A review by hexagong
How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto by Tom Hodgkinson

4.0

Very fun, funny, and enlightening. This book could also be called, “what life was like before the industrial revolution” as he makes quite a few references to this, but it was my favorite aspect of the book. It is a book from a very personal and unique point of view, rather than a general how to instructional book.

My biggest criticism is that he is usually talking about men, it’s mostly all he/his pronouns, so it feels like he’s not thinking of writing to everyone. He also doesn’t reference many idle women much less any wise gender non conforming folks.

He uses the word slave quite freely to describe free people that are working in mindless or un-fun jobs, I feel like this is a little outdated and being more sensitive to this term would benefit future publications. But I read it with an open mind and enjoyed the journey.