Laziness Does Not Exist

By Devon Price

Book Overview

From social psychologist Dr. Devon Price, a conversational, stirring call to "a better, more human way to live" (Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author) that examines the "laziness lie"--which falsely tells us we are not working or learning hard enough.

Extra-curricular activities. Honors classes. 60-hour work weeks. Side hustles.

Like many Americans, Dr. Devon Price believed that productivity was the best way to measure self-worth. Price was an overachiever from the start, graduating from both college and graduate school early, but that success came at a cost. After Price was diagnosed with a severe case of anemia and heart complications from overexertion, they were forced to examine the darker side of all this productivity.

Laziness Does Not Exist explores the psychological underpinnings of the "laziness lie," including its origins from the Puritans and how it has continued to proliferate as digital work tools have blurred the boundaries between work and life. Using in-depth research, Price explains that people today do far more work than nearly any other humans in history yet most of us often still feel we are not doing enough.

Filled with practical and accessible advice for overcoming society's pressure to do more, and featuring interviews with researchers, consultants, and experiences from real people drowning in too much work, Laziness Does Not Exist "is the book we all need right now" (Caroline Dooner, author of The F*ck It Diet).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1982140119
• ISBN13: 9781982140113
• Release Date: January 2022
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Absolutely Essential Read!

Laziness does not exist. This title was actually recommended to me by a friend. I had it in my Audible queue but like the mysterious morning dew, I hadn't felt the time was right until recently. Then, I was ready. It's interesting, because to a very large part of me, the topic and experience of the author is completely foreign to me. I don't know if it's spending so much time outside the US during my childhood, my autistic brain, or a combination of both. Probably both. But the practice of sticking a morality on the productivity of a person is utterly ridiculous. And now we see exactly why. So many of the burned out people continue to run their bodies and minds into the ground in this post capitalist feudal society. But taking a break, resting your body, resting your mind, your soul is IMPORTANT. In fact, as this book states, it's a survival instinct. Yet why do so many US Americans feel like they're bad people, or not good enough, if they don't create any capital? Whether it's over working their bodies or trying to maintain that they have a perfect home, the obsession with perfection is incredible! It's also more than a bit insane. But it can be equally difficult for so trained a person to drop this "background program" of need to work. This book has real tips and ways to stop this line of thought and get yourself off your own back. I really recommend anyone who lives in the US or wants to understand the culture here to read this book. 10/10 recommend for US culture and values