Practice & Presence
Awake
A retreat in a book. A guided journal and practical framework designed to help you cultivate a rich inner world.
Explore AwakeThe Books.
Extended explorations into solitude, resilience, and what it actually takes to build a good life.
We don't read to escape life; we read to figure out how to live it more fully. Every book in this collection is a different lens on the exact same enduring question: What makes a good life?
Whether exploring the quiet power of isolation, documenting the raw friction of trying things, or providing a guided framework for your inner world—these are physical tools for the journey.
Isolation & Clarity
Solitude
How to find quiet in a noisy world. An exploration of why stepping away from the crowd is often the only way to hear your own voice.
Explore Solitude
Rawness & Growth
Scribbles on the Wall
Lessons from the messy middle. Early reflections on trying things, failing quietly, and the compound interest of staying curious.
Explore Scribbles
Purchase Copy
Available globally at:
Australia: Dymocks, Booktopia
United States: Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Amazon
United Kingdom: Waterstones, WHSmith, Tales
Canada: Indigo
Europe: Ark (Norway), Saxo (Denmark), Bol (Netherlands)
Japan: Kinokuniya
Awake.
A Journal, a Guide, a Retreat, a Friend.
Awake is a unique and powerful book and journal in one. Rooted in research and accessible to many ages and stages of life, it is packed with wisdom, practical guidance, and designed to skillfully—and playfully—promote healthy habits.
What it helps you achieve
Improve your relationships and connections
Boost positive emotions and daily joy
Reduce chronic stress, worry, and doubt
Find deeper fulfillment in your work and play
Boost holistic health, sleep, and nutrition
Develop lasting peace and contentment
Improve peak performance without burnout
Create a more meaningful, enjoyable life
Inside the framework
Four Happiness Pillars: Exploration, Know Yourself, Meaning, and Presence.
Alignment & Clarity: Values, Strengths, and Habits exercises.
Audio Integration: 12+ guided meditations, body scans, and walking/eating meditations.
The Investigations: Prompts designed to help you dive deeper into your own psychology.
Built-in Tech-Free Zones: Scheduled analog spaces for clarity and peace of mind.
Mindfulness Coloring: Beautiful illustrations designed to force you to stop and slow down.
Actionable Empathy: Good deed challenges, dedicated gratitude sections, and communication exercises.
Praise for Awake
"There is so much to deeply appreciate about this book: the thoughtful articulation of principles rooted in research; the ease of the language... But I have to say, what I love most about this book is the felt sense of joy that resonates through the work - as a reader we can feel Sutter's delight in bringing forward research, wisdom, practical guidance and inspiration so that we might actually have a chance in constructing a life of positivity and one worth living at that!"
"Evan skillfully combines thought-provoking content with practical guidance to offer a book that is both inspiring and useful... Awake is not just a book, it is an important toolkit full of wisdom and inspiration that we can all use everyday to improve our lives."
"Evan Sutter's Awake is the evidence-based, easy to navigate, well-being tool we all need right now. In a time where burnout and chronic stress are on the rise, Sutter's practical, positive psychology-based applications buffer us from their negative effects."
"A journal, a guide, a retreat and a friend – it says it all about this precious little gem. You’ll want to take this companion with you wherever you go. This wonderful collection of insights, quotes and questions will help you understand yourself in your depths and guide you home to yourself."
"The Awake Journal is a way to focus and stay connected to the learnings and practice of wellbeing. We all need reminders and support and this book provides some useful tools and activities to continue to grow your own wellbeing."
Solitude.
How doing nothing can change the world.
How does three months living in a small wooden hut in the forests of a Buddhist Monastery in the South of France change a person?
See how one email from his brother—a man he hadn't seen in two years who now happened to be a Monk—led Sutter, a lost young man and vagabond, to fly across the world. It was a decision that would change the direction of his life forever, standing in stark contrast to the days and nights he had spent in bars, drinking, and chasing superficial thrills.
Inside the exploration
The Great Disconnect: Surviving with no mobile phone, no laptop, no social media, and no daily newspaper.
Plum Village: A raw look into sharing a tiny hut with his Monk brother and meeting seekers from around the globe.
Confronting the Self: The painful, necessary process of wrestling with personal demons in total silence.
The Art of Being: Developing a newfound appreciation for the present moment and finding genuine joy in doing absolutely nothing.
Scribbles on the Wall.
Lessons from the messy middle.
"In today's world people are so busy chasing after unrealistic, imaginary dreams, they sacrifice today for a better tomorrow—along the way sacrificing all that is actually important to them."
It is far too easy to succumb to the abundance of illusionary social expectations programmed into us since birth. Scribbles on the Wall is a raw reflection on life through experiences, observations, mistakes, regrets, and successes.
It serves as a positive guide to provoke debate, foster ideas, and raise critical opinions on the everyday happenings we so often take for granted.
Themes explored
Rethinking work and ambition
Navigating health and well-being
Travel, community, and belonging
Unlearning societal programming
The realities of friendship and connection
Religion, vice, and finding your own truth