The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy

by Jennifer McCartney, Aswita R. Fitriani (Translator), Hikmawati Diyas Nussa (Editor)

Kerja 85 jam seminggu, olahraga ekstrem, dan makanan cepat saji, membuat kita kehilangan fokus terhadap diri sendiri. Melupakan salah satu hal penting bahwa diri sendiri juga butuh diperhatikan.

Kungkang menawarkan pola hidup bahagia yang dapat membantumu memperlambat langkah, rileks, dan menemukan kembali keseimbangan diri.

Buku ini berusaha menyingkirkan mitos yang terlalu rumit tentang produktivitas dan menegaskan bahwa tidak masalah bersantai ala Kungkang.

Tarik napas dalam-dalam, siapkan selimut hangat serta beberapa cemilan, duduklah dengan tenang, dan mulailah membaca!

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Philosophy, Humor, Psychology, Inspirational, Animals

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Jennifer McCartney is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the author of numerous books including The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy, the novel Afloat; Cocktails for Drinkers; The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place; and Poetry from Scratch. Her writing has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and appeared in The Atlantic, Vice Magazine, Teen Vogue, Curbed, Globe and Mail, and Publishers Weekly, among other publications. Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, she lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to slow down in life!

This cute little Sloth Philosophy book is not what I expected. I thought it was going to be a home book but this actually was more beneficial. It uses the sloth as a cute reminder to slow down and enjoy life. Lots of cute cartoon sloths.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read on how to slow down your life and become sloth like. Fun facts about sloths are sprinkled throughout and there is even a section on famous sloth philosophy followers. I especially enjoyed reading about Douglas Adams, author of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy books.

Completing the quizzes will reveal your sloth personality, the best sport to match your personality, your ideal sloth meal, sloth sleep style, and what kind of sloth lover you are.

One of my favorite sections is: "slothify your wardrobe," which I think we were all doing during the Covid pandemic, especially those of us that have worked from our home. Choosing to wear softer more comfortable fabrics with a looser fit is the sloth way.

Another favorite is: "Embrace the art of slow reading," which includes a suggested reading list.

Finally, as you live your sunset years, rather than clearing out all your treasures to save the next generation from having to go through all your stuff, hang on to it for dear life! For, "the sloth philosophy is about approaching the end of your life with a bit of self-kindness and a light touch."

[Anima · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ‘sloth philosophy’ doesn’t mean to be lazy or move at a sluggish pace as the picture on the cover might suggest. Sloths move quickly if they want. It is their built in low metabolic rate the main reason they are not as active as other creatures. They are solitary and shy and are not affectionate to humans. It has been found that their sleep pattern is easily disturbed when people touch them.
In this context, the author beautifully builds the pathways of ‘sloth philosophy’ which I found to be very enjoyable to walk on:
‘Life comes with a lot of obligations, sure, and some of them are necessary for your own wellbeing or that of your loved ones. This includes things like feeding the cat or paying your rent. But we also commit to a lot of things we don’t necessarily want or need to do. Part of slowing down and embracing the sloth philosophy is realising you don’t have to do everything or be all things to everyone. Being busy isn’t a badge of honour if you’re miserable.’

[fer · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADOREI!!! É meio que um livro de auto ajuda e criaçao de habitos mas indo contra tudo que tem haver com muita produtividade, trabalhe enquanto eles dormem e etc. Fala sobre diminuir, abraçar a preguiça e ate mesmo a procrastinaçao. Adorei me senti contemplada lendo kskksksk

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable little read. Tries to teach you to slow down and enjoy life more. Random tidbits about Sloths. A cute, tiny coffee table book.

[Gracella · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You don’t have to do everything or be all things to everyone.”

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Pernah nggak kamu dihantui rasa bersalah dan merasa jadi orang paling malas sedunia karena lebih memilih buat duduk santai nonton Netflix sambil makan keripik kentang daripada berolahraga? Atau ketika kamu lebih memilih tidur daripada belajar? Well, welcome to the 21st Century! Di mana rasanya 24 jam sehari itu nggak pernah cukup.

Seandainya aja kita adalah sloth yang nggak peduli dengan jam dan waktu ya. Well, Sloth mungkin adalah salah satu hewan paling lambat di dunia dan identik dengan kata ‘pemalas’. Namun, jangan salah. Walau begitu, Sloth cenderung introspektif, tidak tergesa-gesa, santai, dan fokus. Not to mention mereka juga sangat menggemaskan!

Nah, buku ini mengupas pola hidup Sloth untuk bisa kita terapkan di dunia yang ‘overloaded’ ini melalui metode SLOW: Sleep in, Leave your phone, Opt out, What’s the rush?. Filosofi Sloth ini mengajak kita untuk lebih menikmati hidup dan menjadi diri sendiri tanpa perlu mendengar dan ikut-ikutan apa kata dunia. McCartney banyak memberikan pedoman dan tips-tips konkret dalam berbagai aspek kehidupan mulai dari makanan dan minuman, hubungan, sekolah, pekerjaan, sampai perawatan diri. Selain itu, ada juga tokoh-tokoh terkenal yang menerapkan gaya hidup santai ala Sloth, dan llustrasi serta kuis gemas di dalamnya. Intinya, lakukanlah apa yang kamu sukai, simply karena hidup itu singkat.

Mungkin ada beberapa pemahaman yang menurutku kurang bisa diterapkan secara realistis. Contohnya: it’s okay to not eating healthy food as long as we're happy. Well, doesn’t really make sense to me. Selain itu, nggak mungkin juga kan kita bisa ngobrol-ngobrol cantik sambil minum teh dan dengar music classic sewaktu deadline tugas tinggal 1 jam? Jadi ya menurutku jangan telan mentah-mentah juga isi buku ini. Karena bagaimana pun kita masih hidup di dunia yang ‘penuh aturan’. Ambil baiknya, buang yang kurang baik.

All in all, this book was an easy read dan mungkin cocok buat kamu yang lagi kepengen beristirahat dari segala hingar-bingar dunia ini.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I love otters, this one was a bit more my speed (pun fully intended), though it hit on many of the same themes.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute book

[Prisca A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sloths are my favourite animal, not just because they are super cute, but also because they embody the idea of taking it easy, which is my ultimate life goal. I own a sloth onesie, sloth phone cover, sloth bookmark, and many more sloth-related items, most of which were gifts from friends who know that deep down I am a sloth trapped inside a woman's body. Much like the other items, this book was given to me as a gift. Never have I been more sad for an author in my life (well, ok I've read more heart wrenching books, but they were not intended as inspiring little self help books, which this is). Rather than being an amusing little collection of sloth facts/philosophy, this book read more like the confessions of a burnt out lady who used to live in the city and has suddenly found out that it's ok to be a human, instead of a robot. There are passages in this book that I had to read out loud to my friends, which made us all feel sorry that nobody intervened earlier in the author's life. My personal favourite: "Once you've made up your mind to have a bit of salad for lunch a few times a week, the next step is to avoid eating it at your desk. There are a number of reasons for this. To name a few, sunshine is good for you, hunching over your desk all day is bad for your posture, taking a walk is never a bad idea and making eye contact with another human is good for the soul. Taking a proper lunch break also helps you to appear less sad to your co-workers". Jesus Christ Jennifer, glad you worked that out, welcome back to humanity. Thanks for making me associate sloths to sadness.

[Nikita]

I suppose it doesn't bode too well that I updated Goodreads the moment I finished the book, to count towards my 2021 reading challenge. I seem not to have learnt anything from McCartney's cute little guidebook on slow and mindful living!

People who wonder about the pace of modern life, and their inability to lean into it, will find much comfort and resonance in the author's suggestions. McCartney covers a range of life areas- health, eating, love, work- although fleetingly, given that it's meant to be a light read. It's not life changing or the kind of book that makes you pause and reflect. But it's light and heartwarming, so I quite enjoyed reading it.

PS: The cartoons and illustrations are a great bonus!

[Utha · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute cover book! After finishing this book, I can apply SLOW method in my daily life.

"You don’t need to help yourself improve. You’re probably fine just the way you are: perfect at some things and not so good at others…. Just embrace the sloth philosophy of being good at something-whatever that something is." - pg. 83

3.5 stars! xD

[Taurus Reader (bigpileofbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8⭐

It's insane that I could feel related to every single page in this book. Those reminders to slow down and enjoy life (it's called SLOW method in this book) is everything I didn't know I needed.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actively look for such books when I feel overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time. It's a crazy feeling and hence my need to read a book which I do not need to understand much but enjoy the feel of it.

And so this book happened. But did I get what I wanted? Disappointingly, no but yes, I did find the efforts of the author adorable. Like if I recieve the physical hardcover suddenly during a time I am having a difficult day it would make a big difference!

The sloth is amusing. But I am not amused with the writing and tips. It's a bit juvenile for me. But I would love to do some colouring and read some children's books. See?! Who am I?… The book is okay 😌

[Oriente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Egy könyvklubon került elő ez a könyv, amiről korábban sosem hallottam. Egy kedves fehérvári ismerősöm mesélt róla, körbe is adta, meggusztáltuk a rajzokat és elhatároztam, hogy kihozom könyvtárból magamnak lazulós olvasásnak.
Annak tökéletesen be is vált. Például jól lehet tömegközlekedés közben is forgatni.

Amúgy nyitott ajtókat dönget nálam a lajhár-filozófia, újat nemigen tanultam a szemléletből, de egész mulatságos volt azért ez a kis kötet :)
Ha valaki magától nem tudja, hogyan lassuljon be a mindennapokban, akkor még hasznos is lehet útmutatóként. Ezen felül vicces kis anekdoták, kvízek, zene- és könyvajánlók is tarkítják az életvezetési tanácsadást.

[Chi – cuddle.thereader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cũng khá dễ thương

[Roberta Decenzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and easy to read with some very good self help advice. Especially good for people with anxiety and for people who generally want to learn how to slow down. It comes in a form that looks like a small coffee table book but it’s actually a lot more than that and has over 170 pages. Overall, a good outline and start for learning to slow down and enjoy the little things in life again.

[Reena Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most adorable little book about slowing down in life and not being discouraged if you don’t have your life together quite yet.

[Desti Astiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Sloth atau #Kungkang dikenal sebagai hewan yang sangat lambat. Kungkang selalu berhati-hati dalam bertindak. Hewan ini cenderung introspektif, tidak tergesa-gesa santai, dan fokus.

Buku #thelittlebookofslothphilosophy ini memberikan panduan untuk kita yang ingin bisa menjalani hidup santai ala Kungkang dengan metode SLOW (Sleep in, Leave your phone, Opt out, What's the rush?) hidup ala Kungkang, pedoman praktis untuk menerapkan filosofi Kungkang. Seperti: sehat lahir dan batin, makanan dan minuman, tidur, bersantai dan bersenang-senang, love and relationships, bekerja dan sekolah, kecantikan dan perawatan diri. Karena hidup ini singkat, lakukanlah segala sesuatu yang kamu sukai.

Buku dengan cover pink yang manis ini ada peta bukunya yang akan memudahkanmu untuk membacanya. Ada halaman2 bergambar Kungkang yang lucu di setiap babnya. Kemudian ada tokoh2 yang menerapkan gaya hidup Kungkang. Juga ada kuis yang membantu untuk mengetahui tipe diri kita, seperti kepribadian, makanan, olahraga, gaya tidur, dan percintaan.

Aku rekomendasikan buku ini untuk kamu yang siap untuk mengurangi ketergesa-gesaan dan keambiusan yang sedang meledak. Karena riset membuktikan bahwa mengurangi kecepatan dalam berbagai hal secara umum memiliki begitu banyak keuntungan, mulai dari membantu mengatasi rasa sakit hingga meningkatkan level kebahagiaan serta mengurangi rasa stres.

[Bey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, reading this only accentuates that self-help books are not for me. The facts about sloths only made me go “???????of course they don’t do that they’re ANIMALS”.

I get the gist of what you want to talk about but isn’t comparing animals to humans a tad bit too far. Of course animals are better creatures, there’s no doubt.

Of all things I agree (being less chronically online and stop engaging in discourses) and disagree (reading slowly does not give me peace of mind) with, it feels too judging for those who aren’t practicing the philosophy. So yeah, not for me. And I’m sad because I wished it would once be for me.

[S Singh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked it up due to an insta post by project fuel. It looked cute and was tagged under self care.
Sure it does have its moments but at some places it downright advocates self sabotage like it doesn't matter when you sleep. Totally ignoring the fact about circadian rhythm and hormones. It seems to have been written by someone who has never had any financial issues in life. People who are fighting anxiety diabetes, obesity or hormonal issues would probably read this and just justify self sabotage

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost my mind for a moment when I discovered this gift book. Pretty, compact and intelligent book on mindfulness. I bought two already. I will probably buy one or two more during the holiday season. I just love it!

[Swati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute little book! It is essentially a book on mindfulness, on how to slow down and savour every moment presented in a delightfully humorous way. Perfect for what I call a cozy and quick read!

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I fail to understand why this was even published. The sloth angle is cute but there's nothing new inside.

[Fem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new but cute little book.

[Nadia Khaerunnisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku tentang self-conciousness dgn pendekatan yg sangat lucuuu :3
Gak bertele-tele dan ada kuis-kuis iseng mcm "what kind of sloth are you?", "What is the suitable sloth sport/sloth meal,etc for you?".

Meski ga banyak hal baru yg disuguhkan, tapi rasanya menyenangkan aja gitu baca buku ini. If this doesnt change you, at least it'll make you happy :))

Pada intinya, buku ini mengulas filosofi sloth dalam menghadapi hidup: "what's the rush? Chill ajaa~". It's about doing things at our own pace dan prioritizing urgency, so you won't get swept by the mental load.

You're very welcome to slow down in life. Keep in mind that slowing down is not a full stop. It is moving forward in your own style.

Cocok buat kamu yg lagi ngerasa overwhelmed.

[Olivia.Ds10 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best self help book. Instead of motivating you to do stuff, it motivates you to don't rush anything and to take things slow.

Here are my favorite quotes:

'All you need are dogs, books and a bed. Sounds perfectly reasonable, doesn't it?'

'To write is the joy and the torment of the idle.'

'It's okay to just exist in the world.'

'Self-care also includes ordering fried chicken in bed and not shaving your armpits for a few days, if that's what you feel like doing.'

[Aditi Pathak · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comforting read which rationalizes and discusses how to slow down. We live in a hustle culture and this book helps to put into perspective that it is okay to check out of that mindset every now and then. All in all, a big thumbs up.

[Zofie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genoten van dit kleine boekje. Klaar om te vertragen en mijn inner sloth nog meer naar buiten te brengen.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very cute. My 2020 goal is to be more sloth-like :)

[Kris Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adorable book about self acceptance and taking time to savor life and just chill.