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The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed and Overworked
Ernie Zelinski could change your view of the world forever. He has already taught more than 150,000 people what THE JOY OF NOT WORKING is all about: learning to live every part of your life-employment, unemployment, retirement, and leisure time alike-to the fullest. With this completely revised and expanded edition, you too can join the thousands of converts and learn to thrive at both work and at play. Illustrated by eye-opening exercises, thought-provoking diagrams, and lively cartoons and quotations, THE JOY OF NOT WORKING will guide you to:Be more productive at work by working less.Discover and pursue your life'¬?s passions.Gain the courage to leave your corporate job if it is draining life out of you.Pursue interesting leisure activities that make a difference in your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.Vanquish any guilt you may have about not working long and hard hours.Be financially independent with less money.Plus, new to this edition are inspiring letters from readers detailing how the book helped them improve the variety, tone, and quality of their lives.A revised and updated edition of the classic guide to living life to its fullest.Previous editions have sold more than 150,000 copies in 14 languages.
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1992
About the author
Ernie J. Zelinski
65 books34 followersErnie Zelinski is the author of the international bestseller
How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
: Retirement Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor which has sold over 95,000 copies sold and has been published in 7 foreign languages.
Ernie Zelinski is best known as the author of The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked.
Ernie Zelinski is best known as the author of The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 5, 2010
A fairly pretentious, judgmental, poorly-written book about the joys of unemployment and retirement, packed with contradictions and boring anecdotes. It has plenty of insightful quotes and statistics, but the author doesn't specifically reference a single one of them. Nonetheless, I just had to read this book because its subject matter is practically my religion, but I was extremely disappointed. I know a big reason is that it's all so old-hat and obvious to me by now. It helped to read the letters at the end to remind me that so many people are workaholics, and this subject is really quite profound.
January 4, 2014
I enjoyed “The Joy Of Not Working: A book for the retired, unemployed, and overworked” by Ernie J. Zelinski. It's a quick read that can motivate one to live a more full and engaging life. However, you must read it as a book encouraging you to not be a slave to work and to enjoy life instead, rather than a book telling you to quit working and be a deadbeat. I give this caution because at least one person took the book this way and wrote to Zelinski stating he was telling people to not work and live off the efforts of others. (This letter and many positives ones are shared in the final section of this revised edition of the book.)
I liked that the book contains a continuous theme of enjoying and experiencing life. For those getting ready to retire, this book should be a fabulous wake up call if you think retirement is only television and bingo. For those who find themselves unemployed during this time that is still rough for many people, I'm not sure if the book will be as reassuring. Yes, it might appear nice to be able to use your time off for enjoyment, but the stress of losing one's job, especially if bills are piling up, will need more than just a book to overcome. However, this book just might help one's perspective on the situation and make it a bit more bearable if not enjoyable.
The book encourages the reader to be more productive and stop wasting time with trivial engagements such as watching television for hours a day. It suggests there is more to life than slaving away at a job unfulfilled, and that one can live on less money than we often think we can. The book shows how we can embrace solitude and better experience the now, regardless of what we are doing.
You may be living, but Zelinski asks, “Are you really alive?” Read this book for inspiration and motivation to improve the variety, tone, and quality of your life.
I liked that the book contains a continuous theme of enjoying and experiencing life. For those getting ready to retire, this book should be a fabulous wake up call if you think retirement is only television and bingo. For those who find themselves unemployed during this time that is still rough for many people, I'm not sure if the book will be as reassuring. Yes, it might appear nice to be able to use your time off for enjoyment, but the stress of losing one's job, especially if bills are piling up, will need more than just a book to overcome. However, this book just might help one's perspective on the situation and make it a bit more bearable if not enjoyable.
The book encourages the reader to be more productive and stop wasting time with trivial engagements such as watching television for hours a day. It suggests there is more to life than slaving away at a job unfulfilled, and that one can live on less money than we often think we can. The book shows how we can embrace solitude and better experience the now, regardless of what we are doing.
You may be living, but Zelinski asks, “Are you really alive?” Read this book for inspiration and motivation to improve the variety, tone, and quality of your life.
March 19, 2008
This is one of two books that I credit for inspiring me to pick up and move out to the West Coast. I read this while working slave hours at Deloitte as an auditor and after reading this book, I finally began to realize that my time here on this earth is valuable (priceless actually) and there's a million other things I could be doing with it besides working for the man 12 hours a day.
May 22, 2016
Iba tan bien leyendo este libro, casi me hizo sentir feliz y comprendida dentro de este mundo malamente trabajólico, hasta que llegamos a la parte de los "mendigos".
NO ESTA BIEN PENSAR que gracias a que existe un mendigo en la calle hay una persona menos compitiendo por un buen trabajo. ¿Y qué es eso de a veces quiero "darles un puñetazo"? Ni siquiera de broma resulta chistoso.
¿Dónde quedó el espíritu altruista que nos trata de vender el autor en todo el maldito libro?
No soporto cuando alguien se siente superior solo por el ítem dinero. No por dormir en la calle y pedir limosna te hace ser un degenerado o ladrón. Hay degenerados de traje y corbata. Hay ladrones en las altas esferas políticas y hay perversos hasta en el mundo religioso.
Me enfurecen los absolutismos. Conozco gente que vive en la calle que tiene estudios superiores y que tuvieron trabajos importantes. No todo es blanco y negro; la vida esta llena de matices. El éxito y el fracaso varía de persona en persona. No por eso hay que poner el pie encima sobre aquellos que tienen una vida distinta, con menos recursos, con graves enfermedades mentales o adictivas, etc.
Puedo comulgar con todo ese pensamiento libre e inteligente de que el trabajo como fin último es una estúpidez y que el ocio debería tener un rol principal en nuestras vidas. Pero jamás de los jamases podré pensar que gracias a que hay un pobre por ahí, mayor riqueza para mí. Me repugna con solo escribirlo.
Y por último, pero no menos importante, la traducción de Ana García Beltrán de la edición que poseo (Ediciones Gestión 2000, S.A., Barcelona, 2003) es un bodrio.
NO ESTA BIEN PENSAR que gracias a que existe un mendigo en la calle hay una persona menos compitiendo por un buen trabajo. ¿Y qué es eso de a veces quiero "darles un puñetazo"? Ni siquiera de broma resulta chistoso.
¿Dónde quedó el espíritu altruista que nos trata de vender el autor en todo el maldito libro?
No soporto cuando alguien se siente superior solo por el ítem dinero. No por dormir en la calle y pedir limosna te hace ser un degenerado o ladrón. Hay degenerados de traje y corbata. Hay ladrones en las altas esferas políticas y hay perversos hasta en el mundo religioso.
Me enfurecen los absolutismos. Conozco gente que vive en la calle que tiene estudios superiores y que tuvieron trabajos importantes. No todo es blanco y negro; la vida esta llena de matices. El éxito y el fracaso varía de persona en persona. No por eso hay que poner el pie encima sobre aquellos que tienen una vida distinta, con menos recursos, con graves enfermedades mentales o adictivas, etc.
Puedo comulgar con todo ese pensamiento libre e inteligente de que el trabajo como fin último es una estúpidez y que el ocio debería tener un rol principal en nuestras vidas. Pero jamás de los jamases podré pensar que gracias a que hay un pobre por ahí, mayor riqueza para mí. Me repugna con solo escribirlo.
Y por último, pero no menos importante, la traducción de Ana García Beltrán de la edición que poseo (Ediciones Gestión 2000, S.A., Barcelona, 2003) es un bodrio.
June 11, 2018
really deserves 5 stars, even though i found some parables really lame and boring and the illustrations as well..
also he might be very controversial: for example he says let's have leisure for leisure's sake and then he says leisure is really lame without a "purpose", "goals" and "planning" and lots of scary words that he used..
also he was like at the end of his book:" don't look for happiness in your leisure time", if i'm not going to be happy when would i pursue happiness?
I also blame Ernie for his biased arguments about how money is bad, i think money is great when it's used the right way.. just learn how to use it..
also i have to highlight the fact that he generalized in how to deal with negative people(which is something i totally disagree with, because their negativity could be not of their own will like people with depression or people that have gone through very stressful events in life, i think we should go easy on them).. it's when they need us the most.
i'm saying this because of my personal experience with depression..
however, this is what i understood from Ernie, i could have misinterpreted what he said..
so why on earth am i giving him 5 stars?!
read it and you'll know.
:)
thank you Ernie <3
also he might be very controversial: for example he says let's have leisure for leisure's sake and then he says leisure is really lame without a "purpose", "goals" and "planning" and lots of scary words that he used..
also he was like at the end of his book:" don't look for happiness in your leisure time", if i'm not going to be happy when would i pursue happiness?
I also blame Ernie for his biased arguments about how money is bad, i think money is great when it's used the right way.. just learn how to use it..
also i have to highlight the fact that he generalized in how to deal with negative people(which is something i totally disagree with, because their negativity could be not of their own will like people with depression or people that have gone through very stressful events in life, i think we should go easy on them).. it's when they need us the most.
i'm saying this because of my personal experience with depression..
however, this is what i understood from Ernie, i could have misinterpreted what he said..
so why on earth am i giving him 5 stars?!
read it and you'll know.
:)
thank you Ernie <3
January 14, 2015
You have to admire a guy with an ego as well-established as Zelinski. And he's obviously having a lot of fun. I did get a few ideas on things I might do to psychologically prepare for retirement (my goal), but that encompassed about 1/100th of the book. His main theses can be summed up by: Money isn't that great; stop working so hard; don't be materialistic; figure out what's important to you; enjoy life. None of these are earth-shattering ideas, and they're not presented with much real analysis - just the author rambling a bit, throwing a research factoid in here and there. And there are LOTS of letters from devoted fans who've used his ideas to change their lives. I don't doubt this, but really - do you need to buy a book to tell you this stuff? My take: a waste of money.
April 12, 2013
I wanted to really like this book, but the first half was pretty much a condemnation of working for a living. Working is not bad if it is fun and/or interesting. It can be a problem if you are trapped into overworking at a job that is not engaging. The second half of the book was more useful with ideas of what to do and not do when not working.
July 1, 2012
An interesting book about enhancing your life through enjoying leisure more. While I was hoping for more of a "How To" book, this was more of a "Why To" book. Still, it's a good way of shaking off guilt from others who want you to work your way into an early grave.
January 14, 2022
Vern Busby illustrator
Victor Ichioka cover art
Twelve sections with lots of hints. Morality of Work. The True Test of Who You Are. Health Benefits. Rediscovering Your True Essence. The End Has Just Begun. 209 pages, has list of Resources and a short Bibliography.
Victor Ichioka cover art
Twelve sections with lots of hints. Morality of Work. The True Test of Who You Are. Health Benefits. Rediscovering Your True Essence. The End Has Just Begun. 209 pages, has list of Resources and a short Bibliography.
January 7, 2019
Absolutely wonderful book! Highly recommend it to anyone currently retired, but it is probably even more useful to those not yet retired. It offers much good advice as to the benefits of retiring as early as possible, and what to do with yourself to maximize your enjoyment of your new-found leisure time. Highly beneficial to anyone that might qualify as a workaholic, who might feel like they've lost their identity once their career has come to an end.
In my case, it served as justification and vindication that my decision to retire was the correct one, and will help me resist any coercion to rejoin my prior company. While my last job was fantastic, there are so many other things I still wish to accomplish in life. This book tells me that my decision to start prioritizing these other things over continuing to earn more money (that I will probably never get a chance to spend) was the right one.
In my case, it served as justification and vindication that my decision to retire was the correct one, and will help me resist any coercion to rejoin my prior company. While my last job was fantastic, there are so many other things I still wish to accomplish in life. This book tells me that my decision to start prioritizing these other things over continuing to earn more money (that I will probably never get a chance to spend) was the right one.
May 7, 2015
Paragraf berikut cukup menggambarkan salah satu konsep buku ini sih:
"Benda-benda yang kita miliki, tempat yang kita diami, dan pekerjaan yang kita miliki adalah sekunder. Yang paling penting, keberhasilan tidak seharusnya diukur dengan seberapa keras kita bekerja atau apa yang kita miliki. Intisari kita yang benar adalah ketenteraman yang lebih tinggi. Akhirnya, hal yang paling penting adalah seberapa baik kita hidup. Saat ini, apa yang kita pelajari, seberapa banyak kita tertawa dan bermain, dan seberapa banyak perhatian yang kita tunjukkan kepada dunia di sekitar kita. Itu adalah peranan hidup yang nyata."
"Benda-benda yang kita miliki, tempat yang kita diami, dan pekerjaan yang kita miliki adalah sekunder. Yang paling penting, keberhasilan tidak seharusnya diukur dengan seberapa keras kita bekerja atau apa yang kita miliki. Intisari kita yang benar adalah ketenteraman yang lebih tinggi. Akhirnya, hal yang paling penting adalah seberapa baik kita hidup. Saat ini, apa yang kita pelajari, seberapa banyak kita tertawa dan bermain, dan seberapa banyak perhatian yang kita tunjukkan kepada dunia di sekitar kita. Itu adalah peranan hidup yang nyata."
August 24, 2018
This book is more about living well...and creating priorities for success and happiness.
Have a good attitude
Satisfy 3 important goals (whether employed, retired, unemployed)- structure, purpose, community
Seek active activities over passive
Strive for personal growth, recognition, responsibility and achievement
5 stars. A good writer.
Have a good attitude
Satisfy 3 important goals (whether employed, retired, unemployed)- structure, purpose, community
Seek active activities over passive
Strive for personal growth, recognition, responsibility and achievement
5 stars. A good writer.
Read
September 14, 2010Some good things to think about - whether you're working or not. Mostly a book about finding life balance. The author spends a little too much time in the book telling everyone how editions 1-20 changed his readers lives (1/4 of the book are letters from his fans).
January 28, 2015
Even though I agree with a lot of what's in this book, I am not sure how realistic it can be for many people to just quit working. However, there is much wisdom here about what is important in life, and how to recognize it and how to strike that hard to achieve "work/life balance.
Read
February 12, 2015the best self-improvement book i ve ever read
January 28, 2021
I read this while between jobs. What struck me immediately was the similarity I had in my reaction to this book as I had in my reaction to "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." Both books are heavy on anecdotes - references from the past/readers/"I heard" and the like. It makes them quite lighthearted to read, but a bit "unserious" for lack of a better word. That doesn't mean they aren't, it's just a stylistic thing. I read part of the book, set it aside, and came back to it and finished it pretty quickly. It's an easy read.
I get Zelinski's point: there is a way to work that isn't corporate or 9 to 5 work. He obviously still works writing books. There are many financial indepence/early retirement (FIRE) bloggers and YouTubers who make a very similar point. They aren't really thinking of "not working" but instead of doing a different type of work that's more flexible and less dependent on a single employer. They are not really talking about not working. Even early retirement types who blog and post to Instagram and so on are still working - they just aren't doing it on behalf of a specific employer. Tim Ferris (Tim Ferriss) for example seems to me to be incredibly hard working despite his "Four Hour Workweek" fame.
In any case, this is a good lighthearted book, easy to read and inspirational in that it veers later in the book to pointing out that health and having interests outside of work are critical to retiring or "not working," in that not working quickly becomes boring otherwise.
I'll add that in the new working from home environment a 9-to-5 job has become much more flexible and therefore many of the complaints cited in this book are not as much of a concern. I work in a corporate environment, and now my life is much less structured; I have no commute; many of the expenses associated with an office job are gone. So if you decide to read this book I'd consider that, as well.
I get Zelinski's point: there is a way to work that isn't corporate or 9 to 5 work. He obviously still works writing books. There are many financial indepence/early retirement (FIRE) bloggers and YouTubers who make a very similar point. They aren't really thinking of "not working" but instead of doing a different type of work that's more flexible and less dependent on a single employer. They are not really talking about not working. Even early retirement types who blog and post to Instagram and so on are still working - they just aren't doing it on behalf of a specific employer. Tim Ferris (Tim Ferriss) for example seems to me to be incredibly hard working despite his "Four Hour Workweek" fame.
In any case, this is a good lighthearted book, easy to read and inspirational in that it veers later in the book to pointing out that health and having interests outside of work are critical to retiring or "not working," in that not working quickly becomes boring otherwise.
I'll add that in the new working from home environment a 9-to-5 job has become much more flexible and therefore many of the complaints cited in this book are not as much of a concern. I work in a corporate environment, and now my life is much less structured; I have no commute; many of the expenses associated with an office job are gone. So if you decide to read this book I'd consider that, as well.
August 26, 2017
It's obvious that the author enjoys not working. I don't argue against Zelinski's point the idea that North Americans place too much value on financial security at the cost of happiness, family, friends and years of our lives. However, he presents this notion with very little empirical data. The book is largely opinion. Zelinski's expertise appears to be that of a TV talk show host or a radio announcer that has a show where their title is doctor. This Dr. Phil approach of "they say" hammers home Zelinski's points again and again with little guidance or citing any specific studies.
The book itself is 75% quotes, 10% lists, 10% opinion and 5% reliable data from science. Oh the quotes, everywhere quotes. A number of the quotes cited a book, but no author. Why is this, I wondered? They were other Zelinski books. This is the age of self-promotion, I guess. Still, it was strange. Furthermore, the version I recently grabbed from Amazon was filled with letters from fans. Seemingly the last quarter of the book is simply letters from fans that he has quoted into this most recent version of the book. At one point, Zelinski gives the reader an exercise to do some graphical brainstorming on a piece of paper. The goal is to list 50 activities you'd enjoy doing or trying. To get us started he fills many pages with over 300 ideas. Many ideas are duplicates and absolutely simplistic and ridiculous.
Again, the idea of work/life balance is an important idea that I was hoping to explore. Personally, I felt this was less of a self-help book and more of a book of quotations. When it comes to advice, we must always take what works for us and leave the rest. Perhaps others who enjoyed the book needed a swift kick in the ass to get them going. I'm happy that they found the book useful. Myself, I need the inspiration and much more practicality. Thus, I was not a fan of this work at all and do not see myself ever reading any of his other books.
The book itself is 75% quotes, 10% lists, 10% opinion and 5% reliable data from science. Oh the quotes, everywhere quotes. A number of the quotes cited a book, but no author. Why is this, I wondered? They were other Zelinski books. This is the age of self-promotion, I guess. Still, it was strange. Furthermore, the version I recently grabbed from Amazon was filled with letters from fans. Seemingly the last quarter of the book is simply letters from fans that he has quoted into this most recent version of the book. At one point, Zelinski gives the reader an exercise to do some graphical brainstorming on a piece of paper. The goal is to list 50 activities you'd enjoy doing or trying. To get us started he fills many pages with over 300 ideas. Many ideas are duplicates and absolutely simplistic and ridiculous.
Again, the idea of work/life balance is an important idea that I was hoping to explore. Personally, I felt this was less of a self-help book and more of a book of quotations. When it comes to advice, we must always take what works for us and leave the rest. Perhaps others who enjoyed the book needed a swift kick in the ass to get them going. I'm happy that they found the book useful. Myself, I need the inspiration and much more practicality. Thus, I was not a fan of this work at all and do not see myself ever reading any of his other books.
August 30, 2018
Despite saying it is a book for the "retired, unemployed, and overworked" it is really just a book for the overworked trying to inspire them to break free from the shackles of 9-5 corporate work.
The chapters are:
1: You don't have to have a job!
2: You can be creative if you try!
3: Man, working is just the worst
4: You can work less, really...and it might make your work more effective, even!
5: When you don't have a job telling you who to be, you have to figure it out for yourself
and so on....it eventually does have some decent sections -- dealing with boredom & loneliness/solitude, finding challenges/motivation when they are imposed on you by a boss -- but even those are a bit light and not really worth trudging through the rest to get to.
This book is primarily "inspiration". I suppose if you are considering retirement/not working and on-the-fence -- "what would I do all day" -- then you might find some value in this (just skip the first half dozen chapters!). But even there, the book is mixed-up about its audience and where in life they are. In the chapter on boredom it suggests that 2-3 weeks of vacation isn't enough and you should arrange a sabbatical from work. But I thought this was a book for the retired & unemployed? What's a sabbatical got to do with anything?
In the end, there are a few nuggets in here -- the "Leisure Tree" is probably the best takeaway -- but I'm not sure it is worth the effort to find them, especially when many other books cover similar territory.
The chapters are:
1: You don't have to have a job!
2: You can be creative if you try!
3: Man, working is just the worst
4: You can work less, really...and it might make your work more effective, even!
5: When you don't have a job telling you who to be, you have to figure it out for yourself
and so on....it eventually does have some decent sections -- dealing with boredom & loneliness/solitude, finding challenges/motivation when they are imposed on you by a boss -- but even those are a bit light and not really worth trudging through the rest to get to.
This book is primarily "inspiration". I suppose if you are considering retirement/not working and on-the-fence -- "what would I do all day" -- then you might find some value in this (just skip the first half dozen chapters!). But even there, the book is mixed-up about its audience and where in life they are. In the chapter on boredom it suggests that 2-3 weeks of vacation isn't enough and you should arrange a sabbatical from work. But I thought this was a book for the retired & unemployed? What's a sabbatical got to do with anything?
In the end, there are a few nuggets in here -- the "Leisure Tree" is probably the best takeaway -- but I'm not sure it is worth the effort to find them, especially when many other books cover similar territory.
March 10, 2019
* Dick Phillips - 30 year career and then retired - already had a pension I'm sure and close to "normal" retirement age - probably doesn't have to worry about $$
* Rita - How is this person paying for anything? Food, shelter?
* Les - See Rita
* Karen Hall - Had to go back to work - will probably hate that job too
* Lynn Tillon - Still working same job, changed attitude
* Ian - See Rita
* Ian - Oh I see, his investments... where did that $ come from.
* Joy Barlow - She freed herself from her JOB and got a different JOB as a business owner - where is she now? How about a follow up?
* Gilles - Legit, I like this guy
* Aida Hudson - See Rita - what does the husband do? Probably has a nice paying job
* Lisa Mallett - Sounds great at first and then "I really don't have to work. I am the beneficiary of a trust fund."
* Dennis Anstett - Where does the 30k come from?
* Jason - "What really cinched it, though, was the passing away of my father. He left some life insurance money..." Wow.
I can't go on with these letters.
Anyways, I did enjoy the get-a-life tree. That was a fun exercise. The rest is common sense. Don't spend more than you earn. Really?
* Rita - How is this person paying for anything? Food, shelter?
* Les - See Rita
* Karen Hall - Had to go back to work - will probably hate that job too
* Lynn Tillon - Still working same job, changed attitude
* Ian - See Rita
* Ian - Oh I see, his investments... where did that $ come from.
* Joy Barlow - She freed herself from her JOB and got a different JOB as a business owner - where is she now? How about a follow up?
* Gilles - Legit, I like this guy
* Aida Hudson - See Rita - what does the husband do? Probably has a nice paying job
* Lisa Mallett - Sounds great at first and then "I really don't have to work. I am the beneficiary of a trust fund."
* Dennis Anstett - Where does the 30k come from?
* Jason - "What really cinched it, though, was the passing away of my father. He left some life insurance money..." Wow.
I can't go on with these letters.
Anyways, I did enjoy the get-a-life tree. That was a fun exercise. The rest is common sense. Don't spend more than you earn. Really?
August 31, 2022
I JUST FINISHED READING THE BOOK “THE JOY OF NOT WORKING – A BOOK FOR THE RETIRED, UNEMPLOYED, AND OVERWORKED” by ERNIE J. ZELINSKI, THE 21ST CENTURY EDITION. ERNIE J. ZELINSKI COULD CHANGE YOUR VIEW OF THE WORLD FOREVER. HE HAS TAUGHT MORE THAN 300,OOO PEOPLE WHAT THE JOY OF NOT WORKING IS ABOUT – LEARNING TO LIVE EVERY PART OF THEIR LIVES – WORK AND PLAY, EMPLOYMENT, AND RETIREMENT ALIKE – TO THE FULLEST. IN THIS COMPLETELY REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION, YOU TOO CAN JOIN THE THOUSANDS OF CONVERTS AND LEARN HOW TO THRIVE AT BOTH WORK AND PLAY. ILLUSTRATED WITH EYE-OPENING EXERCISES, THOUGHT-PROVOKING DIAGRAMS, AND LIVELY CARTOONS AND QUOTATIONS.
THE JOY OF NOT WORKING WILL GUIDE YOU TO:
BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AT WORK BY WORKING LESS.
DISCOVER AND PURSUE YOUR LIFE’S PASSIONS.
GAIN THE COURAGE TO LEAVE YOUR CORPORATE JOB IF IT IS DRAINING LIFE OUT OF YOU.
PURSUE INTERESTING LEISURE ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING.
VANQUISH ANY GUILT YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT NOT WORKING LONG AND HARD HOURS.
BE FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT WITH LESS MONEY.
PLUS, NEW TO THIS EDITION ARE THIRTY INSPIRING LETTERS FROM READERS DETAILING HOW THE BOOK HELPED THEM IMPROVE THE VARIETY, TONE, AND QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES. THE JOY OF NOT WORKING IS A PROVOCATIVE, ENTERTAINING, DOWN-TO-EARTH, AND TREMENDOUSLY INSPIRING BOOK THAT WILL HELP YOU GET MORE JOY AND SATISFACTION OUT OF EVERYTHING YOU DO.
ALL I CAN ADD IS THAT FOR ALL THE YEARS IN WHICH I WORKED AS A YOUNG LVN IN NURSING HOMES BEFORE EVENTUALLY GETTING MY RN, BSN, I NEVER ONCE HEARD ONE GERIATRIC PATIENT LOOK BACK AND SAY “OH, HOW I WISH I HAD WORKED LONGER AND HARDER IN MY LIFE”….quote by DONNA FREEMAN.
THE JOY OF NOT WORKING WILL GUIDE YOU TO:
BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AT WORK BY WORKING LESS.
DISCOVER AND PURSUE YOUR LIFE’S PASSIONS.
GAIN THE COURAGE TO LEAVE YOUR CORPORATE JOB IF IT IS DRAINING LIFE OUT OF YOU.
PURSUE INTERESTING LEISURE ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING.
VANQUISH ANY GUILT YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT NOT WORKING LONG AND HARD HOURS.
BE FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT WITH LESS MONEY.
PLUS, NEW TO THIS EDITION ARE THIRTY INSPIRING LETTERS FROM READERS DETAILING HOW THE BOOK HELPED THEM IMPROVE THE VARIETY, TONE, AND QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES. THE JOY OF NOT WORKING IS A PROVOCATIVE, ENTERTAINING, DOWN-TO-EARTH, AND TREMENDOUSLY INSPIRING BOOK THAT WILL HELP YOU GET MORE JOY AND SATISFACTION OUT OF EVERYTHING YOU DO.
ALL I CAN ADD IS THAT FOR ALL THE YEARS IN WHICH I WORKED AS A YOUNG LVN IN NURSING HOMES BEFORE EVENTUALLY GETTING MY RN, BSN, I NEVER ONCE HEARD ONE GERIATRIC PATIENT LOOK BACK AND SAY “OH, HOW I WISH I HAD WORKED LONGER AND HARDER IN MY LIFE”….quote by DONNA FREEMAN.
October 30, 2021
I read this book about five years ago and revisited it just recently. I love this book. It is so fun, full of humor, stories, brainstorming the ideas of why we feel guilty when we don't work and how to enjoy and be productive with your life besides working 9-5. I especially loved the letters from readers and their life situations and how they changed their work-life to live a life of less work and more fun.
This is not a scientific book, but I liked it that way. If it was full of stats, it would be 'work.'
What I liked about the book:
*People's stories
*Humor and light-hearted points.
*Options, possibilities, and perspectives of life that is more than your work.
What I didn't like about the book:
Too many quotes, and the layout is very dated.
Total 3.7/5
Readability - 4.5
Scope - 3
Depth - 3.5
Format - 3.5
Clarity -4
Read this book if:
*You are contemplating your work/life situation.
*You want to read inspiring stories of others who made a switch from 9-5 to a life of less work and more freedom.
*You don't want to read a serious book.
This is not a scientific book, but I liked it that way. If it was full of stats, it would be 'work.'
What I liked about the book:
*People's stories
*Humor and light-hearted points.
*Options, possibilities, and perspectives of life that is more than your work.
What I didn't like about the book:
Too many quotes, and the layout is very dated.
Total 3.7/5
Readability - 4.5
Scope - 3
Depth - 3.5
Format - 3.5
Clarity -4
Read this book if:
*You are contemplating your work/life situation.
*You want to read inspiring stories of others who made a switch from 9-5 to a life of less work and more freedom.
*You don't want to read a serious book.
February 19, 2019
I got this book when I was contemplating retiring. I wanted some ideas about what to do with my abundant free time. The first half of this book goes on and on about how and why the reader shouldn't be a workaholic. That wasn't me. I enjoyed my work, but enjoy my leisure, too.
Eventually, the author does get into what you might do with your free time, and what you should seek to have a fulfilling life. Again, he gets very repetitive in hammering his point home.
I did retire about half way through the book, and so far, I am very happy with my life of leisure. The book helped some, but I started skipping to the end of chapters once the author made his point in the first couple of pages.
Eventually, the author does get into what you might do with your free time, and what you should seek to have a fulfilling life. Again, he gets very repetitive in hammering his point home.
I did retire about half way through the book, and so far, I am very happy with my life of leisure. The book helped some, but I started skipping to the end of chapters once the author made his point in the first couple of pages.
November 17, 2019
I thought this was a good book to read for people who are retiring, but it turns out that it is a book everyone should read because it's important to think about our relationship to our jobs. Are we nothing more than the jobs we do? Do our jobs make us happy? Do we have the guts to quit our jobs and pursue creative endeavors? There are so many questions to think about in this highly inspirational book. Every sentence is food for thought. I wish I would have read this long ago. It is definitely helping me face retirement.
March 18, 2022
I noticed further in the book that his points contradicts some other points he makes earlier in the book. Good insights on how to live a different life and new view on how happiness can be gained. As I once had a life goal to reach happiness, this topic was very interesting.
한국어로 읽었는데 나쁘진 않은 책입니다. 돈이 없어도 잘 산다는데 크게 공감은 안가더라고요. 하지만 일에 노예를 일부러 됄 필요는 없다는건 좋더라고요. 전 가족이 부유해 일을 꼭 해야할 상황은 아니라서 읽엇지만 정말 돈이 필요한 사람인데 일을 뭘 할까 아니면 하기 싫다 이라는 사람들에겐 좋은 책이 아니라고 봅니다.
한국어로 읽었는데 나쁘진 않은 책입니다. 돈이 없어도 잘 산다는데 크게 공감은 안가더라고요. 하지만 일에 노예를 일부러 됄 필요는 없다는건 좋더라고요. 전 가족이 부유해 일을 꼭 해야할 상황은 아니라서 읽엇지만 정말 돈이 필요한 사람인데 일을 뭘 할까 아니면 하기 싫다 이라는 사람들에겐 좋은 책이 아니라고 봅니다.
January 1, 2020
Autor se zde zabývá tématikou práce a volného času a hlavně naším přístupem k nim.
Nutí čtenáře, aby se zamyslel nad tím, zda si vůbec umí udělat kvalitní volný čas.
Poukazuje na stereotypy, které nás velmi častou ovlivňují a zabraňují nám žít spokojený a šťastný život.
Velmi dobře se mi to četlo.
Nutí čtenáře, aby se zamyslel nad tím, zda si vůbec umí udělat kvalitní volný čas.
Poukazuje na stereotypy, které nás velmi častou ovlivňují a zabraňují nám žít spokojený a šťastný život.
Velmi dobře se mi to četlo.
July 20, 2019
C'est bon de lire un livre comme ça afin de confirmer si on a la bonne attitude quant à la retraite. Ce livre devrait être lu dans la jeune vingtaine afin de bâtir des habitudes de vie qui seront utile en vieillissant.
November 26, 2019
I got about half way through this book before realizing it hadn't actually given me any concrete suggestions about what to do with my time. A lot of it was "you TOO can live a great retired life!" but never got around to telling me how to do it. Just how great it would be when I did! Maybe the book gets better at the end, but I realized I didn't trust the author enough to get anything of value out of it.
December 22, 2020
This book is practical and philosophical. It is designed to celebrate a full, rich life based on embracing all of your interests and personality and enjoying the journey during work and leisure time with personal fulfillment. Highly recommend it!
March 8, 2022
I've read this book several times over the years and will probably read it several more. I learn something new every time. How refreshing to read about someone who loves leisure time as much as I do!
October 1, 2017
25% good advice and 75% crap.
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