Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America
by Tom Lutz (Goodreads author!)
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
discuss this book
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
friend reviews (0)
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
lists with this book
Where's the love? Add this book to your favorite list.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 142)
I think Tom Luts and Tom Hodgkinson ( How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto ) were co-joined twins, separated at birth and adopted out to different families to see what would happen. An unrepentant former flower child, now a knowing academic, Lutz does some heavy lifting with his sociological history of goofing off.
Offering historical and current examples of slackers ascendant, the author of course cites Veb...more
Offering historical and current examples of slackers ascendant, the author of course cites Veb...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2008
This book cracked me up. It is a history of loafers, loungers and slackers in US history. Lutz takes the reader from the writings of Ben Franklin, our founding loafer, to the money Office Space—the slacker cult film. Lutz is doing an historical analysis of the work ethic and its other—the lazy bum. Lutz uses a range of cultural texts and historical characters to make his case. The upshot is that the work ethic is what is producing the slacker. Lutz quotes at length many writings that extol t...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2007
Boy, this took me a while to get through. It wasn't that I hated this book or that I was lazy (well, maybe) or that I found it boring (because i didn't), it just wasn't a book I could gobble up in one sitting. It felt more like a history lesson which was informative but not something I could jump hoops for. What I couldn't really get behind was the writer's own personal back story...there wasn't much there. I wanted more personal stuff about his own life and the life of his slack ass son (who wa...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
workaholics
I liked this one, but I generally romanticize the loafer lifestyle. A general survey of American slackerism, from Thoreau and Ben Franklin to the draft dodgers of the first and second world wars, the beats, hippies, and Office Space. I was most intrigued by the earlier parts of the book, since I'm pretty ignorant of early american history. There were very very few women slackers, it seems, according to Mr. Lutz.
In general, the book made me very relaxed, usually while I was on my way to wor...more
In general, the book made me very relaxed, usually while I was on my way to wor...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2007
recommends it for:
slackers
If you resent having to devote all your time to your job, and you feel like a whiny brat because of it, the introduction to this book will soothe your worry by putting your complaints into context. If you are like me, however, you will become so soothed that you will immediately lose interest. I'm giving it 3 stars because I really enjoyed the first 40 pages, but the sad truth is that I was too lazy to read any more.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in December, 2007
Although somewhat of a laborious read for the first part of the book I found that author Tom Lutz had put together an excellent review of various societal expextations regarding work, and individual responses to the same.
Tom Lutz's approach was neither manipulative no leading, but rather a well researched and straight forward presentation of both the shifting and static social perceptions of the value of work.
Tom Lutz's approach was neither manipulative no leading, but rather a well researched and straight forward presentation of both the shifting and static social perceptions of the value of work.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
This book was so in line with my view of life...I often saw thoughts and ideas I had, but not elucidated, appear in the beautiful prose of some famous loafer.
I fully subscribe to the idea of otium and after reading of those that do too, am happy to be in such good company.
I fully subscribe to the idea of otium and after reading of those that do too, am happy to be in such good company.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in September, 2008
This is kinda cool, read it if you feel you're feeling like a slacker and like to get a history on that feeling.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in August, 2007
very interesting book about slacker society.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
