What is More Than This Life about?

More Than This Life is a short memoir by Jess (Diệu Đức), co-founder and design director of Tokyo Design Studio. It follows a search for something beyond an ordinary successful life, from a childhood in Saigon through seven years in Japan and a difficult stretch in Australia, to the studio, the marriage and the family she has today. The book is written in twelve short chapters and can be read in a single evening.

Who is this book for?

It was written for women who feel vague about their own lives despite doing well, for founders who have been through more than their pitch decks admit, and for anyone who has ever mistaken intensity for meaning. Readers of Vietnamese diaspora writing, faith memoirs and design-world biographies will each find a door into it.

What do readers get in the digital edition?

The digital edition is a 52-page PDF laid out to the same typographic standard as the printed paperback: book-format pages, running heads and the full front matter, including the foreword by journalist and author Trần Vọng Đức. It reads well on tablets, laptops and phones, and it can be printed. Your download link arrives instantly after checkout.

Why is a design studio publishing a memoir?

Tokyo Design Studio has always treated words as part of the craft. The book was written, edited, typeset and designed in-house, from the hand-drawn stairwell on the cover to the page layout, and it sits alongside the studio’s other author projects. Publishing it here is the same work the studio does for clients, applied to a story of its own.

About the author

Jess (Diệu Đức), whose full Vietnamese name is Trần Thị Diệu Đức, was born in Saigon into a family of journalists and writers. A first prize in Vietnam’s national English contest carried her to Japan on a full scholarship, where she spent seven years before moving to Australia to study design. She is the co-founder and design director of Tokyo Design Studio, working between Sydney and Saigon, and the editor-in-chief of Design Magazine. More Than This Life is her first book.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same book as the Amazon paperback?

Yes. The digital edition here is the complete text of the paperback published on Amazon under ISBN 979-8171179335, in the same layout.

What file format will I receive?

You receive a PDF that opens on any device. The file is not locked to a device and has no expiry.

Is there a Vietnamese edition?

Yes. The Vietnamese edition, Hơn cả đời này, is available as a separate listing and as a paperback on Amazon.

Can I buy a signed paperback from the studio?

Signed copies are available on request for Sydney and Ho Chi Minh City readers. Use the contact form and mention the book.

How long is the book?

Fifty-two pages in book format, roughly ten thousand words, about one hour of reading.