The Serenity Experiment: Searching for Personal Peace in a World That Won’t Slow Down

There are plenty of things to like about this book. Do you like to bicycle, garden, sit in coffee shops, or just find a nice bench in a serene park? The book does a great job to help explain how so important it is to practice stillness, to settle the mind, and learn to really notice the world around you. In these days of news drama, political unrest, and pandemic fatigue, now is the best time to learn better "stillness" habits.David Howell has an easy engaging writing style. Because of this, I read this book in several days, which for me was quite an accomplishment. There was a lot of material and examples that I could relate to. David is brutally honest when he writes about his own challenges learning to be still, its affect on himself and then on his partner and their relationship. It's a great read for anyone interested in show down their world (even just a little bit).I liked it so much a bought a copy for a friend!

The Serenity Experiment is engaging and timely.Howell's writing is as comfortable as sharing beers in the park. He'll begin with an abstract idea and then move to an illustration from his personal or professional life, presented in such a way that the reader can't help but to reflect on how they'd respond if this were a conversation rather than a book. And then he wraps up that thread of the work and moves along.The timing is right: read this book now! We've all been forced into some degree of isolation during the past year, and Howell's Serenity Experiment helped me process some of the complex feelings the isolation has wrought. Consider this beautiful statement from his excellent discussion of the difference between oneliness and loneliness: "It's one of the ironies I experience with solitude: the more time I spend alone (and outside), the less I feel lonely, to the point where I'm no longer sure I understand what loneliness is."

Like most of us, my life dramatically changed during the pandemic. My primary sources of inspiration - biking, hiking, and travel - either moved inside, was at best sporadic or ceased altogether. I found myself taking short walks at a local park and sitting at a bench observing the people and wildlife around me. When reading David Howell's book, "The Serenity Experiment," I realize now that I was looking for a new means of finding inspiration nearby. His experiment during the long months of COVID lays out simple changes to form a new habit and find serenity. His story-telling style was engaging and helped me thoughtfully consider finding my own sense of peace in an ever changing world.

This was such a relaxing book to read. It's a book about sitting and thinking, and it made me sit and think more. I look forward to reading it again sometime soon.

Enjoy this introspective journey into the intentional slow down Dr. Howell imposed on himself— it’s a wonderful by-product birthed in this time of great distress and uncertainty. Lemonade from lemons! Thanks Dave!

Admittedly this book was a bit challenging for me to get into, as I am not one to read philosophy or ethics much. I ended up taking a break from reading it this summer and recently picked it back up again. As we enter the more still/contemplative seasons I am appreciating the slower pace of the book more deeply than reading it in the fast paced summer time. I appreciate the reminders of taking time to sit and do nothing or simply observe my surroundings/inner thoughts. I recommend reading this book as inspiration for reconnecting with ones self and regrounding in the present moment.

This book follows the author seeking serenity by taking time to sit outside and just observe his surroundings. As much as it was interesting to follow the author's progress on this experiment, the true value I derived from the book was the peace and serenity I felt each time I picked up the text to read another chapter. The author's introspection and vulnerability was impressive and I found myself looking forward to spending a small amount of time practicing my own serenity each day I read more of the text. This is one of the books I really didn't want to finish.