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How to Be Bored
In the latest installment of the acclaimed School of Life series, learn how to make peace with your down time―and even benefit from it. Lethargic inactivity can be debilitating and depressing, but in the modern world the pendulum has swung far in the other direction. We live in a hyperactive, over-stimulated age. Uninterrupted activity can seem exciting, but it can also leave us emotionally disorientated and mentally depleted. How can we recover a sense of balance and a richness in our lives? In How to Be Bored, Eva Hoffman argues for the need to cultivate curiosity and self-knowledge and to relish moments of unplugged idleness and non-virtual contact with others. Drawing on psychoanalysis, neuroscience, and a wide range of literature, she emphasizes the need to understand our own preferences and purposes and to replenish our inner resources. This book aims to make readers more vigorously engaged in their lives and to restore a sense of depth and meaning to their experiences.
192 pages, Paperback
Published January 3, 2017
83 people are currently reading
1340 people want to read
About the author
Eva Hoffman
69 books102 followersEva Hoffman is a writer and academic. She was born Ewa Wydra July 1, 1945 in Cracow, Poland after her Jewish parents survived the Holocaust by hiding in the Ukraine. In 1959, during the Cold War, the thirteen years old Eva, her nine years old sister "Alinka" and her parents immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, where her name has been changed to Eva. Upon graduating from high school she received a scholarship and studied English literature at Rice University, Texas in 1966, the Yale School of Music (1967-68), and Harvard University, where she received a Ph.D. in English and American literature in 1974.
Eva Hoffmann has been a professor of literature and creative writing at various institutions, such as Columbia University, the University of Minnesota, and Tufts. From 1979 to 1990, she worked as an editor and writer at The New York Times, serving as senior editor of “The Book Review” from 1987 to 1990. In 1990, she received the Jean Stein Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1992, the Guggenheim Fellowship for General Nonfiction, as well as the Whiting Writers' Award. In 2000, Eva Hoffman has been the Year 2000 Una Lecturer at the Townsend Center for the Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2008, she was awarded an honorary DLitt by the University of Warwick. Eva leads a seminar in memoir once every two years as a part of CUNY Hunter College's Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing.
She now lives in London.
Her sister, Dr. Alina Wydra is a registered psychologist working in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Hoffman
Eva Hoffmann has been a professor of literature and creative writing at various institutions, such as Columbia University, the University of Minnesota, and Tufts. From 1979 to 1990, she worked as an editor and writer at The New York Times, serving as senior editor of “The Book Review” from 1987 to 1990. In 1990, she received the Jean Stein Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1992, the Guggenheim Fellowship for General Nonfiction, as well as the Whiting Writers' Award. In 2000, Eva Hoffman has been the Year 2000 Una Lecturer at the Townsend Center for the Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2008, she was awarded an honorary DLitt by the University of Warwick. Eva leads a seminar in memoir once every two years as a part of CUNY Hunter College's Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing.
She now lives in London.
Her sister, Dr. Alina Wydra is a registered psychologist working in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Hoffman
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
January 5, 2019
Well, I discovered one way to be bored....
June 25, 2016
Actual rating: 9/10
"Reading creates a sense of human fellowship. It is never (or rarely) a public activity, but in putting us in direct contact with other minds and sensibilities, it is a form of solitude which banishes loneliness."
So very GP. If I were still teaching, I'd set a million comprehension passages to this. This pocket-sized title covers so many bases: hyperactivity and busyness, the paradox of choice, and how to cultivate idleness that energises, rather than depletes us. This book is worth it alone for the sub-section that talks about the pleasures of reading.
"Reading creates a sense of human fellowship. It is never (or rarely) a public activity, but in putting us in direct contact with other minds and sensibilities, it is a form of solitude which banishes loneliness."
So very GP. If I were still teaching, I'd set a million comprehension passages to this. This pocket-sized title covers so many bases: hyperactivity and busyness, the paradox of choice, and how to cultivate idleness that energises, rather than depletes us. This book is worth it alone for the sub-section that talks about the pleasures of reading.
Read
September 11, 2021خواندن کتابهایی درستایش بطالت که قبلا نوشته ای ازبرتراندراسل درآن باره خوانده ام ، برای مامردمی که استاد بطالت هستیم چه ارزشی دارد؟ شاید دروهله اول جذاب به نظربرسد ولی برای مردم ایران موضوعیتی ندارد وسوژه جدیدی هم نیست .ظاهرا" این روزها درحال زندگی کردن و رهاشدن و..مد روزاست . اگرغم نان بگذارد به جزازبطالت مگرکاردیگری هم داریم ؟
December 15, 2016
A more accurate title to the book would be "How to recover your balance from hyeractivity". The premise of the argument is that due to technological advances, and the prevalance of seemingly more options and affluence, people are leading more flurried lives. However these lives are ironically fragmented, frenzied, with a severe lack of awareness (to both self and others), and purpose.
The author then recommendes returning back to review the traditional concept and forms of "leisure", and also concludes with the traditional concept and forms of "engagement".
Indeed we nowadays do live in a much more frantic yet aimless and less fulfilling manner than our ancestors. Maybe we should go back a bit.
The author then recommendes returning back to review the traditional concept and forms of "leisure", and also concludes with the traditional concept and forms of "engagement".
Indeed we nowadays do live in a much more frantic yet aimless and less fulfilling manner than our ancestors. Maybe we should go back a bit.
July 5, 2023
entirely failed to see that this book was from a school of life which i have a very specific issue with in general. I was fooled because I picked it up in this lovely theatre bookshop in london in the philosophy section and upon reading the first thirty pages realised the mistake i made. Personally, I think writing in the 1st person plural should be banned in books. I only continued reading cause 1. I made the bad financial decision to buy this book 2. was too curious to see how every next page is worse than the previous. The author’s opinions can be considered somewhat relevant only within the painfully middle class scenarios she describes. at some point she even admits to this.. bad.
May 31, 2022
So it turns out that How to be Bored was the book that I thought How to do Nothing was going to be. I picked it up because of its title and because one of my keywords for the year is ‘balance’ and I like I expected, it was an interesting exploration into why we need to slow down and how we could do that.
How to be Bored is a short book broken into three sections:
The Problem: why we are overstimulated and why it’s an issue
Leisure: how we can be idle and benefit from it
Engagement: on the other side, the flow state and how work, relationships, and hobbies can help
A lot of what this book said resonated with me. In the first chapter, this caught my eye:
I actually think that this is very true. I enjoy learning, but sometimes I wonder: when I watch a new Wondrium lecture or put a podcast on, is it really in the spirit of learning or to avoid the silence that free time brings? In the next chapter, Hoffman writes that
And that was a hard yes for me. I actually feel guilty on days when I don’t do much; I will actually tell my boyfriend that I feel bad for being unproductive because I only read a book or had a pocket of free time instead of being so busy that I feel overwhelmed. Somehow, I have internalised the idea that I must be busy all the time and that is honestly not very sustainable.
Plus, it helps to be comfortable with stillness. In Chapter 4, on introspection, the sentence: “The effort of self-knowledge is not only ennobling, but necessary to our happiness and health” caught my eye. I agree that we need to have a level of introspection and self-knowledge in order to make good decisions, and really, we need to be able to calm ourselves down and be still in order to introspect.
It’s actually a bit silly that I’ve not learnt to do this yet, because a lot of the Christian tradition is on learning to slow down – “be still and know that You are God” as the song says, or as the practice of lectio divino and daily devotion encourages. And, now that I’m thinking about it, Jesus commended Mary for sitting down and learning rather than rushing around like Martha.
But anyway, I digress. To be clear, the book doesn’t actually approach things from a Christian perspective, it’s just that I find that it overlaps a lot with what my faith says as well.
Back to the book, the last thing I wanted to talk about was the section on reading in Chapter 5 on Imaginative Exploration. I thought it was interesting that Hoffman makes a distinction between types of reading, or as she puts it: “the kind of segmented, bite-sized reading we do on the internet fragments and constricts the ‘space to think’, instead of expanding it; in a sense, it reduces or even rubbished our mental experience.” I remembered someone (probably on a podcast) countering the idea that reading is dying by saying that we read so much on the internet, but it’s also true that I find it very hard to read long-form essays on the internet and anything more than one thousand words probably ends up with me skimming the latter half. For books, I need either the paper copy or for me to read on a dedicated reader – it takes a really good book or a lack of reading options for me to read on my phone instead of browsing the internet.
Overall, I really enjoyed How to be Bored! Although it’s not very long, it’s a thoughtful exploration of why we need to slow down and the ways that we can do that. And if you want to explore the subject further, there’s a section at the end of the book called “Homework” which is just a list of recommended books – I’m definitely getting some reading inspiration from this!
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
How to be Bored is a short book broken into three sections:
The Problem: why we are overstimulated and why it’s an issue
Leisure: how we can be idle and benefit from it
Engagement: on the other side, the flow state and how work, relationships, and hobbies can help
A lot of what this book said resonated with me. In the first chapter, this caught my eye:
“We absorb large quantities of culture, which may be all to the good; but too often, we consume culture in the spirit of – well, consumerism. We do things in order to have done them, or simply to fill time with activity.”
I actually think that this is very true. I enjoy learning, but sometimes I wonder: when I watch a new Wondrium lecture or put a podcast on, is it really in the spirit of learning or to avoid the silence that free time brings? In the next chapter, Hoffman writes that
“because we are presented with ostensible options in all areas of life, we have a nagging sense that maybe we should be taking advantage of them.”
And that was a hard yes for me. I actually feel guilty on days when I don’t do much; I will actually tell my boyfriend that I feel bad for being unproductive because I only read a book or had a pocket of free time instead of being so busy that I feel overwhelmed. Somehow, I have internalised the idea that I must be busy all the time and that is honestly not very sustainable.
Plus, it helps to be comfortable with stillness. In Chapter 4, on introspection, the sentence: “The effort of self-knowledge is not only ennobling, but necessary to our happiness and health” caught my eye. I agree that we need to have a level of introspection and self-knowledge in order to make good decisions, and really, we need to be able to calm ourselves down and be still in order to introspect.
It’s actually a bit silly that I’ve not learnt to do this yet, because a lot of the Christian tradition is on learning to slow down – “be still and know that You are God” as the song says, or as the practice of lectio divino and daily devotion encourages. And, now that I’m thinking about it, Jesus commended Mary for sitting down and learning rather than rushing around like Martha.
But anyway, I digress. To be clear, the book doesn’t actually approach things from a Christian perspective, it’s just that I find that it overlaps a lot with what my faith says as well.
Back to the book, the last thing I wanted to talk about was the section on reading in Chapter 5 on Imaginative Exploration. I thought it was interesting that Hoffman makes a distinction between types of reading, or as she puts it: “the kind of segmented, bite-sized reading we do on the internet fragments and constricts the ‘space to think’, instead of expanding it; in a sense, it reduces or even rubbished our mental experience.” I remembered someone (probably on a podcast) countering the idea that reading is dying by saying that we read so much on the internet, but it’s also true that I find it very hard to read long-form essays on the internet and anything more than one thousand words probably ends up with me skimming the latter half. For books, I need either the paper copy or for me to read on a dedicated reader – it takes a really good book or a lack of reading options for me to read on my phone instead of browsing the internet.
Overall, I really enjoyed How to be Bored! Although it’s not very long, it’s a thoughtful exploration of why we need to slow down and the ways that we can do that. And if you want to explore the subject further, there’s a section at the end of the book called “Homework” which is just a list of recommended books – I’m definitely getting some reading inspiration from this!
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
May 18, 2019
In spite of the clear intelligence and personal pleasantness of the author, I can't really recommend this book. I wholeheartedly agree with its many premises, most of which have little to do with boredom: that overexposure to digital media can be mentally and spiritually debilitating; that the sustained aesthetic contemplation of worthy objects is a practice worthy of sustaining, for the perfectly practical purpose of its own sake; that much of modern mindfulness culture (meditation breaks, power naps, ten deep breaths) is less a solution to our ailments than a means of greasing the hamster wheel; and that the sustained, articulated reflection of a diary, bolstered by psychoanalytic thought (yes, even Freud, especially Freud), presents a more robust alternative. The problem is that Hoffman's justifications for these claims are exactly what you'd expect, and could easily have been drafted up by you or I if given a few months to do so. The stock Getty images (literally; see photo credits) littered throughout--here a palm tree overlooking an ocean, there a hipster white couple gazing lovingly at one another over pricey cafe coffee--evoke all too effectively the fuzzy banalities of a TED Talk or a PowerPoint presentation.
It would be good for someone living somewhere desolate and bored senseless by their surroundings, say Topeka, to read this book and have their lofty humanist convictions reaffirmed. (This should not be read as snobbery against the sturdy Kansan spirit I love.) But sadly, the book isn't really aimed at them. Its audience is the upper-middle class professional, the power-bruncher who loves with all the writhing agony of the whipped and collared masochist to moan, moan, moan about how busy they are, even as they add yet another helping of to-do to their crammed and heaping "plate." This is demonstrated by Hoffman's selection of examples. So-and-so is under-prepared for the conference they must attend, while such-and-such keeps screwing their way down their Tinder list, drained as they are of the time or energy for love. (Hoffman has a refreshingly stodgy view of casual sex.) There is a very real degree to which the tribulations of Hoffman's audience are the product of society-wide capitalist excesses beyond individual control. And yet, my more miserly half cannot but suspect that the connoisseurs of upscale self-help such as this would have much of their ennui slapped out of them, easily and (on the whole) painlessly, by a trip to a soup kitchen or, better yet, a concentration camp. We should all be so lucky.
It would be good for someone living somewhere desolate and bored senseless by their surroundings, say Topeka, to read this book and have their lofty humanist convictions reaffirmed. (This should not be read as snobbery against the sturdy Kansan spirit I love.) But sadly, the book isn't really aimed at them. Its audience is the upper-middle class professional, the power-bruncher who loves with all the writhing agony of the whipped and collared masochist to moan, moan, moan about how busy they are, even as they add yet another helping of to-do to their crammed and heaping "plate." This is demonstrated by Hoffman's selection of examples. So-and-so is under-prepared for the conference they must attend, while such-and-such keeps screwing their way down their Tinder list, drained as they are of the time or energy for love. (Hoffman has a refreshingly stodgy view of casual sex.) There is a very real degree to which the tribulations of Hoffman's audience are the product of society-wide capitalist excesses beyond individual control. And yet, my more miserly half cannot but suspect that the connoisseurs of upscale self-help such as this would have much of their ennui slapped out of them, easily and (on the whole) painlessly, by a trip to a soup kitchen or, better yet, a concentration camp. We should all be so lucky.
March 11, 2017
There were several points at which I wanted to hurl this book at a wall -- the last of which was the superficial dismissal of video games as form of creative play because they're on a screen and have a predetermined set of outcomes or possibilities. I'm not even a gamer but I still found this argument tedious.
I wanted to love this book but alas.
I wanted to love this book but alas.
December 31, 2021
Meh.
انتظار عمق بیشتری داشتم؛ در واقع اینکه این مطالب یک جا جمع شده بودن و لیست شده بودن نکته ی خوبی بود که به افکارم نظم میداد، اما هر مطلب به تنهایی نکته ی تازه ای در بر نداشت.
بهترین چیزی که در این کتاب دیدم لیست کتابهایی بود که در انتها معرفی کرده بود. صرفا به خاطر این لیست ۳ ستاره. اگر لیست رو نمی داشت، ۲ ستاره.
انتظار عمق بیشتری داشتم؛ در واقع اینکه این مطالب یک جا جمع شده بودن و لیست شده بودن نکته ی خوبی بود که به افکارم نظم میداد، اما هر مطلب به تنهایی نکته ی تازه ای در بر نداشت.
بهترین چیزی که در این کتاب دیدم لیست کتابهایی بود که در انتها معرفی کرده بود. صرفا به خاطر این لیست ۳ ستاره. اگر لیست رو نمی داشت، ۲ ستاره.
November 19, 2025
Eva Hoffman wow beautifully. Starting on existentialism, Eastern meditation, Greek philosophy, psychology and neuroscience, Hoffman provides a gentle guide and encouragement to how we can replenish ourselves, and better understand, know and create ourselves in an increasingly complex world and enage now frutifully with our surroundings and with others.
I gave 4 Stars for the thoughtfully synthesised content, and the 5th Star for her intellugent, engaging and companionable conversational-literary prose.
I gave 4 Stars for the thoughtfully synthesised content, and the 5th Star for her intellugent, engaging and companionable conversational-literary prose.
February 6, 2018
A very well written book. The title itself can mean so much to a reader. This book takes you on a journey talking about hyper-activity, technology, relationships and the importance of self-knowledge and how to live a less meaningless life and take the time out of a busy day to look and see how beautiful this world really is, without taking stock of what we're doing and not loose track of what we are doing it for.
August 22, 2022
Eh. I have read a few things by “The School of Life” (corny, I know) but I like Alain de Botton’s writing. This is the first book I have read by The School of Life not by de Bottom and was very disappointed. It was a good non-fiction journalistic writing style but that was sort of it’s only draw. I feel like if you are buying a book titled “How to be Bored” then you are already aware that the digital age has done away with boredom. But… far more than advice on how to rid yourself of an addiction to media consumption this book was just diagnosing the symptom I’ve already described: digital age leads to no boredom. The “How to be” part of the title was not present so I’m not all too satisfied with the read.
April 14, 2020
A thoughtful, reader-friendly answer to the question "Why should we cut back on screen time?" Reading this book felt like having a long, comfortable conversation with the author, and I have plenty to consider at the end of it.
April 21, 2017
A thoughtful appeal for living a more contemplative life.
December 12, 2017
"Bite-sized reading we do on the internet fragments and constricts the 'space to think'"
Quick and informative read, great insight into how to spend your spare time more meaningfully.
Quick and informative read, great insight into how to spend your spare time more meaningfully.
August 14, 2022
I still don’t know how to be bored, but I feel like I’m wiser now nonetheless.
January 22, 2018
The title doesn't seem to have much to do with the content, which is a scattered look at introspection, various pastimes, and thoughtful approaches to various elements of day-to-day life.
Hoffman makes some really interesting points, especially in the first half of the book, but she also treats a lot of her opinions as if they're definite facts. I found the technophobia and the elitism a little tiring, too.
Hoffman makes some really interesting points, especially in the first half of the book, but she also treats a lot of her opinions as if they're definite facts. I found the technophobia and the elitism a little tiring, too.
October 10, 2018
Nothing earth-shattering here. Brief and somewhat surface-level, but still worthwhile.
Most likely, if someone is moved to pick this book up, they will already be familiar with a lot of the core ideas and perspective here. That was definitely the case for me, but I still got a lot out of reading this. I found it affirming and a nice reminder of the speed of life + set of values I'm aiming towards (slow, human).
The book is broken up into three sections:
1. The Problem
She delineates the ills of our cultural speed and hyperactivity. Basically, everything is sped up. "...[H]opping from one small gratification to another," which results in our experiences being, "Somehow temporary and thin."
She pointed to "hyperactivity" (mostly connected to our digital lives), an excess of choice (so much possibility + a dearth of cultural structures to guide us in the direction of how to evaluate one thing over another thing). Constant distraction and the tyranny of choice leave us with ambient anxiety.
This was the section I found least helpful and most obvious, but maybe that's because I already completely buy the case she's making for the ways in which the contemporary mental landscape leaves quite a bit to be desired.
2. Leisure
The latter two sections of the book are her ideas for how to "solve" the problem outlined in section 1. By leisure, she means spending time in non-instrumental ways. For example, writing for the sake of writing (as opposed to monetizing it and making blogging your "side hustle" or whatever). She makes the argument that we often conflate leisure with laziness. She labels introspection in various forms as a form of leisure and ascribes value to the ways in which it allows us to unify the disparate fragments of our lives into a more coherent or "thick" story.
She also, of course, writes about reading. Which I am a sucker for ... I live to confirm my own biases about the inherent values of reading book, above any sort of online skim type reading. Her defense of reading boils down to the demands placed upon a reader of a longform text -- you have to inhabit the author's perspective, think, endure boring stretches of text, focus, etc. Whereas if you're scrolling through Twitter, you're hit with constant little dopamine releases of funny stuff, immediately comprehensible stuff, etc. It demands less of you, and thus does less for you.
Also learned a good quote in this section: "All art aspires to the condition of music" - Walter Pater
She also critiques the way a lot of people engage with art / museums (in an acquisitive sense, to "have seen"). Basic, but true.
3. Engagement
Engagement is her other proposed "solution." By engagement, she refers to flow-like experiences) a la Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). Basically, she's talking about activities (emphasis on active, not passive things like watching TV or even reading) that are not so easy as to be boring, but not so hard as to be impossible. That sweet spot where something is just the right level of difficulty and you lose track of time in the pursuit of the thing itself. Similar to leisure, this is all about spending time in non-instrumental ways. But this section focuses less on quiet reflection / mind-wandering like the kind that happens when you're writing in a diary or just sitting looking at the sunset and more on things that are engaging but not goal-oriented. She gave Winston Churchill's painting practice as an example of what this could look like in a person's life. She also offers work and friendship as activities that, if done right, can be real sources of soul nourishment.
My favorite part of this section was her serious discussion of playfulness. "Our very ability to know arises from a kind of conceptual playfulness." - Huizinga, Dutch philosopher (I want to read his book Homo-Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture).
Also, learned that the word amateur means literally "lover of" -- such a lovely way to frame non-instrumental activities. Calls to mind this article I just read by Tim Wu: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/op...
All in all, easy and worthwhile read. I read it at a moment where I was feeling kind of fragmented and socially / professionally exhausted, and it helped me re-center.
Most likely, if someone is moved to pick this book up, they will already be familiar with a lot of the core ideas and perspective here. That was definitely the case for me, but I still got a lot out of reading this. I found it affirming and a nice reminder of the speed of life + set of values I'm aiming towards (slow, human).
The book is broken up into three sections:
1. The Problem
She delineates the ills of our cultural speed and hyperactivity. Basically, everything is sped up. "...[H]opping from one small gratification to another," which results in our experiences being, "Somehow temporary and thin."
She pointed to "hyperactivity" (mostly connected to our digital lives), an excess of choice (so much possibility + a dearth of cultural structures to guide us in the direction of how to evaluate one thing over another thing). Constant distraction and the tyranny of choice leave us with ambient anxiety.
This was the section I found least helpful and most obvious, but maybe that's because I already completely buy the case she's making for the ways in which the contemporary mental landscape leaves quite a bit to be desired.
2. Leisure
The latter two sections of the book are her ideas for how to "solve" the problem outlined in section 1. By leisure, she means spending time in non-instrumental ways. For example, writing for the sake of writing (as opposed to monetizing it and making blogging your "side hustle" or whatever). She makes the argument that we often conflate leisure with laziness. She labels introspection in various forms as a form of leisure and ascribes value to the ways in which it allows us to unify the disparate fragments of our lives into a more coherent or "thick" story.
She also, of course, writes about reading. Which I am a sucker for ... I live to confirm my own biases about the inherent values of reading book, above any sort of online skim type reading. Her defense of reading boils down to the demands placed upon a reader of a longform text -- you have to inhabit the author's perspective, think, endure boring stretches of text, focus, etc. Whereas if you're scrolling through Twitter, you're hit with constant little dopamine releases of funny stuff, immediately comprehensible stuff, etc. It demands less of you, and thus does less for you.
Also learned a good quote in this section: "All art aspires to the condition of music" - Walter Pater
She also critiques the way a lot of people engage with art / museums (in an acquisitive sense, to "have seen"). Basic, but true.
3. Engagement
Engagement is her other proposed "solution." By engagement, she refers to flow-like experiences) a la Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi). Basically, she's talking about activities (emphasis on active, not passive things like watching TV or even reading) that are not so easy as to be boring, but not so hard as to be impossible. That sweet spot where something is just the right level of difficulty and you lose track of time in the pursuit of the thing itself. Similar to leisure, this is all about spending time in non-instrumental ways. But this section focuses less on quiet reflection / mind-wandering like the kind that happens when you're writing in a diary or just sitting looking at the sunset and more on things that are engaging but not goal-oriented. She gave Winston Churchill's painting practice as an example of what this could look like in a person's life. She also offers work and friendship as activities that, if done right, can be real sources of soul nourishment.
My favorite part of this section was her serious discussion of playfulness. "Our very ability to know arises from a kind of conceptual playfulness." - Huizinga, Dutch philosopher (I want to read his book Homo-Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture).
Also, learned that the word amateur means literally "lover of" -- such a lovely way to frame non-instrumental activities. Calls to mind this article I just read by Tim Wu: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/op...
All in all, easy and worthwhile read. I read it at a moment where I was feeling kind of fragmented and socially / professionally exhausted, and it helped me re-center.
June 13, 2019
Solid read about the importance of slowing down, making time for leisure, and undoing some of the thoughtless hyperactive habits in our lives. It's a meandering book, but all the topics relate to each other and I think of it as a nice reference book for reminding me of a more wholistic life picture. I imagine referencing it when I feel out of balance to get ideas for how I might re-balance. It really helped me meditate on and explore the topic of leisure.
August 22, 2024
Magnificently self absorbed and concerned with a specific view of upper class leisure, doesn't really get into slowing down and mindfulness in a more holistic way despite quite literally being about that
March 20, 2016
Concise, thoughtful and informative. A useful tool box of ideas and techniques for expanding self knowledge and satisfaction.
Could alternatively be titled - how to find meaning and purpose.
Could alternatively be titled - how to find meaning and purpose.
February 6, 2017
A quick, lovely read with moments of deep insight. Unfortunately, those moments are paired with as many one-dimensional cliches.
October 23, 2018
The title is misleading. It's really about how to disengage from screens and technology and read books instead. That's about it. I found it superficial and disappointing.
August 15, 2019
Things I already knew. Monotonous.
April 8, 2020
Read the first 100 pages and you'd be good. The last 60ish pages are very very extra filler content. Good book!
October 10, 2020
Touched on points and ideas I care about but didn't provide enough practical insight or advice.
May 5, 2024
boring
July 10, 2023
Eva’s book discusses that various ways we can have a beautiful and fulfilling life without using social media as our entertainment to get there. Music, books, art, rest, walking the neighborhood (taking notice of the changes you see in your community), look inside yourself (learn what makes you thrive), watch nature (think sunsets/bird watching/waterfalls), By taking the time to inspect ourselves, we can see a bigger picture and realize that some of the stuff we are doing is missing the mark of where we want to be in life.
For example, if my goal is in life is to spend technology free time on vacations with my family in the first 18 years of my child’s life, yet I spend some of our vacation staring at my phone with work and social media, then I am not really sending the correct message to my family. The kids know this and my message becomes superficial.
Phones have all the things I am responsible for in one grip. My work emails and work schedule, my meditations (the calm app), my exercise (Fitbod app), my leisure/netflix etc., my banking, my vacation planing information saved in notes, my maps to get me to my destination, my family calendar, my bills, my music, my memories (photo app). In fact, now that I think about it, I wish there was a way to turn my phone into “vacation mode.” Where I can turn it on and off as needed at the end of the night or out to dinner with friends. Maybe give my family a specific way to get through in case of emergencies. All of my apps must not be visible otherwise, I will feel like there is something I’m forgetting to do.
Here are some of my favorite parts of the book:
“We may feel, as we cook and text simultaneously, that our minds are quick and agile; but actually, the brain eventually becomes less efficient as we indulge in this, or other forms of multitasking. This is because the brain uses extra energy in switching from one task to another, and eventually it slows down and goes into a kind of gridlock…It makes us – on the physiological level of the brain, as well as of the mind – less capable of concentration and continuous thought.”
“It is when our energies and our perspective are replenished that we can return to our active lives with a renewed sense of pleasure and commitment. In other words, it is only if we periodically disengage, that we can become truly and effectively engaged.”
“Savoring a long cup of coffee; relishing a new recipe that appeals to us; taking a slow saunter in a park or down an urban street without forcing the pace of our walk; these are ways of reconnecting with the sensuality of our bodies when we are not straining them through exercise or restraining them by sitting at the desk. They are ways of savouring the small pleasures of daily life, and of recovering the basic enjoyment of moving through the physical world.”
“Reading creates a sense of human fellowship. It is never (or rarely) a public activity, but in putting us in direct contact with other minds and sensibilities, it is a form of solitude which banishes loneliness…Literature shows us the various possibilities of being human; it increases the range of our understanding and prompts us to reflect on our own lives – to see them, perhaps, from another, or a broader perspective.”
“Water is the great metaphoric element, its flow reminding us both of the ceaseless movement of time, and of nature’s seemingly endless powers of renewal…”
For example, if my goal is in life is to spend technology free time on vacations with my family in the first 18 years of my child’s life, yet I spend some of our vacation staring at my phone with work and social media, then I am not really sending the correct message to my family. The kids know this and my message becomes superficial.
Phones have all the things I am responsible for in one grip. My work emails and work schedule, my meditations (the calm app), my exercise (Fitbod app), my leisure/netflix etc., my banking, my vacation planing information saved in notes, my maps to get me to my destination, my family calendar, my bills, my music, my memories (photo app). In fact, now that I think about it, I wish there was a way to turn my phone into “vacation mode.” Where I can turn it on and off as needed at the end of the night or out to dinner with friends. Maybe give my family a specific way to get through in case of emergencies. All of my apps must not be visible otherwise, I will feel like there is something I’m forgetting to do.
Here are some of my favorite parts of the book:
“We may feel, as we cook and text simultaneously, that our minds are quick and agile; but actually, the brain eventually becomes less efficient as we indulge in this, or other forms of multitasking. This is because the brain uses extra energy in switching from one task to another, and eventually it slows down and goes into a kind of gridlock…It makes us – on the physiological level of the brain, as well as of the mind – less capable of concentration and continuous thought.”
“It is when our energies and our perspective are replenished that we can return to our active lives with a renewed sense of pleasure and commitment. In other words, it is only if we periodically disengage, that we can become truly and effectively engaged.”
“Savoring a long cup of coffee; relishing a new recipe that appeals to us; taking a slow saunter in a park or down an urban street without forcing the pace of our walk; these are ways of reconnecting with the sensuality of our bodies when we are not straining them through exercise or restraining them by sitting at the desk. They are ways of savouring the small pleasures of daily life, and of recovering the basic enjoyment of moving through the physical world.”
“Reading creates a sense of human fellowship. It is never (or rarely) a public activity, but in putting us in direct contact with other minds and sensibilities, it is a form of solitude which banishes loneliness…Literature shows us the various possibilities of being human; it increases the range of our understanding and prompts us to reflect on our own lives – to see them, perhaps, from another, or a broader perspective.”
“Water is the great metaphoric element, its flow reminding us both of the ceaseless movement of time, and of nature’s seemingly endless powers of renewal…”
December 30, 2017
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
The author of The Secret has written this tiny little novel for ‘The School of Life’. I’m sorry, but thinking about The Secret made me not want to even approach this book. I’m all about positive thinking, but without making the appropriate concrete steps towards you goals, you can’t just expect them to fall in your lap. For example, if you envisage yourself getting a pay rise, but don’t actually ask for it at your annual review, it’s highly unlikely you are going to get one! Or hoping to win the lottery when you didn’t buy a ticket.
I think I also struggled with these books because I’d like to think that I can think and that I know how to be bored. I’d like to spend more time away from my phone and laptop, and I think that’s possible now that I don’t have to be writing all the time! After I finish catching up on the 13 or so reviews that need to be written, maybe I’ll be able to go back to guilt-free reading.
Maybe I will give these as Christmas presents this year and hope that someone else likes them! Or maybe they too will pass them on. These would make good Kris Kringle gifts, rather than the all too common candles/hand cream/useless gadget that are usually on offer. Non-fiction reading doesn’t force me to give stars to things, so I’m just not going to try.
The author of The Secret has written this tiny little novel for ‘The School of Life’. I’m sorry, but thinking about The Secret made me not want to even approach this book. I’m all about positive thinking, but without making the appropriate concrete steps towards you goals, you can’t just expect them to fall in your lap. For example, if you envisage yourself getting a pay rise, but don’t actually ask for it at your annual review, it’s highly unlikely you are going to get one! Or hoping to win the lottery when you didn’t buy a ticket.
I think I also struggled with these books because I’d like to think that I can think and that I know how to be bored. I’d like to spend more time away from my phone and laptop, and I think that’s possible now that I don’t have to be writing all the time! After I finish catching up on the 13 or so reviews that need to be written, maybe I’ll be able to go back to guilt-free reading.
Maybe I will give these as Christmas presents this year and hope that someone else likes them! Or maybe they too will pass them on. These would make good Kris Kringle gifts, rather than the all too common candles/hand cream/useless gadget that are usually on offer. Non-fiction reading doesn’t force me to give stars to things, so I’m just not going to try.
August 7, 2022
My three-star review doesn't reflect the quality of the book.
It's just that I knew all of this already.
Here's the rundown of what's important to Eva for a good life (not really the question we went into this book hoping to answer, but nevertheless):
- unstructured idleness
- introspection (examining one's inner voices, linking memories into a coherent narrative of self)
- imaginative exploration (reading, aesthetic appreciation, music)
- contemplative absorption in nature (as with fishing or birdwatching or stand-up paddle boarding)
- time spent making deep choices (ex. about where we want to go in life)
- deep engagement in work (defined as purposeful activity & collaboration)
- deep engagement in relationships (characterized by true intimacy and openness)
- creative play
All true, a helpful reminder, and organized nicely so that one can look at which areas one can stand to spend more time in. (For me, unstructured idleness, contemplative absorption and creative play.)
One thing I especially appreciated was the validation of how much introspection and self-reflection matters. Sometimes I feel insecure about how much time I spend on that. But as a writer and storyteller, it's especially important for me.
It's just that I knew all of this already.
Here's the rundown of what's important to Eva for a good life (not really the question we went into this book hoping to answer, but nevertheless):
- unstructured idleness
- introspection (examining one's inner voices, linking memories into a coherent narrative of self)
- imaginative exploration (reading, aesthetic appreciation, music)
- contemplative absorption in nature (as with fishing or birdwatching or stand-up paddle boarding)
- time spent making deep choices (ex. about where we want to go in life)
- deep engagement in work (defined as purposeful activity & collaboration)
- deep engagement in relationships (characterized by true intimacy and openness)
- creative play
All true, a helpful reminder, and organized nicely so that one can look at which areas one can stand to spend more time in. (For me, unstructured idleness, contemplative absorption and creative play.)
One thing I especially appreciated was the validation of how much introspection and self-reflection matters. Sometimes I feel insecure about how much time I spend on that. But as a writer and storyteller, it's especially important for me.
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