Beth Kempton has produced a beautifully written and moving book that deals with the need to find peace within despite the demands of a busy world.
Dealing with many themes, including grief, Beth uses her own experiences to demonstrate the Japanese concept of Kokoro and how it can help us to navigate through difficult times.
I am going to reread Kokoro very soon to absorb the many points that resonated with me on my first read through.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book

Thank you NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the e-ARC!

I loved this.

I had the opportunity to visit Japan last summer and upon returning home, the entire trip felt like a complete blur. Lately I've been getting strange twinges of memories. I'll just be living life and all of a sudden a whiff of some scent I didn't even get the chance to identify or a slight change in temperature brings me back for a split second and I feel like I am there again for the briefest moment. I found this book at the perfect time. It strengthened my longing to go back, to the point where it feels like a physical pull so strong that it hurts.

Another reason this was a perfect read for me at this moment in time - I've finally begun to start processing my grief. 3 months ago, I lost my aunt to cancer. She was only 50 and she had suspected she was sick for over a year, but by the time she had told us and finally got her diagnosis, she only had 1-2 months. It was breast cancer that had spread to her brain.

Having never experienced something like that before, I felt similarly to what the author had described in the chapters about losing her mother. I hadn't had a deep understanding of how fleeting life truly is until those months. I can't find the exact quote, but similarly to what the author said she experienced, I felt like it was something that happened to other people, other families, but not mine. I always knew it would happen to those around me someday, but didn't know what it would be like when I was actually living through it. I've had so much anxiety about the reality of how I could just lose someone in the blink of an eye. That chapter hit me so hard and brought up some of the thoughts I've been trying to silence, but also in a way quelled some of my anxieties with the reflections on time and how death is understood in Japanese culture.

Also - I was so fascinated about Dōgen after reading Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being last year. I wanted to learn more but wasn't sure where to start. There was lots here about Dōgen and the concept of "time-being". I'll definitely be checking out the books the author suggested at the end as well!

At some times it got a little too mystical for me, but for the most part, the aspects some might consider metaphysical were mainly just examining the Japanese/Buddhist perspective on things and less so the author preaching or proclaiming anything.

I pre-ordered a physical copy midway through reading it and can't wait for it!

I have often seen books about tips for living a better life and (good quality) self-help books as a bit of guilty pleasure and mindless reading, if that makes sense. As I aged, it became more and more obvious to me that there is a massive difference between scientific guidance, best practices around mindfulness and meditation, great philosophy and subjective mumbo-jumbos.

In general, I have a liking for Japanese practices and wisdom for leading a good and balanced life, and Kempton does a great job of explaining these pieces of wisdom in an engaging way. Her personal experiences with kokoro were nice to read.

I had never heard of Kokoro before reading this book, so as the ultimate beginner it felt really refreshing to dive deep into a segment of Japanese culture!

Beth does an amazing job at condensing a lifetime of experiences into a very concise and digestible read. It felt really personal to her story and that made the education on Kokoro feel less like a teacher telling you how to count and more like a friend talking to you over a cup of tea.

We get to meet so many fascinating people from Hotel CEOs to Chefs & go so many places that it really felt like a privilege to venture so broadly in a single book.


The idea of Kokoro was consistently mentioned which, as a beginner, really made for a focused read. I think Beth did a good job and showing different sides of Kokoro and defining it through others perspectives. The length of the book felt just right & I loved how it was wrapped up at the end, it didn’t feel rushed or random it felt very fitting to the entire book.


I also loved how much Japanese language was interwoven into the book in a way that was still understandable and accessible.

The only critiques I have of this book is that at times I felt I couldn’t apply the ideas to my own personal life. It didn’t always feel like there were practical tips or applications to a more Western life so I felt a little lost at times with how to actually use Kokoro in my daily life.

There was also a lot of death in this book and whilst this idea may be central to Kokoro it would’ve been nice to have a few more lighter elements of this book.

- Kokoro: Japanese Wisdom for a Life Well Lived by Beth Kempton
- Inspired by ancient and contemporary Japanese wisdom
- Explores the concept of Kokoro, meaning "heart-mind"
- Guides readers to cultivate stillness, contentment, and joy
- Draws from centuries of Japanese literature, culture, and philosophy
- Offers insights on presence, awareness, and calm
- Blends ancient wisdom with modern perspective
- Encourages readers to live each day with wonder and ease
- Provides real-life stories and practical techniques for living well
- A transformative journey towards inner peace and fulfillment