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Do Nothing

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Great book that I thoroughly enjoyed the whole way through. Definitely one to pick up if you need a good book that catches your attention from the get go.

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Celeste Headlee's Do Nothing is an absolutely fascinating look at the history of work and productivity.

And now I want to throw my phone in the ocean.

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If you read one book on self-help/business/personal development this year, can I not-so-gently encourage that it be this one? Do Nothing is a how-to, as its subtitle promises, but unlike so many in the genre, it puts the cult of productivity in its proper historical context. Racism! Sexism! The Industrial Revolution! Class wars! All of these things got us here, and we can't get out of defining ourselves by what we produce until we acknowledge them. So, yea, it's great, read it.

Additionally, added to a year-end column in Shelf Awareness for Readers:
In the spirit of accomplishing more each day--more work, more chores, more errands, more self-care--I've read countless books on time management. The one that changed my relationship with work more than any other, though, was not about doing more, but about doing less. In Do Nothing (Harmony, $25), Celeste Headlee invites readers to reconsider the role of rest in work, all while placing our modern understanding of work in its historical context. We must rest, she argues, or we burn out.

This concept of burnout is the crux of Anne Helen Peterson's Can't Even (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26), which expands on her viral Buzzfeed article. In Worked Over (Basic Books, $28), sociologist Jamie McCallum draws important connections between this culture of burnout and constant work with persistent inequalities in American society. When I picked up Wintering (Riverhead, $24) last month, I encountered yet again these themes of work and rest and burnout, woven into Katherine May's story of her own forced rest and what it taught her about the nature of her work.

These books about the culture of work (and rest) have me thinking in news ways about how I relate to my own daily work in the nonprofit sector, how I show up and how in turn I encourage others to show up. To that end, my first planned book for the new year is You Belong (HarperOne, $27.99), in which meditation expert Sebene Selassie explores how our sense of belonging and connection shapes the world we live in. Before I start that work, however, I will take time to rest on these shortest days of the year and embrace that I am--and we all are--more than what we can produce in a given day. As we stare down the uncertainty of a new year in this strange time, I invite you to do the same.

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There are so many self-help books that titles can struggle to stand out. The title of this book is definitely eye catching. And it is such a deceptively simple instruction that it takes an entire book to explain how to accomplish it. This is a useful tool for those of us who like to think that we thrive on multitasking and staying busy-busy-busy.

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Do Nothing is a timely study on the value of exiting the hustle culture in favor of a slower, more intentional pace of life. The author’s anecdotes are backed by data and lots of solid research. The COVID-19 epidemic has really opened a lot of people’s minds to questioning the frenetic pace of activity we were all engaged in before. This book will help you understand a way of embracing a new normal.

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It took me quite some time to really get into this book but eventually I found my rhythm and enjoyed it.

One problem was its seeming simplistic view of economics (at least to me). The tone and approach seemed very anti-free market and at times even seemed to have a whiff of a conspiratorial philosophy that big business is and has been controlling our lives (corporations and marketers seem to be controlling consumers rather than seeking to meet their needs; although there is a tangent on why we became addicted to disposable goods too). Lastly, I had the feeling that as a journalist she was trying to pack as much information as she could into the argument and give it a respectable amount of depth and intellectual history.

"In the end, this story is about how the industrialist desire to have fewer workers doing more hours of work merged with the religious belief that work is good and idleness is bad, along with a capitalist faith in constant growth. When time is money, the need to get more time out of workers became urgent if profit targets were to be made."

Suffice it to say, that Headlee offers a lot of provocative and even interesting arguments about how Western society has viewed work and how the industrial, technology and knowledge revolutions have impacted that view in unhealthy ways. But that is an argument that would take a great deal of unpacking just to get your hand arounds let alone make a persuasive argument about.

The first couple of chapters feel like an attempt to make a self-help book a much larger argument about our cultural attitudes to work. But Headlee is a journalist not a historian or scholar and I found the attempt to build this all-encompassing argument tedious. I didn’t pick up this book to read an intellectual history of work; to have the lines drawn between the invention of the steam engine, Henry Ford and Max Weber to the productivity cults of today. I guess I am not sure why she had to tie her message to these massive sociological, religious, economic and political issues across the centuries. But if Headlee is “seeking to institute a global shift in our thinking” then I suppose she needs to go big.

That said, once I got into it I enjoyed the way she laid out the case against workaholism and the way we constantly say we are too busy when in fact what we are mostly doing is failing to make time for what is important, what makes us human and what brings us joy and connection.

There is a deep kernel of truth here that is very much understanding and allowing it to change the way we think. Far too many in the middle and upper-middle class have brought the mindset and culture of work into their lives in harmful ways. Obsessed with productivity and time they add unnecessary stress to their lives, lose time spent with family and friends, and miss out on human connection.

The question is how much the first couple of chapters annoy you as they did me. Or how much new information you expect. As both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus note, there is little new or ground breaking information here but if you haven’t read much in this area the advice is worthwhile and worth thinking about,

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This is a beautiful book about valuing one's time to just simply do nothing. In our usually hectic world it is hard to see the value of simply doing nothing, of simply being, we always want to be doing something. This book shows us how to stop and do nothing. It is absolutely beautiful. I would highly recommend it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it

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Do Nothing is written in two parts: The Cult of Efficiency, and Leaving the Cult - How to go from Life Hack to Life Back. I greatly enjoyed this book (sloth!). Much of what Headlee has to say is common sense or common knowledge, but the case she makes so strongly for reclaiming our humanity was new to me.

We are never satisfied. We think we’ll be happy once we get a raise, have a child, purchase a new car. Once we do, we reset our happiness level so that we seek the next thing, the next level. I got really caught up in the cult of efficiency after graduate school, where I took a class in decision sciences. If I could calculate the critical path for a delivery route, why, I could calculate a critical path for everything! I would drive myself nuts with angst over planning everything so that not a minute was wasted, and if I felt like I was inefficient, I beat myself up for it. It made me miserable and it took me years to get out of this mindset.

(Sort of ironic that I try to watch a movie while I’m writing this review.) Multitasking is impossible, and crazy-making, and gives me a headache. I knew this of course, but learned here that multi-tasking leaves its negative effects on the brain even after the multi-tasking is over. We think we’re being efficient by multi-tasking, but in reality we’re making ourselves less able to focus, and damaging our cognitive processes.

We work too much, and it’s not making us happier. The industrial revolution brought us an obsession with time and efficiency, but we’re struggling with a way to measure employee performance and engagement. I really struggle with this in my current work situation.

We are fooling ourselves by thinking that leaning away from phone calls and towards texts and emails makes us more efficient. In reality, in avoiding talking we are avoiding the most efficient communication method of all. How much work is spent trying to get the right tone across in an email, when really, a phone call or short meeting would accomplish so much more, especially if we have differing opinions. Empathy is lost over text, which leads to further isolation. Working from home now during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have personally felt isolated from my co-workers, even though we text, email, or videoconference daily. Talking on the phone helps, but is no substitute for being in the same room together, even if we are at odds.

Our use of smartphones has alleviated boredom, which is a catalyst for creativity. As we disengage with our creative selves, we lose our humanity. We are humans, not machines. The author challenges us to lean into what makes us healthy and fulfilled, not into more work, which will not make us happy. It can take some serious work after a lifetime of disengagement from our own creativity to figure out what we even want to do with our time and energy given the chance.

The hacks she recommends are simple, but worth repeating. Stop assuming you are short on time. It makes you less compassionate and hinders your ability to make good decisions. Walk away from work and invest your time in things that get you around other people. We may dread it beforehand, but small talk, waving at neighbors and chatting with the cashier lifts our mood and makes the world a better place for everyone. Limit your social media time which makes us compare ourselves with other people. (i.e. don’t go down a rabbit hole looking for the perfect cupcake recipe on Pinterest - just make some dang cupcakes). We need teams (and the dreaded meetings) to make better decisions. (Brainstorming alone and evaluating as a group yields the best results for all, go figure.)

Ultimately, focus on the ends, not the means. Leave room for creativity and wandering. Embrace failure along the way and stay flexible. Give up your addiction to profit and efficiency. It doesn’t help us thrive, and we can develop new habits and healthier ways of living.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a difficult read for me. I'm used to read fiction, and there is a lot of facts to assimilate in this book. It's not a bad read. It's incredibly well-researched (in neuroscience, evolutionary biology and primatology), and I loved to read all the historical data and facts given in the first section of the book. However, I would have appreciated to have more solutions, or maybe more alternatives to those Headlee is offering, because the most important ones, in my opinion, can't be done when you're employed (vs self-employed). I can't work 4 to 6 hours a day. I need to work my full hours, or I won't get paid or will lose my job. On the other hand, I was already doing some of the tips she wrote about, and I don't feel less stressed nor less overworked. I will need to rethink my approach of all of this.

Many thanks to Crown Publishing for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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This is an important book for our time of quarantine. Do nothing seems to be counterintuitive when many instead are saying be productive.

But Headlee says, "We are members of the cult of efficiency, and we’re killing ourselves with productivity."

She also says,

"Improvement is healthy, but not every moment of your day should be leveraged in an attempt to make you a better person. If you’re searching for the fastest way to learn guitar because you also have to squeeze in yoga and keto cooking recipes and homemade charcoal facial peels, you have left no time to simply be the person you are. You are leaving no space for rest and contentment."

Headlee gives us permission to let some things go. To stop putting pressure on ourselves to constantly do more.

She gives us 6 Life Hacks to get Life Back:

1. Challenge your time perception.
2. Take the media out of your social.
3. Step away from your desk.
4. Invest in leisure.
5. Make real connections.
6. Take the long view

While I didn't appreciate everything in this book (too much unnecessary background material for me), I do appreciate Headlee's overall message:

"Stop trying to prove something to others. Reclaim your time and reclaim your humanity."

My thanks to Net Galley for the review copy of this book.

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As a self-employed person and the result of an upbringing steeped in the protestant work ethic, I needed to read this book. If you're feeling driven by your to-do lists and always putting aside the more meaningful moments, you may need to read it, too.

Headlee explores the different trends that have brought us where we are today, from the societal changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution to the blending of home and work lives. And she wraps up with six "life-backs" instead of Life Hacks, that bring it all home. It's an interesting read and offers solid, practical advice.

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I wanted mind-blowing insight on how to battle the constant sense is not having enough time and feeling satisfied. And, I was disappointed that this didn’t give me anything I did t already know. It IS very well written and researched with references to studies, but it’s a repackaging if Time management, anti-hustle/perfectionist culture and modern guilt of working parents.

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Not at all what I expected, it was more or of a history of how we became so focused on productivity and multi-tasking than about how to do nothing. I don’t know now that I have read it that it is self-help, I feel like it is more encouraging the reader to self-evaluate, to remember to breathe and take moments to enjoy the life they built. That it isn’t a competition of who is busiest, that family and work can and should be separate spheres.

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A lot of history and context and little actionable advice. The book spends less than 20% of its content answering what the title and sub title promise. The advice isn’t bad, but it feels like it could have been a blog post (or a set of them).

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Not Worth Your Leisure Time

BLAH. Celeste Headlee makes an overall solid point in Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving: that we don’t take our down time and leisure seriously as an enriching and very necessary part of human life. Headlee proves over and over again that working more hours is not just inefficient, but that it also doesn’t make us happier or richer, that instead we’ve been working ourselves to emotional death/burn-out without benefit.

I’m down, but as the author she throws herself onto the page more often than is interesting or constructive: “It’s not that I mastered the issue and am therefore writing a book to tell you how to do what I did.” “I want to add another disclaimer here: …” “I’m not advocating deception in your work habits, by the way…” “I’m speaking not of specific populations…” “(B)ut I’m mentioning these abuses here to illustrate …” And she could have made the overly long and dense chapters less heavy and sloggy with sub-chapters and breaks within the text.

That said, I walked away from Do Nothing with the very healthy reminder to get away from the computer and phone on a work break, get outside, and wander without any more distraction than your thoughts and what your eyes take in.

Wendy Ward
http://wendyrward.tumblr.com/

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It isn't often you find a truly likable narrator in nonfiction - so likable that they can challenge truths you've held and still maintain your respect. Celeste Headlee is just such a narrator. In "Do Nothing," she guides the reader first through a history of work, revealing that even through the nineteenth century people spent as much time at rest as they did laboring. She looks at language, play, overparenting, our tendency to give up our sick or vacation days in the name of being seen as better or more worthwhile employees and ultimately asks the reader if this is the culture he or she wants to exist in and perpetuate. If the answer is "No!" (it certainly was for me), she dedicates the second half of the book to finding ways we can work better, take a break from work, bring play back into our lives, and stop being tormented by the drive to be productive and on all of the time. Her understanding of and translation of history is entertaining without ever becoming patronizing or oversimplified. Spread the word about this one (especially to your boss!)

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I haven't stopped talking about this book since I started it! Every person I know could benefit from this book. Incredibly well researched from start to finished with practical solutions for improving our over scheduled, stressed out lives. Having implemented several of the suggestions for creating boundaries for a better work/ life separation has benefited me tremendously in a short amount of time. Grateful for the opportunity to read this timely and important work before its release.

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This is OK. The first half is a history of work, which has some interesting info, most of which most people don't know. The second half has a few suggestions. I skimmed some of it. The author's high intelligence shines thru her writing, and I hope she writes more.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

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I’ve never considered myself to be obsessed with work or to be somebody who snubs idle time. However, I can also admit that I have absolutely used my busy-ness and lack of free time as a sort of humble brag. ‘Look at me! I’m important enough to have every moment of my life spoken for. Should have asked me to hangout months ago!’

Do Nothing takes a deep dive into humankind’s relationship with work and our developed obsession with being busy. Headlee covers everything from the history of the 8 hour work day to how technology and social media are affecting our work and home lives. Which she backs up with an insane amount of science and research! Do Nothing is thoughtful, extremely well researched and eye-opening af!

The best part was that Headlee is never preachy! She presents her findings in a very straightforward and clinical way. She acknowledges that the changes she suggests making are tough, like not checking email every second, but she offers insight on how she went about tackling some of the changes and admits when she had trouble sticking to her goals. It made it all seem relatable and doable.

Do Nothing inspired me to delete my work email from my phone, to delete any apps that I hadn’t used in the last month, to stop notifications on all but my essential apps and to take some more leisure time.

I would highly recommend Do Nothing for anybody, but especially if you're one of the following: if you’ve claimed to be ‘too busy’ more times than you can count, if you work more than 50 hours a week, if you have any sort of anxiety revolving around your productivity (or lack thereof), or if you’re just a rebel looking for a cause (fight that 12 hour work day). In fact, I’ve already told my (workaholic) boss that he’ll be getting a copy as soon as it’s released!

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I like the concept of this book. I'm a bit underemployed by choice. This is all about making human connection and not feeling the pressure of our hustle culture. Lots of research but still an easy read.

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