a book
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
Jenny Odell · 2019 · 256 pages
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY: Time • The New Yorker • NPR • GQ • Elle • Vulture • Fortune • Boing Boing • The Irish Times • The New York Public Library • The Brooklyn Public Library
"A complex, smart and ambitious book that at first reads like a self-help manual, then blossoms into a wide-ranging political manifesto."—Jonah Engel Bromwich, The New York Times Book Review
One of President Barack Obama's "Favorite Books of 2019"
Porchlight's Personal Development & Human Behavior Book of the Year
In a world where addictive technology is designed to buy and sell our attention, and our value is determined by our 24/7 data productivity, it can seem impossible to escape. But in this inspiring field guide to dropping out of the attention economy, artist and critic Jenny Odell shows us how we can still win back our lives.
Odell sees our attention as the most precious—and overdrawn—resource we have. And we must actively and continuously choose how we use it. We might not spend it on things that capitalism has deemed important … but once we can start paying a new kind of attention, she writes, we can undertake bolder forms of political action, reimagine humankind’s role in the environment, and arrive at more meaningful understandings of happiness and progress.
Far from the simple anti-technology screed, or the back-to-nature meditation we read so often, How to do Nothing is an action plan for thinking outside of capitalist narratives of efficiency and techno-determinism. Provocative, timely, and utterly persuasive, this book will change how you see your place in our world.
recommended by 13 people
sourced from public statements
Austin Kleon
“After living through 14 sweltering Texas summers, I discovered the word ‘estivate,’ the summer equivalent to ‘hibernate.’ Animals that estivate rest in the summer months the way other animals do in the winter. This is the perfect book to inspire some summer estivating and make you feel smart about it.”↗
Bryan Formhals
“Such a great book. Gave me a lot of confidence to pursue some new ideas.”↗
Kelly Carlin
“I’ve only read 3 pages & I’m so grateful to Jenny Odell for writing this book for my heart & soul.”↗
Peter Boghossian
“Some great insights here… And some interesting complementary themes that mesh well with @johannhari101’s latest, brilliant book.”↗
Christopher Mims
“the core insight of both Cal Newport's "Digital Minimalism" and @the_jennitaur's excellent book is that it's possible to use tools rather than be used by them (but first, you have to detox so you can do it with a clear head)”↗
Rhodri Marsden
“@espiers I agree, it’s a fantastic book.”↗
Juliana Castro Varón
“Favorite books read in 2019 🧵 1. How to do nothing by @the_jennitaur. Essay, beautifully written. Not a book about working less, but about understanding why we do, our relationship with technology, choosing how/what to attend to, and the politics of all of that. Also, birds.”↗
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