The Art of Grace: On Moving Well Through Life

Written by Sarah L. Kaufman

Narrated by Christina Delaine

A Pulitzer Prizendash;winning dance critic teaches us to appreciate-and enact-grace in every dimension, from the physical to the emotional. #160; We are naturally drawn to smooth, harmonious movement. Both social and physical graces have been taught since the dawn of civilization. Yet grace seems forgotten in our pushy, hectic modern world. Sarah L. Kaufman argues that we bring it back. She celebrates grace in the way bodies move, exploring how to stand, walk, and dress well. She deplores the rarity of grace among public figures and glories in it where found (Beyonce at a fashion show). She singles out grace in sports and in the arts, from tennis and football to sculpture, pop music, and, of course, dance, and in the everyday ways people interact, from the grace of a good host to the unexpected kindness of strangers. #160; Cary Grant is this book's muse. His uncanny ease flowed from training as an acrobat but, equally, from his wit, humility, and genuine concern for others. So too, Kaufman suggests, we might unearth the potential for grace in ourselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Nov 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781622319770

Reviews for The Art of Grace

[anaraguard · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book annoyed me. The author has written beautifully lyrical passages to express intriguing ideas about grace, elegance, movement, beauty. But, as a whole, it felt stitched together from the numerous essays she has written in the past. Additionally, it struck me that her thesis would have made a fine New Yorker article but instead was inflated to become an entire book. Read the introduction and you have heard all her thoughts; the rest is mostly example and several of those are repeated ad infinitum. If you are a Cary Grant fan, you will appreciate her devoting so many pages to describing his grace; as for me, I will watch his films with new appreciation and try to sit up straighter as a result of reading this book. But I can't recommend it.

[jim53_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I can't decide whether this is chock full of interesting insights or a load of hooey. I love the author's emphasis on consideration for others as the key to grace; I don't see how it relates to the physical element. I will never be Roger Federer or Rudolph Nureyev; am I therefore crude and inconsiderate? I agree that it's fun to watch certain people for how they move, etc., but what does that have to do with, for example, choosing to be a graceful host or guest? I think this could have been a wonderful long essay with a more limited scope.