Manchester District Library Book Club discussion
2014-2015 Season
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In Praise of Slowness
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Shea
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Nov 27, 2014 02:28PM
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I have taken the advice to read only a chapter a day. I am ready to dive into chapter 3 today. I began inserting sticky notes where a good idea or a memorable quote needed to be easily accessible and quickly learned that this was absurd. Better to contemplate the philosophy and try to remember the points that the author makes so clear using history and present day attitudes.
I look forward to the next 8 chapters! and the discussion Jan. 28, 7pm.
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Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: non-fiction
I learned about this book from the goodreads Green Group, and Bill McKibben gave it this blurb: "Try reading this book one chapter a day--it is worth allowing this subversive message to sink slowly in so it has a chance of changing your life."
I've learned that the Slow Movement has its own website: http://www.slowmovement.com/
And the author of the book, Carl Honoré, has a TED talk from 2005: http://www.ted.com/talks/carl_honore_...
And his own website: http://www.carlhonore.com/
The book is an important look at the addiction to "fastness" in the developed world. Honoré discusses "slowness" in relation to food, cities, mind/body, medicine, sex, work, leisure, and children. Each chapter reiterates that slowness enriches and deepens our lives.
The opening citation is from Gandhi: "There is more to life than increasing its speed." Some other quotations that stayed with me are:
p. 33 "It's hard to think about the fact that we're going to die; it's unpleasant, so we constantly seek ways to distract ourselves from the awareness of our own mortality. Speed, with the sensory rush it gives, is one strategy for distraction." (Mark Kingwell, professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto)
I had to smile at these words from Plautus, the Roman playwright, in 200 BCE:
"The God confound the man who first found out
How to distinguish the hours--confound him, too,
Who in this place set up a sundial
To cut and hack my days so wretchedly
Into small pieces!...
I can't even sit down to eat unless the sun gives leave,
The town's so full of these confounded dials..."
I really liked his discussion of how clocks and watches make us their slaves. He makes excellent points in each of the sections, moving into areas such as alternative medicine, yoga, and meditation. He himself sees them as valuable tools for slowing us down, but does not attach a spiritual component, which I appreciated.
The most touching chapter was the one on children, titled "Raising an Unhurried Child." The segment on reading bedtime stories to his son was such a great personal example of what can happen when we stop all the hurrying.
I was glad to find this book, which I probably would not have chosen on my own.
Thanks, Patty :-) I'm enjoying my re-read and wish I could be there for the discussion, but that night driving just doesn't work for me now.I'm noticing some more of his examples that I will add here--I like how he backs up his ideas with so many references, but that's why it's best to read a chapter a day!
Stay warm, everyone!
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4 of 5 stars
This was probably one of the best self-help type books I've actually ever read from cover to cover...a good introduction and a great resource list at the end besides the facts, interviews, examples, and encouraging conclusions in between. I think that even the calmest person could relate to some of Honore's examples of our obsession with speed and saving time.
The idea that being in nature gives us time to think and that communities are planning the urban landscapes to encourage people to drive less and walk more is beginning to catch on. And parents are lightening not just their work and free time activities to spend more time to do things like cook a meal from scratch but they are freeing up their children's schedule as well so that the family could sit down (without the television) for dinner together. The fact that classical music is played at a faster tempo now than when the composer wrote it was so interesting. A musician in Tempo Giusto contends, "It is stupid to drink a glass of wine quickly. And it is stupid to play Mozart too fast."
I think it is important to savor each chapter of this thought provoking read. Look at how it applies to your life and not be tormented by details that you might not agree with or that you can't see working in the real world. The author explains that, "the central tenet of the Slow philosophy is taking the time to do things properly and thereby enjoying them more. Whatever its effect on the economic balance sheet, the Slow philosophy delivers the things that really make us happy: good health, a thriving environment, strong communities and relationships, free from perpetual hurry." I know I can do better and this author helped remind me that contemplating a good read is an excellant way of slowing down.
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I started my Steinbeck book, Winter of Our Discontent, which is wonderful.. Excited to find out what other people will be reading.
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I do not read much non-fiction as I am always afraid it will be boring. In this case my fears were unfounded. This book is interesting, informative, thought provoking and affirming. I generally consider myself to be a person who rushes around too much but upon reading this novel, I discovered I am "slower" than I would have anticipated. I subscribe to many of the slow principles Honore describes in the book. I could always achieve a higher level of slowness and I do aspire to that. I love all the history he includes and enjoy the way he promotes slowness without being preachy about it. He offers himself as an example of someone who fails and succeeds in living a slow life. His honesty and understanding make his recommendations more palatable to those who are still feeling the pressure to live at breakneck speed.
