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In Praise of Idleness

Author: Third Earl Bertrand Russell

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2017-06-06

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1250098726

Bertrand Russell is considered “the Voltaire of his time,” and Bradley Trevor Greive is considered one of the funniest people of his. Russell was a Nobel Laureate, and Greive is a New York Times bestselling author. Together, with Russell bringing the philosophy and Greive bringing the hilarious commentary, this book is a classic. In his celebrated essay, In Praise of Idleness, Russell champions the seemingly incongruous notion that realizing our full potential—and thus enjoying the greatest possible success and happiness—is not accomplished by working harder or smarter, but through harnessing the extraordinary power of idleness. Russell’s penetrating insights and exquisite turns of phrase feel as fresh and relevant today as when they were first written. Arguing that we can achieve far more by doing far less and that traditional wealth accumulation is a form of cultural and moral poverty, Russell demands greater depth from our age of abundant creativity and heralds the next wave of enlightened entrepreneurs.

Idleness

Author: Brian O'Connor

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2020-04-07

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 0691204500

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"For millennia, idleness and laziness have been regarded as vices. We're all expected to work to survive and get ahead, and devoting energy to anything but labor and self-improvement can seem like a luxury or a moral failure. Far from questioning this conventional wisdom, modern philosophers have worked hard to develop new reasons to denigrate idleness. In Idleness, the first book to challenge modern philosophy's portrayal of inactivity, Brian O'Connor argues that the case against an indifference to work and effort is flawed--and that idle aimlessness may instead allow for the highest form of freedom. Idleness explores how some of the most influential modern philosophers drew a direct connection between making the most of our humanity and avoiding laziness. Idleness was dismissed as contrary to the need people have to become autonomous and make whole, integrated beings of themselves (Kant); to be useful (Kant and Hegel); to accept communal norms (Hegel); to contribute to the social good by working (Marx); and to avoid boredom (Schopenhauer and de Beauvoir). O'Connor throws doubt on all these arguments, presenting a sympathetic vision of the inactive and unserious that draws on more productive ideas about idleness, from ancient Greece through Robert Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, Schiller and Marcuse's thoughts about the importance of play, and recent critiques of the cult of work. A thought-provoking reconsideration of productivity for the twenty-first century, Idleness shows that, from now on, no theory of what it means to have a free mind can exclude idleness from the conversation."--Provided by publisher

In Praise of Idleness

Author: Bertrand Russell

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-08-26

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 1000158489

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Intolerance and bigotry lie at the heart of all human suffering. So claims Bertrand Russell at the outset of In Praise of Idleness, a collection of essays in which he espouses the virtues of cool reflection and free enquiry; a voice of calm in a world of maddening unreason. From a devastating critique of the ancestry of fascism to a vehement defence of 'useless' knowledge, with consideration given to everything from insect pests to the human soul, this is a tour de force that only Bertrand Russell could perform.

How to Be Idle

Author: Tom Hodgkinson

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2013-07-30

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 006231341X

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Yearning for a life of leisure? In 24 chapters representing each hour of a typical working day, this book will coax out the loafer in even the most diligent and schedule-obsessed worker. From the founding editor of the celebrated magazine about the freedom and fine art of doing nothing, The Idler, comes not simply a book, but an antidote to our work-obsessed culture. In How to Be Idle, Hodgkinson presents his learned yet whimsical argument for a new, universal standard of living: being happy doing nothing. He covers a whole spectrum of issues affecting the modern idler—sleep, work, pleasure, relationships—bemoaning the cultural skepticism of idleness while reflecting on the writing of such famous apologists for it as Oscar Wilde, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Johnson, and Nietzsche—all of whom have admitted to doing their very best work in bed. It’s a well-known fact that Europeans spend fewer hours at work a week than Americans. So it’s only befitting that one of them—the very clever, extremely engaging, and quite hilarious Tom Hodgkinson—should have the wittiest and most useful insights into the fun and nature of being idle. Following on the quirky, call-to-arms heels of the bestselling Eat, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss, How to Be Idle rallies us to an equally just and no less worthy cause: reclaiming our right to be idle.

The Praise of Folly

Author: Desiderius Erasmus

Publisher:

Published: 1913

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13:

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Books for Idle Hours

Author: Donna Harrington-Lueker

Publisher: UMass + ORM

Published: 2019-08-30

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 1613766319

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The publishing phenomenon of summer reading, often focused on novels set in vacation destinations, started in the nineteenth century, as both print culture and tourist culture expanded in the United States. As an emerging middle class increasingly embraced summer leisure as a marker of social status, book publishers sought new market opportunities, authors discovered a growing readership, and more readers indulged in lighter fare. Drawing on publishing records, book reviews, readers' diaries, and popular novels of the period, Donna Harrington-Lueker explores the beginning of summer reading and the backlash against it. Countering fears about the dangers of leisurely reading—especially for young women—publishers framed summer reading not as a disreputable habit but as a respectable pastime and welcome respite. Books for Idle Hours sheds new light on an ongoing seasonal publishing tradition.

Essays in Idleness

Author: 吉田兼好

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 9780231112550

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The Buddhist priest Kenko clung to tradition, Buddhism, and the pleasures of solitude, and the themes he treats in his "Essays, " written sometime between 1330 and 1332, are all suffused with an unspoken acceptance of Buddhist beliefs.

In Praise of Wasting Time

Author: Alan Lightman

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2018-05-15

Total Pages: 110

ISBN-13: 1471168603

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Bestselling author and MIT Professor, Alan Lightman, reveals the benefits of wasting time and allowing our minds to freely roam. We have apps, smart watches and calendars that constantly remind us to be productive and stop wasting time. We have created a frenzied lifestyle in which time is money, with not a minute to be wasted, and the twenty-four hours of each day are carved up, dissected, and reduced down to small units of efficiency. Professor Alan Lightman documents the rush and heave of the modern world, and examines the many values of ‘wasting time’ – for replenishing the mind, for creative thought, for finding and solidifying the inner self and letting the mind lie fallow without attempting to accomplish anything and without any assigned tasks. Carl Jung did his most creative thinking and writing when he took time off from his frenzied practice in Zurich to go to his country house. Gustav Mahler routinely took three or four-hour walks after lunch, stopping to jot down ideas in his notebook. Albert Einstein described letting his mind ‘roam’ to make connections between concepts that were previously unconnected. In this timely and essential book, Professor Alan Lightman investigates the creativity born from allowing our minds to freely roam. In Praise of Wasting Time teaches us all that sometimes, the best thing to do is to do nothing at all.

In Praise of Shadows

Author: Jun'ichirō Tanizaki

Publisher: ببلومانيا للنشر والتوزيع

Published: 2024-03-21

Total Pages: 59

ISBN-13:

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"In Praise of Shadows" (陰翳礼讃, "In'ei Raisan" in Japanese) is an essay written by the renowned Japanese author Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. It was first published in 1933. The essay explores Tanizaki's aesthetic philosophy, particularly his appreciation for traditional Japanese culture and the beauty of shadows, darkness, and subtlety. Tanizaki reflects on the contrast between Western and Japanese aesthetics, emphasizing the preference for darkness and shadows in traditional Japanese architecture, interior design, and cultural practices. He celebrates the aesthetic qualities of dimly lit spaces, muted colors, and natural materials, arguing that they evoke a sense of mystery, depth, and tranquility that is lacking in the bright, artificial illumination favored in the West. Throughout the essay, Tanizaki discusses various aspects of Japanese culture, such as the tea ceremony, lacquerware, architecture, and literature, to illustrate his points about the beauty of shadows and the importance of preserving traditional craftsmanship and sensibilities in the face of modernization. "In Praise of Shadows" is not only a meditation on aesthetics but also a reflection on the cultural identity and values of Japan. It has been widely praised for its eloquent prose, thought-provoking ideas, and insightful observations about the interplay between light and shadow in shaping human perception and experience. The essay continues to be studied and admired for its enduring relevance and its exploration of the timeless qualities of beauty and elegance.