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The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy
by
Relax, unwind and soak up the wisdom of the sloth with the slowest page turner you’ll ever read.
From tidying and Hygge, to living Lagom, the endless pressure to be happier, live better, sleep soundly, and eat mindfully can be exhausting. But this year’s lifestyle trend finally delivers the perfect antidote – welcome to the year of the sloth.
Sloths are mindfulness in ...more
From tidying and Hygge, to living Lagom, the endless pressure to be happier, live better, sleep soundly, and eat mindfully can be exhausting. But this year’s lifestyle trend finally delivers the perfect antidote – welcome to the year of the sloth.
Sloths are mindfulness in ...more
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Hardcover, 176 pages
Published
October 16th 2018
by HarperCollins
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The ‘sloth philosophy’ doesn’t mean to be lazy or move at a sluggish pace as the picture on the cover might suggest. Sloths move quickly if they want. It is their built in low metabolic rate the main reason they are not as active as other creatures. They are solitary and shy and are not affectionate to humans. It has been found that their sleep pattern is easily disturbed when people touch them.
In this context, the author beautifully builds the pathways of ‘sloth philosophy’ which I found to be ...more
In this context, the author beautifully builds the pathways of ‘sloth philosophy’ which I found to be ...more

3*
The Reading Rush 2019 Book #11
I'm not huge on self-help books or motivational books or whatever but this little book full of the most adorable illustrations of sloths was amazing. It was slightly ironic, funny and ultimately it will remind you that it's okay to have a nap in a messy apartment instead of cleaning when you feel like it, to order a chinese takeaway instead of cooking when you don't have the energy and to put off all your messages and emails for days and days. Because none of ...more
The Reading Rush 2019 Book #11
I'm not huge on self-help books or motivational books or whatever but this little book full of the most adorable illustrations of sloths was amazing. It was slightly ironic, funny and ultimately it will remind you that it's okay to have a nap in a messy apartment instead of cleaning when you feel like it, to order a chinese takeaway instead of cooking when you don't have the energy and to put off all your messages and emails for days and days. Because none of ...more

"In conclusion: life is short - spend it doing things you love."
Such a simple yet important book about one of my most favourite animals. I think we have a lot to learn from sloths - they live a happy life, ignoring society's tendency to complicate simple everyday tasks and the glorification of business.
Such a simple yet important book about one of my most favourite animals. I think we have a lot to learn from sloths - they live a happy life, ignoring society's tendency to complicate simple everyday tasks and the glorification of business.

FAV QUOTES:
Sloths spend most of their time in trees. They really prefer nature to people. And that's part of the reason they're so relaxed, probably.
Embrace the art of slow reading: But we're not encouraged to read slowly. We're urged to consume micro-news every other minute in order to stay informed. We learn to skim headlines, instead of reading whole articles. We're challenged to read 100 books a year and keep track of our success in this endeavour online. We're obsessed with productivity at ...more
Sloths spend most of their time in trees. They really prefer nature to people. And that's part of the reason they're so relaxed, probably.
Embrace the art of slow reading: But we're not encouraged to read slowly. We're urged to consume micro-news every other minute in order to stay informed. We learn to skim headlines, instead of reading whole articles. We're challenged to read 100 books a year and keep track of our success in this endeavour online. We're obsessed with productivity at ...more

Hmm.. unlike the majority of the readers I was kind of disappointed by this book. I wondered why this was made into a book at all as it read like several amateur blog posts squished together, being related to one another because apparently it is everything what sloths do.
I was hoping for some more in depth comparisons with a sloth life (because I like sloth, they are funny), but all I feel like the author was saying was: Do what you want, even if that means you do not work, get fired, smell ...more
I was hoping for some more in depth comparisons with a sloth life (because I like sloth, they are funny), but all I feel like the author was saying was: Do what you want, even if that means you do not work, get fired, smell ...more

Being honest, I bought this book because it’s little and cute, I like sloths, and I love philosophy. In short, it seemed like the perfect combo.
It is indeed little—readable in about an hour. While I do enjoy a short book, it feels a bit too short and rushed at times. Like the sloth, I wish the points had been made a little slower, with more content on each topic. It is very cute, and the illustrations throughout are sweet.
The main concept is “be more sloth”. We learn some key sloth lessons ...more
It is indeed little—readable in about an hour. While I do enjoy a short book, it feels a bit too short and rushed at times. Like the sloth, I wish the points had been made a little slower, with more content on each topic. It is very cute, and the illustrations throughout are sweet.
The main concept is “be more sloth”. We learn some key sloth lessons ...more

2.5/5.0
We live in a 'go go go' world. A world that emphasizes 'hustling' as a means of pursuing your dreams, bombarded with videos on productivity and given judgement for 'doing nothing.'
Don't get me wrong, I have dreams...lots of them. And it takes work but, as this book points out, slowing down can prove to be a much more beneficial path. Taking our time allows us the opportunity to be more present in every moment, to enjoy the journey (be it doing the dishes or writing that book we always ...more
We live in a 'go go go' world. A world that emphasizes 'hustling' as a means of pursuing your dreams, bombarded with videos on productivity and given judgement for 'doing nothing.'
Don't get me wrong, I have dreams...lots of them. And it takes work but, as this book points out, slowing down can prove to be a much more beneficial path. Taking our time allows us the opportunity to be more present in every moment, to enjoy the journey (be it doing the dishes or writing that book we always ...more

Cute little giftie book that will be appreciated by those who already understand the importance of taking life easy and ignoring the media's demands, and ignored by those who most need its warning to slow down and notice life before it flashes past. Nice illustrations, but by the end it gets a bit repetitive and degenerates into the very lists of books to read, films to watch, and music to listen to that the author pretends to denigrate at the start of the book, in her rants about the dangers of
...more

Such a perfect little book!! I think the whole world needs to embrace the Sloth Philosophy and I've thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon reading this and there's so much to take away from having a different approach to the frenetic, mad world we live in nowadays.
This book has a fun look at how we can all improve our wellbeing and outlook on life if we just take a few pointers from the Sloths of the world - and it all feels achievable! Just little mind changes and activities we can do that can really ...more
This book has a fun look at how we can all improve our wellbeing and outlook on life if we just take a few pointers from the Sloths of the world - and it all feels achievable! Just little mind changes and activities we can do that can really ...more

This is one of those cute books that somehow make their way to publishing. Not that this book shouldn’t be published, but I have noticed that we have a new genre here - an emerging genre of gentle, almost whimsical philosophy that is not too tough to grasp and is often adorable. Who ever said philosophy could be adorable?
Well, the sloths would have said that, Jennifer McCartney might write! I had read ‘The Tao Of Pooh’ last year, and this is in a similar vein. In an era where you feel guilty if ...more
Well, the sloths would have said that, Jennifer McCartney might write! I had read ‘The Tao Of Pooh’ last year, and this is in a similar vein. In an era where you feel guilty if ...more

If you live in America post-2016 (#notmypresident), there is a more fair amount of hate, deceit, and a lack of caring. It's a culture driven by "What's in it for me?" and "What can I buy next?". Cellphones, whether Android or iOs, are like augmentation of our hand, taking all our focus, leaving us mentally glued to them. a book like this couldn't have come out at a better time!
Sure, I am biased, as I have a great love/appreciation of sloths. Beyond the sloth aspect, the book has a great amount ...more
Sure, I am biased, as I have a great love/appreciation of sloths. Beyond the sloth aspect, the book has a great amount ...more

This book was sooo extremely good! I absolutely loved and adored it. The pictures were really cute, and the sloth facts included in each new chapter/section were very informative and educational. Going into this book, I didn't expect to learn about sloths as much as I did, which I thought was a nice little bonus to it.
Everyday life is so fast-paced, especially because there's the mindset that being sleep-deprived and having a completely full, hectic schedule equates to being a successful person ...more
Everyday life is so fast-paced, especially because there's the mindset that being sleep-deprived and having a completely full, hectic schedule equates to being a successful person ...more

Sloth is slow, furry and cute. It has been a lot of people’s favourite animal. Yet, not a lot of people discover the life wisdom of this cutie.
Jennifer McCartney, probably a Scandinavian, teaches you how to live your best sloth life with lots of interesting facts about sloths and cute sloth illustrations - health and wellness, food and drink, sleep, leisure and pleasure, love and relationship, work and school, as well as beauty and self-care.
I love how the author wraps up concepts of hygge with ...more
Jennifer McCartney, probably a Scandinavian, teaches you how to live your best sloth life with lots of interesting facts about sloths and cute sloth illustrations - health and wellness, food and drink, sleep, leisure and pleasure, love and relationship, work and school, as well as beauty and self-care.
I love how the author wraps up concepts of hygge with ...more

Meh. Cute but nothing I didn’t already know. I liked the layout but the quizzes were kind of dumb and didn’t really pertain to everyone. The basic just is to just chill out and slow down. Don’t be so stressed and in a rush all the time. Take time for yourself to relax. Not a horrible book but just not great. I didn’t feel like I really learned any new good ways to do these things. That’s what would have made this book good. Instead it was all the usual things. 2.5 stars rounded up because...I
...more

I absolutely loved EVERYTHING about this little book. I have, since moving to the south, been a fan of the "Economy of Movement" train of thought when it comes to being outside -- especially in the summer months. I plan my outdoor business, don't rush about like a lunatic, organize my goings on in a logical (to me, at least!) fashion, and get things done. I get from point A to point B -- maybe not as fast as others do, but who cares?!
The benefit of alone time to think your thoughts and recharge ...more
The benefit of alone time to think your thoughts and recharge ...more

A darling little treasure! Great encouragement and insight in slowing down in life. Fun facts about people and sloths scattered throughout. There are some little quizzes I found to be a bit silly. But overall, reading this made me feel calmer, and looking at the sloth doodles made me smile. My biggest take away: Ask yourself “what’s the rush” when feeling overwhelmed and stressed. To the sloth life!!

It took me less than a day to finish this book, and I think I’ve loved it so much because it was just what I needed to read. The book explains the meaning of “sloth philosophy” in a lot of different areas, such as health, work, sleep, relationships... The concepts were really basic but you need to remind yourself sometimes to calm down and relax, that’s why I thought it was helpful. If you want to read an easy and adorable book about mindfulness I’d highly recommend it!

What The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy ultimately tries to teach us in a humorous manner is that we need to enjoy the little things in life, including sleeping, eating, and breathing. It helps us be aware that sometimes, if you want to stop to smell the flowers, you have to change your schedule a bit in order to have time do it – and that’s a good thing. Almost anything is a good thing if it makes us a little bit happier and less stressed.

I think this is going to be a book, that I'll be giving as a gift to everyone :) Not that it's so deep and profound, but because it shows how to live simply. It's also funny and short. Perfect for reading in pieces or as a whole. Illustrations are super cute, too. And there's of course sloth - most adorable role model ever. He lives his life slowly, but that's the point - take your time, be good to yourself, screw what others think.
So you know - live slow die whenever.
Great stuff!
So you know - live slow die whenever.
Great stuff!

I really enjoyed this cute book.
i received it as a gift from my daughter.
It shares ideas "to live your best sloth life." Sloths have a lot to teach us about how to spend our lives. Sloths have much to show us: they teach us to slow down, be more mindful, resist pressures put on us by society, be more productive, and to do things we love.
This is written in a way that is easy to read and has the cutest illustrations.
i received it as a gift from my daughter.
It shares ideas "to live your best sloth life." Sloths have a lot to teach us about how to spend our lives. Sloths have much to show us: they teach us to slow down, be more mindful, resist pressures put on us by society, be more productive, and to do things we love.
This is written in a way that is easy to read and has the cutest illustrations.

it was good but i’m weak so i doubt i’ll apply it all to my life. however there were some small nice bits i wanna incorporate into my everyday life. i’d recommend it if youre too obsessed with your online presence or if you’re constantly on edge about things or if you just need a solid reminder that it’s okay to give up on things sometimes. :)

Nov 04, 2018
Marisol Montano
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction
I don’t typically read these types of books but I found this one to be really enjoyable. The illustrations are also adorable. It was a well-timed read that has reminded me that sometimes I just need to stop and take a deep breath.
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Jennifer McCartney is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the author of numerous books including The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy, the novel Afloat; Cocktails for Drinkers; The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place; and Poetry from Scratch. Her writing has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and appeared in The Atlantic, Vice Magazine, Teen Vogue, Curbed, Globe and Mail, and Publishers
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