How to Do Nothing
2019
- information technology
- social aspects
- reflection (philosophy)
- attention
- philosophy
- work
- arts
- technology & engineering / social aspects
- nature / environmental conservation & protection
- art / digital
The story
Nothing is harder to do these days than nothing. But in a world where our value is determined by our 24/7 data productivity . . . doing nothing may be our most important form of resistance. So argues artist and critic Jenny Odell in this field guide to doing nothing (at least as capitalism defines it). Odell sees our attention as the most precious—and overdrawn—resource we have. 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 is a four-course meal in the age of Soylent.
What it’s like
Dense, wry and unhurried, with the texture of a well-annotated notebook: essays built from bird-watching in the Bay Area, sustained looks at a single eucalyptus grove or a patch of weedy urban lot, and a voice that moves easily between art criticism, ecology and philosophy without ever sounding breathless. The sensory world is outdoors and specific (fog, tidepools, the hum of traffic beyond a hedge), and the prose asks you to slow down and look at what is already there. Its vibe is contemplative and quietly rebellious, sitting somewhere between a field guide and a manifesto. It suits a slow Saturday with a mug of tea, a long train journey where the window is more interesting than the screen, or a reread on a bench in a park. Intensity is low: no violence, no gore, no sexual content, and the only sharpness comes from its critique of productivity culture, delivered as argument rather than alarm. The emotional register is hopeful and reflective, with an arc that moves from restless distraction toward a more patient, attentive way of living. It is for readers who feel worn down by the constant pull of their phones and want a thoughtful, grounded case for paying attention differently.
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