Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to In Praise of Shadows

A delightful essay on the ethos of Japanese aesthetics

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. In Praise of Shadows launched in 2016; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   In Praise of Shadows▲55

   Musings on Eastern aesthetic, Zen philosophy, & geopsyche

   2016 · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Naoto Fukasawa▲72

   Fukosawa's innovative design approach

   2016 · its alternatives →

3. 3
   A Geek in Japan▲87

   Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea

   2015 · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Dark Matter of the Mind▲67

   The Culturally Articulated Unconscious

   2017 · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming▲69

   How can design inspire us to think about our future?

   2016 · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Discussing Design▲68

   Improving communication and collaboration through critique

   2016 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   The Sense of Style▲66

   The thinking person's guide to writing in the 21st century

   2016 · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance▲89

   An inquiry into values

   2015 · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Design, Form, and Chaos▲80

   A great source of design inspiration

   2016 · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Designing Interactions▲91

    Interviews with influential designers

    2015 · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Essentialism▲80

    The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

    2016 · its alternatives →

12. 12KA
    Kozmos – A Personal Library▲197

    2017 · getkozmos.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Thinkertoys▲76

    A handbook of creative thinking techniques

    2016 · its alternatives →

14. 14
    White▲66

    Kenya Hara's attempt to explore the essence of "White"

    2016 · its alternatives →

15. 15
    The Art of Possibility▲58

    Transforming Professional and Personal Life

    2016 · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Light▲58

    A Radiant History from Creation to the Quantum Age

    2016 · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Exposed: Desire and Disobedience in the Digital Age▲62

    Digital Transparence and Expository Society

    2016 · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Designing for Touch▲88

    A guide for designing touch interfaces

    2015 · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Buddhism Without Beliefs▲81

    A contemporary guide to awakening

    2016 · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Meaningful▲69

    The story of ideas that fly

    2016 · its alternatives →

21. 21
    On Beauty and Being Just▲66

    Have we become beauty blind?

    2016 · its alternatives →

22. 22
    Envisioning Information▲87

    A remarkable range of examples of visual thinkinking

    2015 · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Chasing Shadows▲5

    Visions of Our Coming Transparent World

    2017 · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Sinclair ZX Spectrum: a visual compendium▲60

    An excellent pixel art book

    2016 · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →