Routledge
192 pages
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.
'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
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
