loafing -- 1: Man the only working animal -- 2: Chinese theory of leisure -- 3: Cult of the idle life -- 4: This Earth the only heaven -- 5: What is luck? -- 6: Three American vices --- Chapter 8: Enjoyment Of The Home -- 1: On getting biological -- 2: Celibacy a freak of civilization -- 3: On sex appeal -- 4: Chinese family ideal -- 5: On growing old gracefully -- Chapter 9: Enjoyment Of Living -- 1: On lying in bed -- 2: On sitting in chairs -- 3: On conversation -- 4: On tea and friendship -- 5: On smoke and incense -- 6: On drink and wine games -- 7: On food and medicine -- 8: Some curious western customs -- 9: Inhumanity of western dress -- 10: On house and interiors -- Chapter 10: Enjoyment Of Nature -- 1: Paradise lost? -- 2: On bigness -- 3: Two Chinese ladies -- 4: On rocks and trees -- 5: On flowers and flower arrangements -- 6: Vase flowers of Yuan Chunglang -- 7: Epigrams of Chang Ch'ao -- Chapter 11: Enjoyment Of Travel -- 1: On going about and seeing things -- 2: Travels of Mingliaotse -- a: Reason for the flight -- b: Way of traveling -- c: At Austere Heights d: Back to humanity -- e: Philosophy of the flight -- Chapter 12: Enjoyment Of Culture -- 1: Good taste in knowledge -- 2: Art as play and personality -- 3: Art of reading -- 4: Art of writing -- Chapter 13: Relationship To God -- 1: Restoration of religion -- 2: Why I am a pagan -- Chapter 14: Art Of Thinking -- 1: Need for humanized thinking -- 2: Return to common sense -- 3: Be reasonable -- Appendix A: Certain Chinese names -- Appendix B: Chinese critical vocabulary -- Index of names and subjects. |
| Summary |
From the Publisher: 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. |
| Subject |
Life.
|
|
Conduct of life.
|
|
Life. (OCoLC)fst01198505
|
|
Conduct of life. (OCoLC)fst00874563
|
| ISBN |
0688163521 |
|
9780688163525 |
|
