Laziness Does Not Exist

This was a wonderful book. It goes into the history of what they call the Laziness Lie, this American belief that your worth it tied to your output as a worker and that ever not giving 110% (even when your body is screaming for you to do so) is lazy and a sin.

In addition to taking us down memory lane to discover where this stupid lie came from (cough puritan religious beliefs and the need to convince slaves to work when they are not paid to do so cough), but it also provides some great examples of people who bought into this lie and what happened to them, their health and their relationships (Spoiler: It's not good).

The book also provide steps you can take to combat this lie and examples of how you can care for yourself and others to avoid the inevitable burnout that this kind of thinking leads to eventually. Overall an absolutely fabulous book!

It's hard to rate this book, If I had to I think it would be a 2-3.
I think the points that this book talks about are mostly good. We do live in society that is overworked, burnt out, broke, and a norm that productive/Hussle is a value.
It's a good book on these points - but it is looooong. It is stretched out so that the points really kinda dilute themselves. BUT i feel like if you are a workaholic then this book might be worth the length, if you are already on board with lazy doesn't equal bad. Then this book will offer less to you.

Capitalism is bad, mm'kay? There were a lot of Ah Ha moments for me in this book and I'd recommend it to anyone that lives in the world that we live in or is indoctrinated in hustle culture.

I think anyone in the workforce in the US will find the author speaking to them in this book somewhere. I highly recommend for people struggling with work in various ways to pick this up.

Are you excelling at work but exhausted at home? Do you worry you're letting people down or seem unambitious by saying no? Do you feel impossibly behind, no matter how much you get done? Do you blame yourself for not having the energy or time management skills to do more?

Do you put off starting tasks until you can do them to your perfectionistic standards? Do you create work out of thin air, then resent others for not appreciating things they never asked for? Do you extend compassion and understanding to everyone but yourself? Should I stop asking questions?

If you relate to any of the above, pick up Laziness Does Not Exist. It is an affirming and validating read that lets you off the hook for being a human being instead of a machine.

This is my kind of self-help. Not too preachy. Research-based. Offers concrete ideas and solutions to the issues it describes. But also, Dr. Price clearly acknowledges the impact of structural factors, so not all onus is placed on individuals to overcome or opt out of forces far bigger than any one of us. Instead, the focus is on what is in our control, and on asking yourself questions about your current obligations and lifestyle.

Laziness Does Not Exist emphasizes asking yourself what you need and asking others what they need, in a way that feels direct and honest, instead of corny and strange. It breaks down academic/feminist concepts about household labor like the second shift, social reproduction, and the mental load to be accessible. It looks at how unlearning judgmental stereotypes about mental illness, addiction, and homelessness can in turn help us stop judging ourselves, because compassion for others begets self-compassion. It's a pretty beautiful and useful read.

I can't say enough good things about this book, or stop recommending it to burnt out friends. It's a standout in its genre. I really enjoyed Em Grosland's audiobook narration, too. I even liked the boppy intro/outro music. Read it!