The Importance of Being Lazy: In Praise of Play, Leisure, and Vacation

by Al Gini

Overview

Drawing upon in-depth case studies of vacation habits and the observations of philosophers, writers, and sociologists such as Aristotle, Mark Twain and Thorstein Veblen, Al Gini argues why vacations are so venerated and why 'doing nothing' is a fundamental human necessity.

From shopping sprees and extreme sports to the ultimate vacation - retirement - The Importance of Being lazy demonstrates that without true leisure, we are diminished as individuals and as a society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135948931
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/01/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Al Gini is a Philosophy Professor at Loyola University Chicago and a member of Loyola's Institute of Human Resources and Industrial Relations. He is the co-founder and Associate Editor of the journal Business EthicsQuarterly and the author of Why IT's Hard to BeGood(Routledge).

Table of Contents

Prologue: The Project and the Problem 1. The Other Side of Leisure Work, Damn it! 2. Leisure and Culture 3. Vacations and Traveling 4. Mini Vacations The Weekend 5. Shopping as Leisure and Play 6. Sports and Play 7. The Ultimate Vacation Retirement
Epilogue: Sabbath as Metaphor

Editorial Reviews

'The Importance of Being Lazy solidifies Al Gini's reputation as a leading philosopher of contemporary American culture.' - Ronald M. Green, Ethics Institute, Dartmouth College, USA

'Finally - a book written around the thesis that "doing nothing" is one of life's necessities!' - Publishers Weekly

'Gini is so persuasive I kept putting the book down to go play!' - Chicago Tribune

'Finally - a book written around the thesis that "doing nothing" is one of life's necessities!' - Publishers Weekly

'Gini is so persuasive I kept putting the book down to go play!' - Chicago Tribune

'The Importance of Being Lazy solidifies Al Gini's reputation as a leading philosopher of contemporary American culture.' - Ronald M. Green, Ethics Institute, Dartmouth College, USA

'Al Gini's poignant insights and sharp wit help us peel back the many complicated layers of our work-a-day routines to uncover what life's really all about: recess!' - Chicago Public Radio

'Wonderfully entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking...a delight to read.' - Allan Cox, Confessions of a Corporate Headhunter

From the Publisher