Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by realadhdoug
Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price
4.75
Let me just start off by saying how refreshing it is to see such a provocative thesis defended in such a compelling, systematic, and comprehensive manner. I first became exposed to this thesis when I read it in an essay online, and it completely blew me away. So, when I finally got around to reading the book, I probably had unrealistic expectations. Nevertheless, it did not disappoint.
The general idea the author proposes here is that laziness is a merely longstanding myth that we’ve believed in capitalist society in an attempt to shame ourselves into becoming more productive. They then go on to enumerate several different explanations for behavior we might deem as lazy. We may be sick, tired, depressed, or—my personal favorite—we may simply not value the things people tell us we should value and are then deemed lazy for our refusal to pursue them.
After adequately laying out the theory, the author proceeds to contextualize it in a broad array of life situations in which we frequently find ourselves feeling “lazy.” They talk about areas ranging from work to activism to the way we consume media to how we navigate relationships and—in each—share personal anecdotes, and research that illuminate the pressures we feel to be productive and the detrimental impact it has on our mental health.
In addition to encouraging readers to challenge their perceptions of laziness in ourselves and others, the author offers practical tips of working within a system that punishes perceived laziness while maintaining our dignity and inherent worth as human beings. So, I’d say it’s about 50% manifesto and 50% self-improvement (although the classification seems a little ironic given the books theme).
Every so often a book comes along that blows up my entire worldview and transforms the way I think in an unforgettable way. For me, reading Laziness Does Not Exist was one of those moments. I’m willing to bet you’ll feel the same. I highly recommend giving it a chance. I have it five stars—but only because I couldn’t give it six.
The general idea the author proposes here is that laziness is a merely longstanding myth that we’ve believed in capitalist society in an attempt to shame ourselves into becoming more productive. They then go on to enumerate several different explanations for behavior we might deem as lazy. We may be sick, tired, depressed, or—my personal favorite—we may simply not value the things people tell us we should value and are then deemed lazy for our refusal to pursue them.
After adequately laying out the theory, the author proceeds to contextualize it in a broad array of life situations in which we frequently find ourselves feeling “lazy.” They talk about areas ranging from work to activism to the way we consume media to how we navigate relationships and—in each—share personal anecdotes, and research that illuminate the pressures we feel to be productive and the detrimental impact it has on our mental health.
In addition to encouraging readers to challenge their perceptions of laziness in ourselves and others, the author offers practical tips of working within a system that punishes perceived laziness while maintaining our dignity and inherent worth as human beings. So, I’d say it’s about 50% manifesto and 50% self-improvement (although the classification seems a little ironic given the books theme).
Every so often a book comes along that blows up my entire worldview and transforms the way I think in an unforgettable way. For me, reading Laziness Does Not Exist was one of those moments. I’m willing to bet you’ll feel the same. I highly recommend giving it a chance. I have it five stars—but only because I couldn’t give it six.