Be Here Now vs The Art of Stillness: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mind and body, Self help
Be Here Now
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"Now, though I am a beginner on the path, I have returned to the West for a time to work out karma or unfulfilled commitment. Part of this commitment is to share what I have learned with those of you who are on a…
The Art of Stillness
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A follow up to Pico Iyer’s essay “The Joy of Quiet,” The Art of Stillness considers the unexpected adventure of staying put and reveals a counterintuitive truth: The more ways we have to connect, the more we seem…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Be Here Now has the widest readership — 269 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| Be Here Now | The Art of Stillness | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 4.3 (61) | 3.8 (25) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (269) | 4.5 (57) |
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Reception
| Be Here Now | The Art of Stillness | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 269 | 57 |
| Editions | 3 | 2 |
| Citations | 77 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 186 | — |
| Pages | 100 | 74 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Be Here Now or The Art of Stillness?
The Art of Stillness has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Art of Stillness 4.1/5, Be Here Now 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: Be Here Now or The Art of Stillness?
The Art of Stillness is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Art of Stillness (74 pages, ≈ 1 h 22 m); Be Here Now (100 pages, ≈ 1 h 51 m).
Which is harder to read: Be Here Now or The Art of Stillness?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Be Here Now: Moderate; The Art of Stillness: Moderate.