The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed and Overworked- 21st Century Edition

This book is a real gem, full of helpful and inspiring stories, anticdotes and witticisms that encourage, humor and provoke. I recommend this book not only for those who are out of work due to: unemployment, retirement or other circumstances, but anyone else who truly questions what the day to day business of living is all about.

Truly an enjoyable and inspiring read!


Living every moment of your life   February 7, 2004
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

If your feeling over-worked, under-worked, bored, unsure, tired, depressed- whatever your feeling, Ernie Zelinski just might be able to get you to take a step back. This book is a wake up call to the way our society has been valuing work.
The Joy of Not Working is NOT about being a bum, it's about being your best if that's not what you're doing RIGHT NOW.
It's about living every moment of your life, NOT about saving up for someday when you plan to...
I have described what it is NOT, and now you can go find out what it IS. I wish you all the best.


OK, but Loses a Star in the Canadian-to-US Exchange Rate   February 6, 2004
 9 out of 13 found this review helpful

The biggest liability this book has for many still-working American readers is the fact that Americans _must_ work in order to have health insurance. Canada has some sort of 'safety net' free healthcare, making the idea of getting out of the corporate rat race (Whoops! That's offensive to rats - read the book :-) much more of a potential reality for a very wide audience of Canadian readers.

However, as the author points out in an exercise in the book, it is wrong to just come up with one negative comment on an idea and leave it at that. The book's lack of acknowledgement that Americans must work to get health insurance is a substantial flaw, but does not negate the basic points: people are sacrificing leisure for work, in order to buy bigger houses, cars, etc. Or put in a familiar way: 'People buy things they can't afford, to impress people they don't like.' The author is justifiably incedulous to this M.O. that so much of society embraces without question. The author understandably speaks to this issue often, but unfortunately does get on a soapbox at times, making sometimes repetitive arguements.

Note, though, the above comments don't apply for retirees who have retired but find that they end up going back to work because they don't have a clue what to do with themselves. The portions of the book that speak to this issue are the ones that truly shine, most notably his 'thought map' for building a life of leisure, based on different categories of leisure activities.

I would definitely recommend this book to Americans at or near retirement age; still-working Americans might be better off talking this book out of the library. Maybe the book "Your Money or Your Life," recommended by other reviewers, addresses the health insurance issue for us poor Yanks, which, unfortunately, makes the idea of quitting one's dead-end job a non-starter for most Americans.


Announcing "Dr. Leisure's" Prescription for the Good Life   February 1, 2004
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

+++++

This practical, reliable, and many times humorous guide (first published in 1991) helps you to create a paradise away from the workplace whether you're retired, unemployed, overworked, or just want to alter your lifestyle for the better. But to attain this paradise requires knowing certain principles and these are found in this book.

What makes Canadian author Ernie Zelinski, who has an Engineering degree and M.B.A., an expert in this matter? He was fired from his job at age 29 for taking an unapproved extended vacation. For the next two years, he decided to make his purpose in life happiness without a job. This happiness was attained through leisure and he now calls himself "Doctor of Leisure."

So what will you find in this book? Zelinski explains, "I will share my thoughts about leisure along with a number of my experiences. To give a much broader perspective to leisure, I am not drawing only on my own experiences. A greater part of this book is the result of studying and listening to stories, experiences, and aspirations of other people...This book's format encompasses text, exercises, cartoons, diagrams, and quotations to appeal to the many learning styles that individuals have."

Another aspect of this book is the inclusion of letters from readers. They describe how this book helped them to have a more exciting and rewarding life.

This book is jam-packed with useful information. Here are just ten examples of that information:

(1) "Success in life's adventures doesn't come from having a huge advantage over others...the key is to acknowledge your own talents and use them."

(2) "Your ability to enjoy leisure time will be determined by how much you have been able to avoid being brainwashed by mainstream society."

(3) "This is the North American way: the majority view work with such respect that they boast how many hours a day they work...They have become martyrs, giving up the opportunity for self-actualization [through leisure] in return for the priviledge of slaving [in the workplace], which primarily benefits the company rather than themselves."

(4) "There is the common feeling that getting one's financial state in order will put the individual's other needs in order. [Studies have confirmed that] the opposite is frequently true."

(5) "A concept involving a career of leisure will go against many of your friends' or aquaintances' instilled values. Ignore any negative comments that they make...these comments come from mediocre or small minds."

(6) "If you want your life to be boring, then conform and be dull; if you want your life to be interesting and exciting, then be different."

(7) "One of life's most difficult processes is discovering what we really want as individuals...most of us don't know what we really want because we haven't taken the time to find out [since we're so busy working for money]. Societal standards have become more important than our own unique needs."

(8) "If your leisure repetoire doesn't include a good balance of passive and active activities, chances are you are not going to be very happy."

(9) "Happiness is a product of achieving goals, but not a goal in itself."

(10) "Leisure provides unlimited opportunities for growth and satisfaction."

Finally, after you read this book, I then recommend reading "Your Money or Your Life" by Dominguez and Robin. This book develops some of the ideas mentioned in Zelinski's book. I also recommend the play and any movie version of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" (1949).

In conclusion, take "Dr. Leisure's" step-wise prescription for the good life. Step number one: read his fascinating book!!

+++++



Getting the Most Out of Your Life   January 27, 2004
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I found The Joy of Not Working a fantastic read. It is full of advice, stories and excercises on bettering the quality of your life. It focuses on valuing your time - nurturing interests and talents that may have been ignored because of society's focus on working hard to make a lot of money. It is inspiring and talks about such topics as: putting money in perspective, getting the most out of your spare time, finding out what is really important to you, enjoying your own company, introspection, not wasting time worrying, along with many other topics. I highly recommend this book for those who feel a bit empty about what mainstream society deems important in life and want to search for a more meaningful life.