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650 reviews for:
Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving
Celeste Headlee
3.87 AVERAGE
650 reviews for:
Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving
Celeste Headlee
3.87 AVERAGE
it was due back at the library and it didn’t upset me that i wasn’t going to finish so that clued me in i wasn’t enjoying it like i wanted
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I found this book to be very helpful and it was a great audiobook.
Really good read to start off the new year. Some times found her arguments a bit hard to follow but I found some really helpful and useful information in this.
This type of book isn’t my usual go-to thriller or fiction novel but the narration was 10/10. Super engaging and made me think!!
Published, ironically, just before the global start of COVID-19, Do Nothing describes the issues that get in the way of people, on an individual and societal level, finding time to actually enjoy their lives and do things that are meaningful and fulfilling to them. Then, Headlee discusses the solutions that have worked for her in reclaiming, in a sense, her time.
If you've read Stolen Focus -- and it's impossible not to compare these two books -- you'll already be familiar with a lot of the concepts in Do Nothing, though the approach is somewhat different and Headlee focuses less on technology and more on work as a sort of time thief. It's worth reading both books if you're interested in the concept of the personal economy of time because while there's overlapping content, there's also complementary content, and, to be fair, while Stolen Focus is better known, Do Nothing came first and has the benefit of being written by a woman of color who is more able to speak from experience on how issues of privilege intersect with this problem.
Headlee does frequently go off into the weeds, despite the short page count of Do Nothing. Fortunately, she always ties it back to her main point neatly. While I could have done with less of the laying out of the problems and more around the solutions, it's useful to have both pieces addressed in a single book. Do Nothing goes pretty deep into the origins of our feelings of being overworked and without sufficient time, considering prehistoric work habits, the Industrial Revolution, and more to carve the path of how we got to where we are today.
Still, while Headlee acknowledges her privileges around financial stability, self-employment, the ability to work from home, etc., it means her advice is not necessarily implementable for the average or maybe even most readers. And the societal shifts that Headlee recommends require the effort beyond which an individual can expend, naturally, being societal shifts.
I enjoyed Do Nothing, but wanted something a little more from it. A little more applicable, a little more straightforward, a little more practical. But it's a start.
If you've read Stolen Focus -- and it's impossible not to compare these two books -- you'll already be familiar with a lot of the concepts in Do Nothing, though the approach is somewhat different and Headlee focuses less on technology and more on work as a sort of time thief. It's worth reading both books if you're interested in the concept of the personal economy of time because while there's overlapping content, there's also complementary content, and, to be fair, while Stolen Focus is better known, Do Nothing came first and has the benefit of being written by a woman of color who is more able to speak from experience on how issues of privilege intersect with this problem.
Headlee does frequently go off into the weeds, despite the short page count of Do Nothing. Fortunately, she always ties it back to her main point neatly. While I could have done with less of the laying out of the problems and more around the solutions, it's useful to have both pieces addressed in a single book. Do Nothing goes pretty deep into the origins of our feelings of being overworked and without sufficient time, considering prehistoric work habits, the Industrial Revolution, and more to carve the path of how we got to where we are today.
Still, while Headlee acknowledges her privileges around financial stability, self-employment, the ability to work from home, etc., it means her advice is not necessarily implementable for the average or maybe even most readers. And the societal shifts that Headlee recommends require the effort beyond which an individual can expend, naturally, being societal shifts.
I enjoyed Do Nothing, but wanted something a little more from it. A little more applicable, a little more straightforward, a little more practical. But it's a start.
Great book with so much great information. The book delivers well thought out goals that are actually attainable as well as a realistic view of life today.
3.5 stars - I saw Headlee at the National Book Festival and found her argument powerful and well-informed. Yet, while she has similar compelling research and anecdotes in this book, her writing is very colloquial, hopping all over the place. Also it's only in the last few chapters that she presents tips and solutions, which was quite useful. I would probably recommend finding her Ted talks or at least listening to an audiobook version over reading.
reflective
medium-paced
Probably one of my favorite "self help" books of the year (not that I read a ton). I really felt like I needed to hear and reflect on the idea of doing nothing. I chronically feel guilty for when I have idle time and am always looking for things to do. Even when being "lazy" I fill my time with completing shows (as a task) or reading books (to reach my goals). Turning these ideally fun activities into tasks has made it hard to enjoy my time that should be spent relaxing. This is likely something I will need to continue to work on but I feel like as the year is ending and I make plans for the upcoming year- finding time to be at peace and leisure is something I will have in the forefront of my mind.