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How to be Idle
Light wear to the dust jacket and some foxing to the page edges. Orders received by 3pm Sent from the UK that weekday.
283 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
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About the author
Tom Hodgkinson
73 books289 followersTom Hodgkinson (b. 1968) is a British writer and the editor of The Idler, which he established in 1993 with his friend Gavin Pretor-Pinney. He was educated at Westminster School. He has contributed articles to The Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian and The Sunday Times as well as being the author of The Idler spin-off How To Be Idle (2005), How To Be Free (released in the U.S. under the title The Freedom Manifesto) and The Idle Parent.
In 2006 Hodgkinson created National Unawareness Day, to be celebrated on 1 November.
In 2006 Hodgkinson created National Unawareness Day, to be celebrated on 1 November.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews
April 14, 2010
There is something disappointing about this book that puzzles me, since I found that I agreed with much of it, and that it often made a great deal of sense. It’s use of the great literary past to bolster its arguments were quirky and effective – Against Nature by Huysmans, lots of Walt Whitman and, oddly, but to good effect, Robert Burns (Hodgkinson spends a lot of time in Scotland, which explains the Burns, I guess). It is an agreeable, pleasant book, as a book about being idle should be….
I guess the problem is, which Hodgkinson addresses, but not to my satisfaction, is the difference between the sunny, amusing, free-spirited idler and an out-and-out deadbeat. Or the difference between idling through the day and sloth. And oh how badly I want these distinctions to be made! How badly I want to loaf with a clean conscience! What Hodgkinson fails to provide is the real sense of regret that pervades the real idler. Instead, he provides the boosterish Chamber of Commerce version of idling, concentrating on the good stuff, ignoring the waste, the slag, the runoff and the pollution of true idleness. The book wasn’t louche enough. The reasons to be idle were too prescriptive. Solutions for how to support oneself were too infrequent and sometimes not helpful (Oi, the dole sounds great, mate, but we don’t have that over here, not the way the UK does).
The worst part of the book came at 3:00 AM (the book is divided up into hours of the day) – this is the “party” chapter where Hodgkinson praises the rave-and-ecstasy scene of the early 1990s! I was only a too-old observer on the fringes of our own little local rave scene, but it all seemed far too busy to me. Drugs and booze have their own set of problems, which the author acknowledges and even he had to admit that his rave days have been over for years. So why was this chapter here? It reinforced the suspicion that I was getting idling advice from a kid…
But of course Hodgkinson himself is no idler. He founded and runs a magazine (The Idler). He started up an absinthe-importing business. He’s raising two small children. He’s written, and finished, and found a publisher for, a book. He’s about 35. Oh sure, like all western privileged males, he spent a lot of young-man in his early twenties loafing about, and to a great extent it is this period of his life from which he draws many of his tales of being idle. This is not an idle life he’s leading and this may be at the heart of the matter as to why this book was ultimately not very convincing.
I guess the problem is, which Hodgkinson addresses, but not to my satisfaction, is the difference between the sunny, amusing, free-spirited idler and an out-and-out deadbeat. Or the difference between idling through the day and sloth. And oh how badly I want these distinctions to be made! How badly I want to loaf with a clean conscience! What Hodgkinson fails to provide is the real sense of regret that pervades the real idler. Instead, he provides the boosterish Chamber of Commerce version of idling, concentrating on the good stuff, ignoring the waste, the slag, the runoff and the pollution of true idleness. The book wasn’t louche enough. The reasons to be idle were too prescriptive. Solutions for how to support oneself were too infrequent and sometimes not helpful (Oi, the dole sounds great, mate, but we don’t have that over here, not the way the UK does).
The worst part of the book came at 3:00 AM (the book is divided up into hours of the day) – this is the “party” chapter where Hodgkinson praises the rave-and-ecstasy scene of the early 1990s! I was only a too-old observer on the fringes of our own little local rave scene, but it all seemed far too busy to me. Drugs and booze have their own set of problems, which the author acknowledges and even he had to admit that his rave days have been over for years. So why was this chapter here? It reinforced the suspicion that I was getting idling advice from a kid…
But of course Hodgkinson himself is no idler. He founded and runs a magazine (The Idler). He started up an absinthe-importing business. He’s raising two small children. He’s written, and finished, and found a publisher for, a book. He’s about 35. Oh sure, like all western privileged males, he spent a lot of young-man in his early twenties loafing about, and to a great extent it is this period of his life from which he draws many of his tales of being idle. This is not an idle life he’s leading and this may be at the heart of the matter as to why this book was ultimately not very convincing.
August 19, 2009
I didn’t finish this book, though I read large chunks of it. The author has some really good points, that apply just as much (if not more so) to American society as to his own British. Why should we look at any apparent idleness with suspicion? Why is it more important to look like we’re busy for eight hours than to accomplish something really useful in four and enjoy the rest of our time?
And yet….
The book would have worked better for me if H. had been clearer about idleness as “doing what you choose to do, and yes, that activity might actually resemble work” (which does appear in some spots to be what he ultimately means) rather than idleness as “doing things socially considered fun, like hanging out in pubs, lying in bed doing nothing, smoking, boozing" (which seems to be the larger part of his argument). Many of the activities he talks about as examples of how to enjoy idleness would drive me batty with boredom. It’s quite possible that an evening of knitting for the joy of the yarn and the desire to see the final project (and not because I really need to finish this project for a deadline) would fit right into his definition of idleness, but if it doesn’t, well, I’d much rather spend an evening knitting than an evening drinking beer in a pub.
Also, I come away from this book with the strong impression that he’s speaking to men, not to women. For example, he brushes off the work of childrearing with “train them to get their own breakfasts on weekends as soon as possible”. That’s nice, but in the intervening years, the kid has to be nursed or bottlefed, diapered, bathed, kept from poisoning itself, civilized into a reasonable human, etc., etc. As a mother, especially as the mother of a mentally disabled kid and for several years a single mother thereof, I had no choice on whether to be idle, because if I didn’t do the work of caring for my child, no one else was going to take up the slack. (The chapter in which H. sings the praises of skiving, slacking on work and enjoying watching someone else do it instead, raised my hackles to say the least.) The chapter on sex, too, is clearly aimed at men, with a token wave of “yeah, women just lose all interest in sex once they’ve got some kids”. (Er, not necessarily.)
Overall, an interesting concept, and I would love to see a book on the glories of idleness written by a mother, but H.’s take didn’t work for me.
And yet….
The book would have worked better for me if H. had been clearer about idleness as “doing what you choose to do, and yes, that activity might actually resemble work” (which does appear in some spots to be what he ultimately means) rather than idleness as “doing things socially considered fun, like hanging out in pubs, lying in bed doing nothing, smoking, boozing" (which seems to be the larger part of his argument). Many of the activities he talks about as examples of how to enjoy idleness would drive me batty with boredom. It’s quite possible that an evening of knitting for the joy of the yarn and the desire to see the final project (and not because I really need to finish this project for a deadline) would fit right into his definition of idleness, but if it doesn’t, well, I’d much rather spend an evening knitting than an evening drinking beer in a pub.
Also, I come away from this book with the strong impression that he’s speaking to men, not to women. For example, he brushes off the work of childrearing with “train them to get their own breakfasts on weekends as soon as possible”. That’s nice, but in the intervening years, the kid has to be nursed or bottlefed, diapered, bathed, kept from poisoning itself, civilized into a reasonable human, etc., etc. As a mother, especially as the mother of a mentally disabled kid and for several years a single mother thereof, I had no choice on whether to be idle, because if I didn’t do the work of caring for my child, no one else was going to take up the slack. (The chapter in which H. sings the praises of skiving, slacking on work and enjoying watching someone else do it instead, raised my hackles to say the least.) The chapter on sex, too, is clearly aimed at men, with a token wave of “yeah, women just lose all interest in sex once they’ve got some kids”. (Er, not necessarily.)
Overall, an interesting concept, and I would love to see a book on the glories of idleness written by a mother, but H.’s take didn’t work for me.
August 29, 2015
If you're someone who has a job that you can't just leave, a family to take care of, any major responsibilities at all, this book is 100% unhelpful. The author gives advice like "turn off your alarm clock! work less!" without adequately acknowledging that most people can't do that and would still like to learn how to enjoy the little leisurely time they can afford themselves. Tom understands that capitalism traps people but then turns around and acts like it's no big feat to free yourself from it.
However, if you DON'T have many responsibilities and just need to feel less guilty about doing nothing... How To Be Idle becomes only 95% useless. Not bad. One of the bigger issues I had with the book is that Tom spends so much time jerking off to his favorite white male philosophers and romanticizing "simpler times" that it becomes painfully boring and unrelatable. Notably, he is absolutely not writing for women in this book. We're irrelevant. The main things that kept me reading were the curiosity of how he managed to get in this carefree position (generational wealth?) and the hope that he would acknowledge that other people have very different realities. I gave up.
Also, okay, I'm going to lay into this guy because it's fun: look at this terrible article he wrote. Even aside from the obvious "wah wah society is crumbling because of technology," he uses the phrase "happy peasants" and thinks that "living poor for a day" would be ideal. Says the man who had the means and connections to launch a magazine and academy after being fired from his job. Like, congrats on living your dream, but:
However, if you DON'T have many responsibilities and just need to feel less guilty about doing nothing... How To Be Idle becomes only 95% useless. Not bad. One of the bigger issues I had with the book is that Tom spends so much time jerking off to his favorite white male philosophers and romanticizing "simpler times" that it becomes painfully boring and unrelatable. Notably, he is absolutely not writing for women in this book. We're irrelevant. The main things that kept me reading were the curiosity of how he managed to get in this carefree position (generational wealth?) and the hope that he would acknowledge that other people have very different realities. I gave up.
Also, okay, I'm going to lay into this guy because it's fun: look at this terrible article he wrote. Even aside from the obvious "wah wah society is crumbling because of technology," he uses the phrase "happy peasants" and thinks that "living poor for a day" would be ideal. Says the man who had the means and connections to launch a magazine and academy after being fired from his job. Like, congrats on living your dream, but:
January 13, 2008
A book solidly lobbying for the return of the nap, the long lunch, the idle stroll, the enojyment of sleep and the absurdity of the full-time job. He makes it sound as though the ideal life is the idle life and all one needs to do is find that occupation that gets them by with the essentials of life. Leisure and loafing will take care of the rest. Of course, he's also an Englishman so his ability to avoid the full-on career is augmented a bit by the universal health-care he enjoys. I trust fulfilling this dream in the U.S. will be a bit more challenging. Still fine points are made throughout. Not the least of which, is the very notion of the career which really only emerged as a societal necessity with the rise of the industrial revolution. Prior to that most people made their own hours doing what they needed to survive. A harsh life? Perhaps. But their time was their own.
August 9, 2007
The quality of your life and the quality of your happines deserve to be high. Take long walks, drink loose tea and beer, sleep late, skip work, meditate, and other advice (some less warm and fuzzy) are contained in Hodgkinson's manifesto for loafers. It's refreshing to demonize Edison and Franklin, and to elevate flaneurs, Oscar Wilde, and whoever else loves idling around streetcorners and cafes. It would be difficult to follow the day as prescribed by Hodgkinson-- each chapter explores the cultural history of something better you should be doing with your time, e.g. taking a 3 martini lunch instead of guzzling coffee at your desk-- I wish I could. This book counterbalances workplace anxiety and ambition, and reminds us that we should never, ever feel guilty for relaxing, because that's what makes life good.
December 13, 2011
When I first picked up this book (Tom Hodgkinson's work is recommended in Lyanda Lynn Haupt's excellent blog), I assumed it would be a fun, light read, not much more. And it is certainly fun, and funny, and clever, and light-hearted. But some of How to be Idle is also surprisingly deep. Hodgkinson recommends idleness as a way of life (and can I mention here how much I love the fact that one of the chapters focuses on the joys and benefits of sleeping in?) not only because it makes people happy, but also because it's a form of anarchy, a pleasant way of sticking it to the man. Don't make yourself miserable working long hours, drinking coffee at your desk to stay awake, just so you can Buy More Stuff and feed the capitalist system. Instead, Hodgkinson says inspiringly, sleep late, drink tons of beer, go to music festivals, study the art of conversation, go fishing, meditate, and skip work whenever you can. OK, so, as other reviewers have pointed out, this may not always be entirely possible. But it still is a funny and literate and smart reminder of the good things in life, and how important it is to be happy, and an encouragement to actively resist a workaholic, shopaholic culture. It seems to me to have a lot of overlap with Occupy Wall Street (which I heartily support), except that it's funnier and includes more poems. Hooray, Tom Hodgkinson!
December 28, 2015
There is this notion that we seek out books that validate things we already feel, and if that is the case, I am guilty as charged. As a person who did not grow up in the States, I have lived in cultures that celebrated two hour lunches and lots of vacation time, and I have never really understood the American work-obsessed culture. Now, I do admit to falling prey to it myself, after all I did not want to seem lazy, but thankfully I realized before I hit the grave that there is more to life than work, and that interesting people do not ask "what do you do?" upon first meeting you.
This book of twenty four essays might just start a resistance movement. Funny and insightful, with chapter titles like The Death of Lunch, The Nap, and Time for Tea, this is a lovely way to remind ourselves that we are not machines. We are human beings, not human doings. I would recommend this book to every high school and collage graduate as a reminder to take long walks, call in sick more often, and nap as needed.
My fave chapters:
Waking Up is Hard to Do
Sleeping In
The Death of Lunch
The Nap
The Ramble
Time for Tea
The Art of Conversation
Meditation
Sleep
This book of twenty four essays might just start a resistance movement. Funny and insightful, with chapter titles like The Death of Lunch, The Nap, and Time for Tea, this is a lovely way to remind ourselves that we are not machines. We are human beings, not human doings. I would recommend this book to every high school and collage graduate as a reminder to take long walks, call in sick more often, and nap as needed.
My fave chapters:
Waking Up is Hard to Do
Sleeping In
The Death of Lunch
The Nap
The Ramble
Time for Tea
The Art of Conversation
Meditation
Sleep
August 6, 2019
Great read. It really got me thinking - about the way we prioritize a job above all else, how insane it is that I feel like I should be doing something productive the moment I awaken on my day off, about how I’ve structured my life so far.
See - I’ve been an idler at heart all along. I’ve basically set up my life in a way that guarantees a big ole vacation at least once a year. Once I got a job where I worked 30 hours a week I swore I’d never go back to a 40 hour week. I have - but I work a seasonal job, so I work my butt off in the spring and fall to chill in the summer and winter. Compared to some, I am living the idler’s dream. But this book encouraged me to dream bigger. This book made me open myself to possibilities that I was too scared to (or brainwashed) to conceive before. (I am being vague because it hasn’t happened yet and I don’t want to jinx myself!)
But enough about me. This is a book review not my journal. The book is downright fun to read. Hodgkinson is hilarious in his cynicism, his ridiculing of modern life and its absurdity. I felt that he over-quoted some, but I also liked the perspectives from famous idlers throughout history.
Now for the book’s downsides: I was disappointed by its lack of diversity. Women and people of color were hardly mentioned at all. The perspectives from the book were white, privileged men almost across the board. And how did privileged white men throughout history have the opportunity to do so much idling? Well because they often had a woman cleaning, cooking, taking care of the kids and sometimes (mainly in recent years) holding down a full time job at the same time. So idle away, boys!
That’s not to mention how people of color in the United States often work more hours for less pay than white counterparts and therefore have less opportunity to be idle. For every white man idling, there is often an army of women and people of color working long and hard. The system is rigged against the poor souls.
It may be that he chalks that up to POCs being infected by capitalism/grass is always greener/when I get x much syndrome, but I’d like him to have at least touched on it. Why are people from beautiful and relaxed Latin American countries desperate for a shot to work their a$$es off in America for 45+ hours a week if idling is so wonderful?
All this has convinced me to take it down to 3 stars actually. Don’t write a modern day book without including any perspective but the white, privileged man, I beg you.
Also, it makes light of addiction several times throughout the book. Encouraging readers who may consider themselves addicts to lighten up a bit and have a little fun (in so many words). I think all this was said with a tongue in cheek attitude but come on. Why not take your tongue out of your cheek to talk about something as serious as addiction? One can still idle without happy hour!
That being said - I am white and privileged, and therefore, got a lot out of the book and for that I’m grateful to have read it. It certainly marches to the beat of its own drum. No, wait - we are idlers, we don’t march!
See - I’ve been an idler at heart all along. I’ve basically set up my life in a way that guarantees a big ole vacation at least once a year. Once I got a job where I worked 30 hours a week I swore I’d never go back to a 40 hour week. I have - but I work a seasonal job, so I work my butt off in the spring and fall to chill in the summer and winter. Compared to some, I am living the idler’s dream. But this book encouraged me to dream bigger. This book made me open myself to possibilities that I was too scared to (or brainwashed) to conceive before. (I am being vague because it hasn’t happened yet and I don’t want to jinx myself!)
But enough about me. This is a book review not my journal. The book is downright fun to read. Hodgkinson is hilarious in his cynicism, his ridiculing of modern life and its absurdity. I felt that he over-quoted some, but I also liked the perspectives from famous idlers throughout history.
Now for the book’s downsides: I was disappointed by its lack of diversity. Women and people of color were hardly mentioned at all. The perspectives from the book were white, privileged men almost across the board. And how did privileged white men throughout history have the opportunity to do so much idling? Well because they often had a woman cleaning, cooking, taking care of the kids and sometimes (mainly in recent years) holding down a full time job at the same time. So idle away, boys!
That’s not to mention how people of color in the United States often work more hours for less pay than white counterparts and therefore have less opportunity to be idle. For every white man idling, there is often an army of women and people of color working long and hard. The system is rigged against the poor souls.
It may be that he chalks that up to POCs being infected by capitalism/grass is always greener/when I get x much syndrome, but I’d like him to have at least touched on it. Why are people from beautiful and relaxed Latin American countries desperate for a shot to work their a$$es off in America for 45+ hours a week if idling is so wonderful?
All this has convinced me to take it down to 3 stars actually. Don’t write a modern day book without including any perspective but the white, privileged man, I beg you.
Also, it makes light of addiction several times throughout the book. Encouraging readers who may consider themselves addicts to lighten up a bit and have a little fun (in so many words). I think all this was said with a tongue in cheek attitude but come on. Why not take your tongue out of your cheek to talk about something as serious as addiction? One can still idle without happy hour!
That being said - I am white and privileged, and therefore, got a lot out of the book and for that I’m grateful to have read it. It certainly marches to the beat of its own drum. No, wait - we are idlers, we don’t march!
November 23, 2017
An interesting little book that I picked up at a booksale. Hodgkinson actually founded a magazine (still in business!) called The Idler.
A good portion of his theory I agree with--we go to college to get a job, but then we need the job to pay for college and all the "stuff" we need, including vacations to get away from the job. But I think (18 years after the book was printed) things are changing slowly. Little houses need less "stuff" and Uber drivers can work 4 hours a day and have a life as well.
He divides the book into the 24 hours of a day of what an idler does--fishing and tea and sleeping in, for example. Nowhere is reading listed! Hey, if "riot" is listed, reading should be too!
I think this would be a great book for the newly retired because you still feel like you should be doing something, keep busy, volunteer!, and you don't have to anymore...but the guilt is still there to some degree.
A good portion of his theory I agree with--we go to college to get a job, but then we need the job to pay for college and all the "stuff" we need, including vacations to get away from the job. But I think (18 years after the book was printed) things are changing slowly. Little houses need less "stuff" and Uber drivers can work 4 hours a day and have a life as well.
He divides the book into the 24 hours of a day of what an idler does--fishing and tea and sleeping in, for example. Nowhere is reading listed! Hey, if "riot" is listed, reading should be too!
I think this would be a great book for the newly retired because you still feel like you should be doing something, keep busy, volunteer!, and you don't have to anymore...but the guilt is still there to some degree.
July 25, 2012
This is an outstanding collection of witty, profound, and Britishly-humorous essays to inspire those who would desire true leisure—that is, control over one's time and thoughts, something that has largely eroded in our times. The book is like an explication of Pascal's aphorism "All human evil comes from a single cause: man's inability to sit still in a room"; a reframing of history as a grim battle between Industry and Idleness, stretched out leisurely and languorously over some 270 pages. The prodigious amount of anecdotes and quotes Hodgkinson has culled from the most obscure chambers of Anglo-American literary and labor history is especially impressive. Ironically, for someone who founded a magazine called the Idler, he sure has done his homework. One wishes they could be as industrious at idleness as Hodgkinson is.
May 2, 2017
What I learned from this book:
Sometimes it’s OK to idle in bed a few more minutes, and yes, there’s no use in running after the bus. There will be another one.
Sometimes it’s OK to idle in bed a few more minutes, and yes, there’s no use in running after the bus. There will be another one.
August 21, 2014
I love being idle. On the many days I have off, I don't do anything productive, and I don't feel guilty lounging around. So you would think I would love this book!
Some of the chapters in this book were great, like the one on the stupidity of holiday. I have never really understood the desire to blow wads of money traveling around the country on days off. Just stay at home and relax. Also, the quotes and passages from philosophers, poets and writers were very good and made parts of this book a gem.
Yet...other things rubbed me the wrong way. The chapters on smoking, raves and drinking were a bit much. As was his mocking of going to the gym or jogging. Spending an hour exercising, then laying on the couch puts me in a much better mood than if I never got off the couch to begin with. His worries (then dismissal) of wondering if he was an alcoholic made me a little suspicious of the joys of all these vices. Not to mention, a lot of the poets he was idealizing had a very short life expectancy. Give me the more austere life of a contemplative hermit, than the hard partying hedonist.
Some of the chapters in this book were great, like the one on the stupidity of holiday. I have never really understood the desire to blow wads of money traveling around the country on days off. Just stay at home and relax. Also, the quotes and passages from philosophers, poets and writers were very good and made parts of this book a gem.
Yet...other things rubbed me the wrong way. The chapters on smoking, raves and drinking were a bit much. As was his mocking of going to the gym or jogging. Spending an hour exercising, then laying on the couch puts me in a much better mood than if I never got off the couch to begin with. His worries (then dismissal) of wondering if he was an alcoholic made me a little suspicious of the joys of all these vices. Not to mention, a lot of the poets he was idealizing had a very short life expectancy. Give me the more austere life of a contemplative hermit, than the hard partying hedonist.
October 13, 2021
I read this on a friend’s recommendation because I’m trying to be part of a collective lowering of our standards. But this book was so white male centric—like barely acknowledging the existence of women except for his much put upon girlfriend and the acknowledgement that she is doing childcare while he enjoys the pub and that she might not like him visiting brothels or having a mistress. The quotes and anti-capitalist slant are lovely, but every single author was male and the nostalgia he has for long lost traditions of the long lunch or the month long convalescence seems like it only works for a certain kind of middle class person. Still, I’m here for more of us loafing around and the sentiment is charming. I just wish women weren’t so much more heavily punished for “laziness” than men….
June 8, 2016
1.5 mit Hang nach unten.
December 21, 2020
I'm in two minds about this book. On the one hand Hodgkinson makes some good points about the rampant over-worked society that we find ourselves and the need to slow down a little, to find what we want to do or what we are passionate about and do it rather than doing what we are meant to do to appear productive. On the other hand, there is no real distinction between slow down for the sake of sanity and health and being out right lazy, which I think is an important distinction to make, particularly in an age where it is too easy to do nothing while others pick up the slack (the latter being something that many of us need to stop). I did enjoy the writing style and the humour that Hodgkinson brings to his writing, I just feel like this book missed a trick.
December 24, 2018
Som lenivá. Nie úplne dokonale ako je to opísané v tejto knihe, ale som na najlepšej ceste byť dokonale lenivá. Asi preto mi trvalo vyše pol roka dočítať túto knihu, aj keď je v nej plno krásnych myšlienok. Jednu hviezdičku strhávam za pozitívny opis drog, ktorý nepovažujem za nutnosť pre správneho lenivca.
May 5, 2020
YES. On the one hand, whole chapters that only a 30-something dude could write. On the other hand, vital message, and timely encouragement for this exhausted born idler.
June 25, 2017
Ler um livro sobre o ócio em dias de estio, desperta em qualquer um uma inércia algo elevada...
Dividido em 24 capítulos, que correspondem às 24 horas de um dia, o autor recorre a várias referências literárias e episódios caricatos para filosofar sobre a arte do "dolce fare niente".
Dividido em 24 capítulos, que correspondem às 24 horas de um dia, o autor recorre a várias referências literárias e episódios caricatos para filosofar sobre a arte do "dolce fare niente".
November 29, 2016
'How To Be Idle' filled me with a huge sense of vindication, as I am an idler by nature. In this book, Hodgkinson takes the reader through a day of idling, covering such topics as lie-ins, hangovers, rambling, and fishing. He draws on a diverse and idiosyncratic range of literature, including Against Nature, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, and Three Men in a Boat, all of which I enjoyed. The tone is affable and amusing, albeit avowedly masculine (this is my only real quibble). The idea is to present a philosophical alternative to the tedious protestant work ethic that gained ascendancy during the Industrial Revolution. Rather than living to work, we should work just as much as we need to in order to live and spend the rest of our time enjoying ourselves.
My personal style of idling is somewhat different to Hodgkinson's, whilst retaining the same spirit. I don't drink or smoke and prefer coffee to tea. However, my daily routine is that of an idler. I wake up sometime after 10am, doze for a while thinking about the day ahead, assemble a cup of coffee and bowl of muesli, consume both slowly whilst still in my pyjamas, then spend most of the day reading in libraries and cafés or pottering about the house. I can enjoy this lifestyle as I am a PhD student, one with a work ethic than tends to spending weeks thinking and then half a day actually producing work. It's a happy life, much more congenial than the nine to five office job that I used to have. (Being time-rich suits me much better than having twice the income and getting up at 7am every day.) Other idle pleasures I would add to Hodgkinson's list include: doing the washing up whilst listening to music, mocking terrible films with friends, cycling around at 2am, browsing libraries, and writing reviews on goodreads.
Now I'm tempted to try and sort my friends into idlers and botherers. Whilst the world needs both, I am content to be an idler who sometimes bothers.
My personal style of idling is somewhat different to Hodgkinson's, whilst retaining the same spirit. I don't drink or smoke and prefer coffee to tea. However, my daily routine is that of an idler. I wake up sometime after 10am, doze for a while thinking about the day ahead, assemble a cup of coffee and bowl of muesli, consume both slowly whilst still in my pyjamas, then spend most of the day reading in libraries and cafés or pottering about the house. I can enjoy this lifestyle as I am a PhD student, one with a work ethic than tends to spending weeks thinking and then half a day actually producing work. It's a happy life, much more congenial than the nine to five office job that I used to have. (Being time-rich suits me much better than having twice the income and getting up at 7am every day.) Other idle pleasures I would add to Hodgkinson's list include: doing the washing up whilst listening to music, mocking terrible films with friends, cycling around at 2am, browsing libraries, and writing reviews on goodreads.
Now I'm tempted to try and sort my friends into idlers and botherers. Whilst the world needs both, I am content to be an idler who sometimes bothers.
February 5, 2015
Probabil pentru a-mi da peste nas cu puturoșenia mea am primit cadou de la niște prieteni „How To Be Idle” de Tom Hodgkinson. Nenea ăsta editează cică o revistă care se cheamă Idler și apreciază omii leneși ca subsemnata.
Ce-am văzut io la Hodgkinson încă de când am deschis cartea e că omul e punkist și anarhist și beutor și fumător. Eram chiar entuziasmată până i-am văzut și poza și mi-am dat seama că nu toți punkiștii sunt sexoși. Aia e, am rămas să povestesc de carte dacă autorul e nașpet.
Carte care nici ea nu e mare telemea, e genul de cărțulie de-o citești în tren, avion, căruță sau pe budă. Amuzantă pe alocuri, adevărată prin alte locuri, cartea are câte-un capitol pentru fiecare oră din zi, iar domnul de-a scris-o a dedicat fiecărei ore o activitate pentru lenevoși. Gen: chiul, mahmureală, boală, ceai, plimbare, sex, pescuit, tutun etc. Omul vine cu argumente slăbuțe (cum e normal la o carte de genul ăsta) și multe citate, dar măcar nu m-a încruntat. Am totuși să-i reproșez ceva mnealui. Are o viziune cam ideală a leneșului, pentru că-l crede un om inteligent, predispus la medidație, la hedonism și care se spală des. Confundă de multe ori lenevia cu libertatea și le împreunează ca să creeze anarhistul. Apăi io am impresia că n-a văzut puturoșenie și nu știe ce înseamnă el lenea aia mare în care omul e și prost și nu produce nimic dar consumă cât cuprinde.
Dar unde-mi cobor pălăria în fața omului e la citatul de mai jos. Citat cu care închei că mai am 3 beri de băut.
„Pentru leneși sexul trebuie să fie dezordonat, amețit, vulgar, lenevos. Trebuie să fie pervers, destrăbălat și lubric, murdar până acolo încât celor doi să le fie rușine să se privească a doua zi dimineață.”
Ceea ce vă dorim și dumneavoatră!
Ce-am văzut io la Hodgkinson încă de când am deschis cartea e că omul e punkist și anarhist și beutor și fumător. Eram chiar entuziasmată până i-am văzut și poza și mi-am dat seama că nu toți punkiștii sunt sexoși. Aia e, am rămas să povestesc de carte dacă autorul e nașpet.
Carte care nici ea nu e mare telemea, e genul de cărțulie de-o citești în tren, avion, căruță sau pe budă. Amuzantă pe alocuri, adevărată prin alte locuri, cartea are câte-un capitol pentru fiecare oră din zi, iar domnul de-a scris-o a dedicat fiecărei ore o activitate pentru lenevoși. Gen: chiul, mahmureală, boală, ceai, plimbare, sex, pescuit, tutun etc. Omul vine cu argumente slăbuțe (cum e normal la o carte de genul ăsta) și multe citate, dar măcar nu m-a încruntat. Am totuși să-i reproșez ceva mnealui. Are o viziune cam ideală a leneșului, pentru că-l crede un om inteligent, predispus la medidație, la hedonism și care se spală des. Confundă de multe ori lenevia cu libertatea și le împreunează ca să creeze anarhistul. Apăi io am impresia că n-a văzut puturoșenie și nu știe ce înseamnă el lenea aia mare în care omul e și prost și nu produce nimic dar consumă cât cuprinde.
Dar unde-mi cobor pălăria în fața omului e la citatul de mai jos. Citat cu care închei că mai am 3 beri de băut.
„Pentru leneși sexul trebuie să fie dezordonat, amețit, vulgar, lenevos. Trebuie să fie pervers, destrăbălat și lubric, murdar până acolo încât celor doi să le fie rușine să se privească a doua zi dimineață.”
Ceea ce vă dorim și dumneavoatră!
May 6, 2011
Writing a book is probably the least idle thing I can think of. Try to not hold that against Mr. Hodgkinson when reading his “How to be Idle: A Loafer’s Manifesto.” The inherent irony of this book’s existence will torment your lazy brain.
Take your time with it. Library fines be damned.
“How to be Idle” is a whimsical lark of a book, pondering such hefty topics as Saint Monday, hangovers, and the “Death of Lunch.”
There are pertinent references to [productive] cultural luminaries such as Keats and his concept of “diligent Indolence.” Diligent Indolence. Now that’s something I could get behind. If I weren’t so torpid.
I am also a big fan of the chapter, “On Being Ill.” If you cannot relate to the “exquisite langour of surrender,” then this book is either for you or not for you.
Did you know that in 1839 it was considered elegant to take a tortoise out walking?
“How to be Idle” is peppered with poets and songs and philosophers, musings and collections. It is humorous and admirable, a dutiful effort for a book on idleness. It affords for worthy ruminations on drinking, working, and dreaming. As well as the impact of the Industrial Revolution on our modern working lives and consumer culture. Damn you Robber Barons and Titans of Industry!!!! My clenched fist shakes in your general direction.
“How to be Idle” is ultimately an eloquently argued plea for the value and worth of less. I hope that makes sense to you. Less is more. Small is the new big. Downsizing is the new expansion. Fuck outsourcing, you shouldn’t be sourcing in the first place.
Buy this book. If you get around to it.
And then read it. Eventually.
I guess.
Take your time with it. Library fines be damned.
“How to be Idle” is a whimsical lark of a book, pondering such hefty topics as Saint Monday, hangovers, and the “Death of Lunch.”
There are pertinent references to [productive] cultural luminaries such as Keats and his concept of “diligent Indolence.” Diligent Indolence. Now that’s something I could get behind. If I weren’t so torpid.
I am also a big fan of the chapter, “On Being Ill.” If you cannot relate to the “exquisite langour of surrender,” then this book is either for you or not for you.
Did you know that in 1839 it was considered elegant to take a tortoise out walking?
“How to be Idle” is peppered with poets and songs and philosophers, musings and collections. It is humorous and admirable, a dutiful effort for a book on idleness. It affords for worthy ruminations on drinking, working, and dreaming. As well as the impact of the Industrial Revolution on our modern working lives and consumer culture. Damn you Robber Barons and Titans of Industry!!!! My clenched fist shakes in your general direction.
“How to be Idle” is ultimately an eloquently argued plea for the value and worth of less. I hope that makes sense to you. Less is more. Small is the new big. Downsizing is the new expansion. Fuck outsourcing, you shouldn’t be sourcing in the first place.
Buy this book. If you get around to it.
And then read it. Eventually.
I guess.
December 11, 2020
" You are just rationalizing your own lazyness! " - Probably every human being that was suckered in this all grandiose scheme that is social engineering, that, ironically, IS the target population that Hodgkinson is aiming at.
Welcome to the world of Idling - When one can, in a joyfull and entertaining way, amuse himself by just. There is no need for video-games, books, gadgets and such for one to enjoy himself. Sure, one CAN use those very atributes to follow the direction that the idling in itself is heading, but, mastering the art that is Idling will fulfill you with yourself, with just being content by the presence of nothingness.
Hodgkinson shows this in numerous ways, in is all cartonish/humorous style of course. Examples like, " All of us DON'T want to get up early, i mean, who does? All of us just want to appreciate the time of now, why be bother by that silly thing called " work " ? " to " Lunch is oficially dead. Long is the time that one enjoys his actually food. Now it's eat as fast as you can, to be a loyal and competent " worker " ".
I think it's obvious what Hodgkinson means by this. We don't enjoy the little pleasures of life anymore, most of us don't lunch together competently anymore; most of us dismiss conversations about topics of Philosophy/Sociology/Politics, because thinking is hard, or , that the topic is a taboo. What matters to us is our person and our well-being, fuck the others, i gotta rush quickly to my precious work.
Hodgkinson is trying to makes us content, with just our being and mind, in the time of now. No rushes, no work, no school, no other topic. Just to be.
Welcome to the world of Idling - When one can, in a joyfull and entertaining way, amuse himself by just. There is no need for video-games, books, gadgets and such for one to enjoy himself. Sure, one CAN use those very atributes to follow the direction that the idling in itself is heading, but, mastering the art that is Idling will fulfill you with yourself, with just being content by the presence of nothingness.
Hodgkinson shows this in numerous ways, in is all cartonish/humorous style of course. Examples like, " All of us DON'T want to get up early, i mean, who does? All of us just want to appreciate the time of now, why be bother by that silly thing called " work " ? " to " Lunch is oficially dead. Long is the time that one enjoys his actually food. Now it's eat as fast as you can, to be a loyal and competent " worker " ".
I think it's obvious what Hodgkinson means by this. We don't enjoy the little pleasures of life anymore, most of us don't lunch together competently anymore; most of us dismiss conversations about topics of Philosophy/Sociology/Politics, because thinking is hard, or , that the topic is a taboo. What matters to us is our person and our well-being, fuck the others, i gotta rush quickly to my precious work.
Hodgkinson is trying to makes us content, with just our being and mind, in the time of now. No rushes, no work, no school, no other topic. Just to be.
March 24, 2016
I agree strongly with Hodgkinson's premise that rest and leisure are necessary to healthful, joyful living, but I disagree with his reasoning and with his extreme conclusions.
He credits capitalism and Christianity with "ruining everyone's fun" by elevating work above leisure. He cites the Nazi slogan "Work makes us free" (posted above the Auschwitz gates) as proof that since work was valued by the Nazis, it shouldn't be valued by us.
With such faulty reasoning he glibly concludes that homeless, jobless people are better off than the rest of us since they don't have to worry about punching in on any time clocks. Seriously?
Yes, our culture works too hard and too long. And yes, we've forgotten the benefits of really resting, but ignoring the value of work is not the answer. Work is a way we serve our families and serve others. Work done well gives us dignity. A life of idleness, on the other hand, is self-seeking, which although highly touted in our world, is nevertheless a dead end road.
We must find a way to balance work and leisure, placing the appropriate value on each one.
A much better treatise on the subject is Josef Pieper's Leisure: The Basis of Culture.
He credits capitalism and Christianity with "ruining everyone's fun" by elevating work above leisure. He cites the Nazi slogan "Work makes us free" (posted above the Auschwitz gates) as proof that since work was valued by the Nazis, it shouldn't be valued by us.
With such faulty reasoning he glibly concludes that homeless, jobless people are better off than the rest of us since they don't have to worry about punching in on any time clocks. Seriously?
Yes, our culture works too hard and too long. And yes, we've forgotten the benefits of really resting, but ignoring the value of work is not the answer. Work is a way we serve our families and serve others. Work done well gives us dignity. A life of idleness, on the other hand, is self-seeking, which although highly touted in our world, is nevertheless a dead end road.
We must find a way to balance work and leisure, placing the appropriate value on each one.
A much better treatise on the subject is Josef Pieper's Leisure: The Basis of Culture.
June 12, 2019
This is a book I've read before, but not for a while, so I dug into it while staying at a particularly pleasant bothy in the middle of nowhere. Given that the subject is enjoying life while doing as little as possible, this was a perfect location to read it.
I think you'll either get the idea behind the book, or you won't. If you love to brag about how busy you are and have a house full of the latest technology, you probably won't get it at all, but if you appreciate living a simple, uncluttered life, this is a stab at developing a philosophy of idleness and loafing. It's a series of essays on a range of subjects, such as sleeping, alcohol, illness, tea, elevenses, and a range of other subjects close to the idler's heart.
It's not a hugely challenging read, but it's an enjoyable and thought-provoking one that points the way to a more sustainable and relaxed existence. The sequel - How To Be Free - is more radical and challenging, bit this is a great introduction to the concept of slow and simple living.
I think you'll either get the idea behind the book, or you won't. If you love to brag about how busy you are and have a house full of the latest technology, you probably won't get it at all, but if you appreciate living a simple, uncluttered life, this is a stab at developing a philosophy of idleness and loafing. It's a series of essays on a range of subjects, such as sleeping, alcohol, illness, tea, elevenses, and a range of other subjects close to the idler's heart.
It's not a hugely challenging read, but it's an enjoyable and thought-provoking one that points the way to a more sustainable and relaxed existence. The sequel - How To Be Free - is more radical and challenging, bit this is a great introduction to the concept of slow and simple living.
October 17, 2015
Cartea asta tare m-a dus cu gândul la toate cărțile de marketing care te învață cum să nu fii harnic, util, cum să nu conduci o organizație, cum să n-o conduci deloc. O parodie veritabilă :))
Apoi, nu am crezut că există cărți care tratează cu atâta seriozitate lenevia :)
Eu după ce am citit-o, mai mult am primit un șut în fund, decât să vreau să lenevesc din ce in ce mai mult sau să caut zeci de scuze.
Cu toate astea, cartea asta mai mult se referă la persoanele de creație, pictori, autori, scriitori, etc, e pentru pescari, pentru leneșii rafinați :)
Tema lui Tom Hodgkinson poate ajunge în acelaşi timp şi un ideal de viaţă. Călătoria către lenevie durează o viaţă, afirmă acesta, iar suprema lene este moartea.
Mi-a plăcut foarte mult citatul lui Oscar Wilde: "Întotdeauna se găsesc mulți care se străduiesc să te pună la muncă".
Apoi, nu am crezut că există cărți care tratează cu atâta seriozitate lenevia :)
Eu după ce am citit-o, mai mult am primit un șut în fund, decât să vreau să lenevesc din ce in ce mai mult sau să caut zeci de scuze.
Cu toate astea, cartea asta mai mult se referă la persoanele de creație, pictori, autori, scriitori, etc, e pentru pescari, pentru leneșii rafinați :)
Tema lui Tom Hodgkinson poate ajunge în acelaşi timp şi un ideal de viaţă. Călătoria către lenevie durează o viaţă, afirmă acesta, iar suprema lene este moartea.
Mi-a plăcut foarte mult citatul lui Oscar Wilde: "Întotdeauna se găsesc mulți care se străduiesc să te pună la muncă".
December 11, 2007
I really liked this book. At times it was really funny, as when he discusses smoking, saying "My New York friend Tom says that there are so many people smoking in the street that you have to go inside for a breath of fresh air."
At other times it was profound, as in this pearl from the chapter on fishing: "It's nice to catch a fish," the master explained, "but it's not really the point."
The author is British, and correspondingly, the book is surprisingly literary; in fact, too many difficult poems are included in the text. Also, the book probably should have been shorter. It's a collection of 24 essays, one for each hour of the day, and almost half of the essays left me cold. But the essays that worked, or should I say "idled", really sparkled.
At other times it was profound, as in this pearl from the chapter on fishing: "It's nice to catch a fish," the master explained, "but it's not really the point."
The author is British, and correspondingly, the book is surprisingly literary; in fact, too many difficult poems are included in the text. Also, the book probably should have been shorter. It's a collection of 24 essays, one for each hour of the day, and almost half of the essays left me cold. But the essays that worked, or should I say "idled", really sparkled.
January 1, 2008
A very witty manifesto by a man who truly understands what is important in life. I like the British aspect of the writing that comes through quite strongly. It reminds me of PG Wodhouse for some reason. It has that 'eccentric' quality that is a must in British commentary. Which is a weird thing to say or write, but I have this Noel Coward/Wodheouse/Ray Davies/Morrissey British concept that is deeply into my very own DNA.
August 22, 2019
When I first started this book I had a preconceived idea of what I could find inside: irony towards the lazy people, perhaps refined, perhaps brutal, but clearly against them, because who could possibly dare to have another official opinion? Once again, books find a way to surprise me, this time with humor and wisdom and a new perspective.
This book is indeed a guide for the lazy, for those who always find excuses not to do something, not to enter in the game of the consumerist society, for those who avoid stress at all costs and for those who want to level the others’ expectations to their own will.
I found a rare, well documented, read, a sip of fresh air, that makes you stop and wonder: Why are you even working anymore? Why do you want so many things? Why don’t you see the act of idleness as something useful, with a better potential for being creative? Why is it so important to be permanently busy in order to make you feel that you are doing something, that you have a purpose? It’s a book that rightfully gives legitimacy to breaks and to doing nothing. It brings laziness to the rank it once had, gives it the importance that was long lost. It’s the book I needed to break my routine and ask myself some questions, as it gave my subconscious the freedom needed to do just that – it made asking questions the only natural thing to do.
The book brought explanations and history facts about how people passed from a free life to the life in which you feel forced to work, explanations that made me search for my own motivation of why I struggle so much to stay occupied, to be important, to have goals, to aim at something, to have accomplishments. All the while, I forget to appreciate the process, I forget to enjoy the view and the moments passing by.
It is amazing how all this mix of thoughts and emotions is boosted by the book just because it made it so that I can find it perfectly natural to ask myself questions and to assess my own way of thinking life.
But, moreover, I found in this book funny quotes, stories about artists’ lazy habits, about famous people that remained in history for their creations, people who understood that work doesn’t have to be a fixed timed process, as it is for robots. If you are passionate about your work, you can create in your coffee break, during the after lunch walk, literally in any moment of the day you get inspired to. And, difficult to admit or not, it is rare that inspiration would strike in the strained office environment.
Another interesting fact is how the man, over time, invented all kinds of legitimate excuses for taking these breaks: for a tea, for a smoke, to go fishing, to sleep, to drink a coffee. These are habits created exactly for making official the right of stopping the activity, a right that a small number of people appreciate and understand as they should. And this „as they should”, it never, actually, implies a full stop: thinking, re-evaluating, self-knowledge, all of it continues. It’s just stopping the work that changes the perspective of how you see things, changes the way of finding the solution to your problem. The book becomes, in this way, a new manifest, as many others during time, that draws your attention to the importance of work and efficient breaks, in contrast to work for the sake of working, just to be or seem to be busy.
The bitter sweet irony is the people who would need this book the most are also the ones who will never find the time to read it.
This book is indeed a guide for the lazy, for those who always find excuses not to do something, not to enter in the game of the consumerist society, for those who avoid stress at all costs and for those who want to level the others’ expectations to their own will.
I found a rare, well documented, read, a sip of fresh air, that makes you stop and wonder: Why are you even working anymore? Why do you want so many things? Why don’t you see the act of idleness as something useful, with a better potential for being creative? Why is it so important to be permanently busy in order to make you feel that you are doing something, that you have a purpose? It’s a book that rightfully gives legitimacy to breaks and to doing nothing. It brings laziness to the rank it once had, gives it the importance that was long lost. It’s the book I needed to break my routine and ask myself some questions, as it gave my subconscious the freedom needed to do just that – it made asking questions the only natural thing to do.
The book brought explanations and history facts about how people passed from a free life to the life in which you feel forced to work, explanations that made me search for my own motivation of why I struggle so much to stay occupied, to be important, to have goals, to aim at something, to have accomplishments. All the while, I forget to appreciate the process, I forget to enjoy the view and the moments passing by.
It is amazing how all this mix of thoughts and emotions is boosted by the book just because it made it so that I can find it perfectly natural to ask myself questions and to assess my own way of thinking life.
But, moreover, I found in this book funny quotes, stories about artists’ lazy habits, about famous people that remained in history for their creations, people who understood that work doesn’t have to be a fixed timed process, as it is for robots. If you are passionate about your work, you can create in your coffee break, during the after lunch walk, literally in any moment of the day you get inspired to. And, difficult to admit or not, it is rare that inspiration would strike in the strained office environment.
Another interesting fact is how the man, over time, invented all kinds of legitimate excuses for taking these breaks: for a tea, for a smoke, to go fishing, to sleep, to drink a coffee. These are habits created exactly for making official the right of stopping the activity, a right that a small number of people appreciate and understand as they should. And this „as they should”, it never, actually, implies a full stop: thinking, re-evaluating, self-knowledge, all of it continues. It’s just stopping the work that changes the perspective of how you see things, changes the way of finding the solution to your problem. The book becomes, in this way, a new manifest, as many others during time, that draws your attention to the importance of work and efficient breaks, in contrast to work for the sake of working, just to be or seem to be busy.
The bitter sweet irony is the people who would need this book the most are also the ones who will never find the time to read it.
June 16, 2021
“We go into debt to chase our desires, and then keep working to pay the debt. It’s the modern form of indentured labor.”
I was excited to read How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto on my way to living in Panamá as one of my biggest goals with this move is to SLOW THE HECK DOWN. From what I hear, the Panamanians have their priorities straighter than Americans when it comes to idling, celebrating and putting family at the top of the list. I need to learn to be and do better in this way.
Some male authors can write in a way that resonates with both males and females. Tom Hodgkinson, not so much. His (non-toxic) masculinity was prevalent on most pages...his British-ness as well.
Tom covers a topic related to slowing down and doing nothing in each chapter:
Ch 1: Waking Up
Ch 2: Toil & Trouble
Ch 3: Sleeping In
Ch 4: Skiving for Pleasure
Ch 5: The Hangover
Ch 6: The Death of Lunch
Ch 7: On Being Ill
Ch 8: the Nap
Ch 9: Time for Tea
Ch 10: The Ramble
Ch 11: First Drink of the Day
Ch 12: On Fishing
Ch 13: Smoking
Ch 14: The Idle Home
Ch 15: The Pub
Ch 16: Riot
Ch 17: The Moon and the Stars
Ch 18: Sex and Idleness
Ch 19: The Art of Conversation
Ch 20: Party Time
Ch 21: Meditation
Ch 22: Sleep
Ch 23: On Holidays
Ch 24: A Waking Dream
Despite the heavy testosterone (fishing, drinking, smoking, etc.), he shifted my perspective in a big way and I enjoyed the book enough to stick with it until the end (something I no longer do out of a sense of some unnecessary obligation...a sign that I'm evolving!).
The ongoing discussion of the shift that occurred in society as a direct result of the Industrial Revolution was the most interesting and valuable aspect of the book for me. Now I get why humans, particularly the American ones, are obsessed with work, work, work. Most importantly, now I get the guilt I have when I do nothing...awareness is the first step in healing.
Although written before Covid, there is a definite parallel between the post-Industrial Revolution societal mentality and the post-Covid. I feel much better equipped to explain what I mean by the powers-that-be having an agenda without sounding like a Trump loving conspiracy nut.
I hope my "husband" reads the book as he is a cocktail-loving fisherman who knows the value of a good idle session.
I was excited to read How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto on my way to living in Panamá as one of my biggest goals with this move is to SLOW THE HECK DOWN. From what I hear, the Panamanians have their priorities straighter than Americans when it comes to idling, celebrating and putting family at the top of the list. I need to learn to be and do better in this way.
Some male authors can write in a way that resonates with both males and females. Tom Hodgkinson, not so much. His (non-toxic) masculinity was prevalent on most pages...his British-ness as well.
Tom covers a topic related to slowing down and doing nothing in each chapter:
Ch 1: Waking Up
Ch 2: Toil & Trouble
Ch 3: Sleeping In
Ch 4: Skiving for Pleasure
Ch 5: The Hangover
Ch 6: The Death of Lunch
Ch 7: On Being Ill
Ch 8: the Nap
Ch 9: Time for Tea
Ch 10: The Ramble
Ch 11: First Drink of the Day
Ch 12: On Fishing
Ch 13: Smoking
Ch 14: The Idle Home
Ch 15: The Pub
Ch 16: Riot
Ch 17: The Moon and the Stars
Ch 18: Sex and Idleness
Ch 19: The Art of Conversation
Ch 20: Party Time
Ch 21: Meditation
Ch 22: Sleep
Ch 23: On Holidays
Ch 24: A Waking Dream
Despite the heavy testosterone (fishing, drinking, smoking, etc.), he shifted my perspective in a big way and I enjoyed the book enough to stick with it until the end (something I no longer do out of a sense of some unnecessary obligation...a sign that I'm evolving!).
The ongoing discussion of the shift that occurred in society as a direct result of the Industrial Revolution was the most interesting and valuable aspect of the book for me. Now I get why humans, particularly the American ones, are obsessed with work, work, work. Most importantly, now I get the guilt I have when I do nothing...awareness is the first step in healing.
Although written before Covid, there is a definite parallel between the post-Industrial Revolution societal mentality and the post-Covid. I feel much better equipped to explain what I mean by the powers-that-be having an agenda without sounding like a Trump loving conspiracy nut.
I hope my "husband" reads the book as he is a cocktail-loving fisherman who knows the value of a good idle session.
January 20, 2019
I have spent the last few years trying to deal with the internalized perfectionism and constant pressure to success, to produce, to be better. I am in the process of trying to change parts of my life for the better & I picked up this book because it seemed to speak to that theme.
Overall, it is a fun read, I highly appreciate the philosophy behind it, and the quotes from poets & thinkers over the centuries are interesting.
However, I did have a few issues with the book.
The most major can be summed up as "Excuse me, your privilege is showing." The author includes various stories from his life, but some of these seemed to illustrate his luck and privilege more than his philosophy.
It is also an overwhelming male point of view. Yes, the author is a man but that doesn't mean he couldn't have tried a little harder to include women in his vision. Of the poets, philosophers and thinkers quoted almost none are women. And the majority of mentions of women are somewhat offhand comments about "wives and girlfriends".
I would love to read a similar book which speaks to the female experience and also takes into account the unpaid, unacknowledged labour, both physical and emotional, which is undertaken by women.
There were also a few puerile moments. For example, the chapter on smoking - the underlying subtext of which seemed to be that if you don't smoke you are a killjoy and can't be one of the cool kids. There was a little acknowledgement that it might be bad for you, but looking philosophical with a pipe apparently beats lung cancer...
Overall, I recommend it for an overview of the history of though around reducing work and consumption in favour of living, living, thinking, being. But it is not without its flaws.
Overall, it is a fun read, I highly appreciate the philosophy behind it, and the quotes from poets & thinkers over the centuries are interesting.
However, I did have a few issues with the book.
The most major can be summed up as "Excuse me, your privilege is showing." The author includes various stories from his life, but some of these seemed to illustrate his luck and privilege more than his philosophy.
It is also an overwhelming male point of view. Yes, the author is a man but that doesn't mean he couldn't have tried a little harder to include women in his vision. Of the poets, philosophers and thinkers quoted almost none are women. And the majority of mentions of women are somewhat offhand comments about "wives and girlfriends".
I would love to read a similar book which speaks to the female experience and also takes into account the unpaid, unacknowledged labour, both physical and emotional, which is undertaken by women.
There were also a few puerile moments. For example, the chapter on smoking - the underlying subtext of which seemed to be that if you don't smoke you are a killjoy and can't be one of the cool kids. There was a little acknowledgement that it might be bad for you, but looking philosophical with a pipe apparently beats lung cancer...
Overall, I recommend it for an overview of the history of though around reducing work and consumption in favour of living, living, thinking, being. But it is not without its flaws.
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