In Praise of Idleness
Bertrand Russell's In Praise of Idleness collects 15 essays the British philosopher and Nobel laureate published between 1928 and 1935, with the title essay first appearing in Harper's Magazine in 1932. The lead essay argues that the world should adopt a four-hour working day, that the cult of work is a hangover from a pre-industrial economy, and that civilization depends on free time for inquiry, art, and friendship. The remaining essays cover everything from architecture to fascism, with Russell's signature wry public-intellectual voice running throughout. The collection has stayed in print for almost a century and reads as fresh as anything written about work this decade.
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Bertrand Russell's 1932 collection of essays argues for a four-hour working day and a civilization built on the unproductive hours.
In Praise of Idleness is a 1932 essay by Bertrand Russell, often packaged with other Russell essays in a book of the same title. Russell was a philosopher, mathematician, and Nobel laureate in Literature in 1950.
In Praise of Idleness was published in 1932. It is in the public domain in some jurisdictions but not yet in others, depending on the rule applied to Russell's death year (1970). Free editions of the original essay are widely available.
In Praise of Idleness is 231 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, In Praise of Idleness takes most readers 3 to 5 hours to finish.
In Praise of Idleness is a standalone novel by Bertrand Russell, not part of a series.
In Praise of Idleness is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.