How to Do Nothing

Imagine Braiding Sweetgrass was written by an annoying Californian yuppie and that’s this book. I’m glad I read it. It has a lot of good ideas and it challenged me to think about how social media and my internet use affect my life, which is what made me pick up the book in the first place.

However, it would have been a lot more effective if she had trimmed a few hundred pages of fat and just gotten to the point. Overall, though, still a good read. 

The main thesis is against consumerism, optimization, productivity and utility. Intentionally or not, my experience of the book embodied those principles: most of the times I was lost in thought or had already forgotten what the original argumentative line was; I was strolling around an unkept park of ideas. I wasn't expecting so much of the book to focus o the praise of specific artists, the blessings of bird watching, and Oakland.

A lot of the commentary is written like in-the-weeds literary criticism, which I think is a bit unapproachable for people not used to speaking in highly abstract concepts and so many analogies, metaphors and metonymies. Not a book for me, I guess maybe because I need some prior "manifest dismantling" of my ideals on how books ought to be written.

My rating is definitely influenced by the fact that the book delivered something else than I was expecting. That wouldn't be necessarily bad, but I didn't find the actual content that interesting.

Not a “self-help” book, it is a call to action. There were some pretty good ideas in there, and helpful references/anecdotes.

This is a good book that helps to reframe my thinking around what I owe the world for productivity. Combined with Chokepoint Capitalism these books are helping give me a worldview with less obligation to churn out, to colonize, to produce, to give attention to the things of modern life. Choosing to live my boring life at whatever speed I desire regardless of how much ROI that generates is a fine goal in itself.

It is a bit slow going, which should shock absolutely no one. I did enjoy it and found it quite valuable and relaxing. Unlike the aforementioned book, this one did not leave my blood boiling so in a way it can be considered a spiritual antidote.

An artist's perspective on the commodification of attention and potential paths of resistance by seeking a deeper connection to the local environment.

This book made me realize how much of my value was predicated on my productivity. I had no idea how much of my thinking was appropriated by capitalism. While reading this book, I’ve started to notice the birds that live around me and the kinds of trees that grow in the park. It made me aware of things that have always been there.

It inspired me to put my attention on things that truly matter.

A fantastic work of cultural critique with some deep ecology thrown in to fill the void where apps used to be. It gets a little unfocused near the end, but the fist 75% is so good. It provides an excellent overview on generative refusal, amateur ecology, and community connectedness presented from the point of view of a tech enthusiast turned bird-watcher.