How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

Originally trained as a visual artist, Jenny Odell has established herself over the last year as a writer and podcaster with her excellent podcast series, Hurry slowly. Published in April 2019, her book has been described by the New York Times reviewer Jonah Engel Bromwich as a A Manifesto for Opting Out of an Internet-Dominated World, which seems like an especially challenging proposal during a pandemic. If you’re struggling with a sense of futility or anxiety over your productiveness right now, this is a great book to read and reflect on. In Odell’s own words, “every action doesn’t need to have a deliverable. Activities that can’t be optimized — listening to another person, taking care of ourselves, contemplating a new idea — and why truly taking time to pay attention to the little things is an act of resistance.”

Correction: this episode credits Odell as the host of of the podcast Hurry Slowly, but in fact the host of that podcast is Jocelyn K. Glei. Odell appears on the podcast as a guest.

Goodreads details: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45729738

Episode music: Caprese by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue).