A review by somanybookstoread
Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey

medium-paced

0.5

This was absolutely painful! My brain is cramped. This book was so poorly written that I actually stepped away from reading altogether for two weeks because I was lightly traumatized by the experience of trying to read it. Hersey’s concept of resisting mainstream “grind” culture in order to prioritize rest lured me in because I don’t disagree with it. I am a student of meditation and mindfulness going through my own intense physical recovery, so I picked this up from a place of resonance. But what in the world is this book? It stands out as perhaps the most incoherent and repetitive publication I have ever picked up. Where is the editor? Little, Brown, & Spark, the publisher, I am disappointed. The concepts of this book could have (should have!) been contained in a few paragraphs. And/or the book should have offered practical suggestions for HOW to implement more rest into our lives, or how other cultures have been successful in doing so. Instead, the book offers nothing more than a repetitive rant, complete with fabricated words that are not defined. The author makes endless (but unvarying) claims about what we are doing wrong, how society is failing us, and doesn’t offer a single citation. I am baffled. While I support the idea of incorporating more rest into our lives and find value in reflecting on how this concept contrasts with societal past and preset goals, I do not recommend spending any time with this book.