Product Description

The Art of Doing Nothing
Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself

A culture of overachievers, we make things happen--and happen fast. While rushing along, though, the days seem to get shorter and shorter. If only time would hold still, just a little bit, to let us savor life's simplest moments. . . .
The Art of Doing Nothing will help to ease these beat-the-clock jitters. The stress-reducing techniques described here require no time, no skill, no commitment. A practical guide to rest and relaxation, it ushers us into a world where "being" is more compelling than "doing."

Beautifully illustrated with Erica Lennard's photographs, The Art of Doing Nothing gives us permission to celebrate idleness in all its mesmerizing forms. Véronique Vienne's delightfully informative essays on the art of breathing, meditating, bathing, listening, waiting, and more offer useful tips on such skills as how to whistle, stay in the moment, take a nap, cure a cold, or watch the sun set over the horizon. Without further ado--and without feeling guilty--we learn to unwind, exhale, and, yes, stop and smell the roses.

Like Ira Gershwin, you will be delighted to discover that you've got plenty of nothin', and that nothin's plenty for you.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #172547 in Books
• Published on: 1998-08-25
• Released on: 1998-08-25
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 96 pages

Amazon.com
Much more than merely a book about nothing, this is a concentrated guide to cultivating a sense of serenity. Simple living expert Sarah Ban Breathnach calls it a "charming prescription for harried hearts and overwrought minds" that's "filled with persuasive reminders that we do too much and live too little." From its bits of well-taken wisdom ("Learn to say, 'I don't know,'"), to tranquil seaside photos, to little lessons on how to meditate, procrastinate, even turn a bath or wine tasting into intensely spiritual experiences, The Art of Doing Nothing is bound to help even the most high-strung, PalmPilot-toting folks remember exactly how it feels to fully relax. --Erica Jorgensen

Inside Flap Copy
The Art of Doing Nothing
Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself

A culture of overachievers, we make things happen--and happen fast. While rushing along, though, the days seem to get shorter and shorter. If only time would hold still, just a little bit, to let us savor life's simplest moments. . . .
The Art of Doing Nothing will help to ease these beat-the-clock jitters. The stress-reducing techniques described here require no time, no skill, no commitment. A practical guide to rest and relaxation, it ushers us into a world where "being" is more compelling than "doing."

Beautifully illustrated with Erica Lennard's photographs, The Art of Doing Nothing gives us permission to celebrate idleness in all its mesmerizing forms. Véronique Vienne's delightfully informative essays on the art of breathing, meditating, bathing, listening, waiting, and more offer useful tips on such skills as how to whistle, stay in the moment, take a nap, cure a cold, or watch the sun set over the horizon. Without further ado--and without feeling guilty--we learn to unwind, exhale, and, yes, stop and smell the roses.

Like Ira Gershwin, you will be delighted to discover that you've got plenty of nothin', and that nothin's plenty for you.

From the Back Cover
"Feeling frazzled? Stop whatever you're doing and peruse, as needed, The Art of Doing Nothing, Véronique Vienne's charming Rx for harried hearts and overwrought minds. Sweet, seductive, and sassy, her winsome imagination and irresistible wisdom are persuasive reminders that we do too much and live too little."
--Sarah Ban Breathnach,
author of Simple Abundance

Customer Reviews

I loved this book
This book has lots of great information in it. It really makes you start thinking about how you are living your life. Are you rushing through it? Or, are you enjoying it? Highly recommended for all.

Excellent handy guides for the time-pressed, over-achieving generation!
Instinctively, I picked up these two small but wonderful books while browsing the local bookstores during one weekend:

1. The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourtself, by Veronique Vieene;
2. The Art of Napping, by William Anthony;

Ever since I have read Jeff Davidson's Breathing Space: Living & Working @ a Confortable Space in a Sped Up Society, many years ago, I have always valued - & benefitted tremendously from - the power of time-out. In a world where the future is hurtling at breakneck speed with hurricane-force changes, all of us must learn to do some time-outs!

Donald Mitchell's earlier review sums up very much my sentiments about the first book.

As for the second book, which is also equally lighthearted & humourously illustrated, I find myself amused & entertained by the author's introduction to a napaphobic culture. In a nutshell, these are his fun stuff:

- profiles in napping (stories of legendary nappers, including JFK, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edision, Napoleon Bonaparte, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan!);
- napping strategies (noice to advanced levels);
- nap management (getting the most from your naps);
- the future of napping;

In some way, this book reinforces the chapter on 'The Art of Napping' in the first book. While the first book is beautifully illustrated by the co-author's photographs, the second book has several funny & bone-tickling cartoons.

To sum up my review, I want to say that these two books (plus, Jeff Davidson's book)are excellent handy guides for the time-pressed, over-achieving generation.

The Art of Using a Thesaurus
The author makes a pointed effort of using a tiring collection of little used eight letter words...in combination. End result: endless, rambling sentences. The content is quite dull and uninspiring. Exasperating considering I expected this piece to be a beautiful, pleasant read. To follow the author's recommendation, one must reside near a surplus of speciality and gourmet shops. For those of us in the middle to lower economic range, try a fragrant bubble bath from a local dollar store, lock yourself in the bathroom and listen to music.
The photographer is to be commended for her artistic talent. Although, as a heterosexual female, I would have much prefered a picture of a naked man floating in a pond to that of a naked woman!
The Art of Doing Nothing is worth...nothing. Not your time nor your money.