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Not Working
Why We Have to Stop
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Check link for latest rating. ( 345 ratings, 52 reviews)
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Not Working
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How inactivity can be a necessary and creative condition to a life worth living.
How inactivity can be a necessary and creative condition to a life worth living
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Description
'A probing exploration of the creative and imaginative possibilities of inactivity' - The Financial Times
'To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world.' - Oscar Wilde
More than ever before, we live in a culture that excoriates inactivity and demonises idleness. Work, connectivity, and a constant flow of information are the cultural norms, and a permanent busyness pervades even our quietest moments. Little wonder so many of us are burning out.
In a culture that tacitly coerces us into blind activity, the art of doing nothing is disappearing. Inactivity can induce lethargy and indifference, but it is also a condition of imaginative freedom and creativity. Psychoanalyst Josh Cohen explores the paradoxical pleasures of inactivity and considers four faces of inertia - the burnout, the slob, the daydreamer, and the slacker.
Drawing on his personal experiences and on stories from his consulting room, while punctuating his discussions with portraits of figures associated with the different forms of inactivity - Andy Warhol, Orson Welles, Emily Dickinson, and David Foster Wallace - Cohen gets to the heart of the apathy so many of us feel when faced with the demands of contemporary life, and asks how we might live a different and more fulfilled existence.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Not Working by Josh Cohen is praised for its eloquent critique of the modern obsession with productivity, emphasising the value of inactivity and the importance of balancing work with non-work. Reviewers highlight Cohen's clear prose and his ability to blend psychoanalysis, cultural criticism and personal insights. The book is seen as a compelling argument for the benefits of allowing space for reflection, creativity and a slower, more fulfilling life.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781783782062
Publisher: Granta Books
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 02 January 2020
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Granta Books
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 18.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 215g
Pages: 304
About the Author
Josh Cohen is a psychoanalyst in private practice, and Professor of Modern Literary Theory at Goldsmiths University of London. He is the author of numerous books and articles on modern literature, psychoanalysis and cultural theory. His books include How to Read Freud (Granta, 2005) and The Private Life: Why We Remain in the Dark (Granta 2013). He is a regular contributor to Guardian, New Statesman and TLS.
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