An Idler's Manual


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How to Be Idle


Book Description

Yearning for a life of leisure? In 24 chapters representing each hour of a typical working day, this book will coax out the loafer in even the most diligent and schedule-obsessed worker. From the founding editor of the celebrated magazine about the freedom and fine art of doing nothing, The Idler, comes not simply a book, but an antidote to our work-obsessed culture. In How to Be Idle, Hodgkinson presents his learned yet whimsical argument for a new, universal standard of living: being happy doing nothing. He covers a whole spectrum of issues affecting the modern idler—sleep, work, pleasure, relationships—bemoaning the cultural skepticism of idleness while reflecting on the writing of such famous apologists for it as Oscar Wilde, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Johnson, and Nietzsche—all of whom have admitted to doing their very best work in bed. It’s a well-known fact that Europeans spend fewer hours at work a week than Americans. So it’s only befitting that one of them—the very clever, extremely engaging, and quite hilarious Tom Hodgkinson—should have the wittiest and most useful insights into the fun and nature of being idle. Following on the quirky, call-to-arms heels of the bestselling Eat, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss, How to Be Idle rallies us to an equally just and no less worthy cause: reclaiming our right to be idle.




The Idle Parent


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The Idle Parent is Tom Hodgkinson's radical parenting remedy against stifled, mollycoddled children. Modern life is wrecking childhood. Why can't we just leave our kids alone? If you've ever wondered why so many of today's children are unhappy, spoilt, stressed and selfish, then the answers and the remedy are to be found in The Idle Parent. Tom Hodgkinson wants us to leave our kids be, to give them the space and time to grow into self-reliant, confident, inquisitive, happy and free people. Full of practical tips of what to do and (more importantly) what not to do, Tom will not only help your kids be happier, but also help you, their parents, live happier and more fulfilled lives. 'Wise, practical, funny, personal, it will make you a much better parent' Oliver James 'An inspiring book, genuinely subversive. Time to put away "silly adult things" and embrace childhood in all its messy glory' London Lite 'A recipe for bright, happy people with need of neither television nor shrink. Who could ask for more?' Evening Standard 'An original, thought-provoking book' Toby Young, Mail on Sunday Tom Hodgkinson is the founder and editor of The Idler and the author of How to be Idle, How to be Free, The Idle Parent and Brave Old World. In spring 2011 he founded The Idler Academy in London, a bookshop, coffeehouse and cultural centre which hosts literary events and offers courses in academic and practical subjects - from Latin to embroidery. Its motto is 'Liberty through Education'. Find out more at www.idler.co.uk.




The Cult of Water


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Aided by a witch and the magician Alan Moore, David Bramwell takes an occult journey back in time up the river Don, in search of the supernatural secrets of our waterways and to solve the mystery of a drowned village which has long haunted his memories. Travelling through the industrial destruction of our landscape he arrives in a pre-Christian era when well and springs were worshipped as living as deities, bringing him face to face with Danu, the goddess of primordial waters, who gave her name to the Don. Can Bramwell face his demons and unravel the symbolic mysteries of our ancient ancestors? Who is the mysterious Vulcan? And will there be a pie and a pint waiting for him at the end of it all?




The Idler


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It Gets Worse


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It Gets Worse is the second instalment of Nicholas Lezard's rueful, dissolute life. Beginning where his first volume, Bitter Experience Has Taught Me, ended, Nick's fortunes have not improved. At home in the Hovel, his bachelor existence makes a further descent into chaos, yet the misadventures are faced with sardonic wit, pathos and something like dissident wisdom.




The Diary of Two Nobodies


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Everybody is a somebody. Giles is a countryman who relishes solitude. His wife Mary thrives in company and enjoys frequent escapes to London. After thirty years in a marriage of opposites, Giles and Mary have adapted to a life of domestic misunderstandings within comical misadventures. In The Diary of Two Nobodies, you will have the unique opportunity to discover, first hand, what occurs when a man who sees himself as a cross between Mr Bean and Basil Fawlty shares his life with a woman who identifies closely with the Queen. Featuring original illustrations by the artist Giles, himself.




The Idler Magazine


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Business for Bohemians


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“Extremely funny . . . part practical business handbook, part entrepreneur’s memoirs, aimed at freelancers or small-business owners in the creative fields.” —Financial Times If you want to run your own business—but cash flow forecasts, tax returns, and P&Ls sound horrifying—fear not. Help is at hand. Journalist and cofounder of the Idler Tom Hogkinson has spent his career advocating for laid-back living, and in Business for Bohemians, he combines practical advice with hilarious anecdotes to create a refreshingly candid guidebook for all of us who aspire to a greater degree of freedom in our working lives. Whether you dream of launching your own graphic design startup or growing your Etsy store into a full-scale operation in your spare time, Business for Bohemians will equip you with the tools to turn your talents into a profitable and enjoyable business. Accounting need no longer be a dark art. You will become a social media maven and a friend of the spreadsheet. You will learn the art of negotiation, how to get paid, and how to decide which clients to take. You will discover that laziness can be a virtue. Above all, you will realize that freedom from the nine-to-five life is achievable—and, with Hodgkinson’s comforting, pragmatic, and funny advice, you might even enjoy yourself along the way. “Ways to tackle topics ranging from finance to social media . . . solid examples and a helpful glossary of business terms. Readers familiar with his lighthearted, humorous approach to life will find much to enjoy.” —Booklist “Plenty of good, practical advice.” —The Wall Street Journal




The Idler


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