Book 65 - Tom Hodgkinson "How To Be Idle"

Tom Hodgkinson "How To Be Idle" (Penguin)




Hodgkinson breaks the day down, hour by hour, and systematically presents alternatives to the usual “rat race” activities. Why sit in traffic when you could be asleep or thinking big thoughts? Why work a 9-to-5 job when, as Hodgkinson proposes, humans are bred for flexibility and variety in their working life? Why go to bed early when you could be at the pub, engaged in meaningful conversation, or even dreaming up revolutions? Many people are put off by Hodgkinson’s romanticizing of the pre-industrial era, but if taken with a grain of salt, it can be made more palatable. A cross between Buddhism, anarchy, and a nostalgic longing for a bygone era, this book is not just a celebration of following your own path; it raises idleness to the level of a sacrament

This book is a series of views on a variety of issues from smoking to napping, a book that encourages us to think about our lives rather than just put our lives in neutral and keep going

I agree that idleness is beneficial and necessary, at least in comparison with the usual hyper-caffeinated sleep-deprived existence. Productivity nuts take note -- Samuel Johnson slept in and lingered over dinner AND got a lot done.

Electric Eden

I think I am as much as a folkie as well being a hip lover of jazz and soul. Certainly the dulcet tones of Albion’s folk roots is flowing in my veins , and recently invigorated again by the strange time travelling tunes represented by the compilation “Electric Eden” based on the book of the same name by Rob Young.

Such classic tunes by Comus, Meic Stevens, Bill Fay, Sweeney’s Men, The Albion Country Band, Bert Jansch, Pentangle, Fotheringay, Steeleye Span, Trees, COB, etc proves that the folk-rock of the late sixties and seventies cannot be beaten.

Modern exponents of the genre such as the Carthy’s, Alisdair Roberts, and Richard Youngs affirms that this music is alive and kicking. One night down at the Northern Lights I will devote the evening to the genre, perhaps next year.