Tom Hodgkinson – författare

'The inestimable Tom Hodgkinson once again contributes to our collective calm with this perfectly judged collection of philosophy.' Emma Thompson 'A great guide to philosophy and big ideas... it made me laugh out loud. It’s such a cheerful book, I read it in one go (well... two) and emerged refreshed and nourished.' Dominic West'He knows that play is one of the best teachers, and this treatise on Stoicism is illuminating, engaging, informative and highly accessible' Irvine WelshThere’s more to Stoicism than shrugging your shoulders and getting on with it, as Tom Hodgkinson discovers in this witty and enlightening book.Stoicism is an enduring and ancient philosophy that can help you with everything from love and politics to money and spirituality. The Stoics were celebrated by the Romans, they influenced Christianity and even Shakespeare admired them. Today, both therapists and politicians will profess adherence to the Stoic creed. The “serenity prayer” is a Stoic statement. The Beatles’ “Let it Be” is a Stoic song.Tom Hodgkinson, author of bestselling How to Be Idle, goes back to the original philosophical texts and looks at the greatest Stoics in history – including Seneca, Cicero, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and St Augustine – to see if they can help us find fulfilment. He discovers that Stoicism is much stranger and more radical than you’d think. With witty reflections on everything from ethics, grammar, rhetoric, education, friendship and the importance of occasionally letting your hair down, Tom Hodgkinson shares his genuinely funny and brilliant guide to the Stoic life.

Meet Rupert Sheldrake, how to free your time, medieval carvings, Stewart Lee, sheds, beer and more

How to be Idle is Tom Hodgkinson's brilliant guide to reclaiming your right to be idle'Well written, funny and with a scholarly knowledge of the literature of laziness, it is both a book to be enjoyed at leisure and to change lives' Sunday TimesAs Oscar Wilde said, doing nothing is hard work. A burn-out work ethic has most of us in its thrall, and the idlers of this world have the odds stacked against them. But here, at last, is a book that can help. Hodgkinson presents us with a laid-back argument for a new contract between routine and chaos, an argument for experiencing life to the full and living in the moment. Ranging across a host of issues that affect the modern idler:-Sleep-Work-Pleasure and hedonism -Relationships-Bohemian living-Revolution Drawing on the writings of such well-known apologists for idleness as Oscar Wilde, Robert Louis Stevenson and Nietzsche, his message is clear: take control of your life and reclaim your right to be idle.

How to be Free is Tom Hodgkinson's manifesto for a liberated life.Modern life is absurd. How can we be free?If you've ever wondered why you bother to go to work, or why so much consumer culture is crap, then this book is for you. Looking to history, literature and philosophy for inspiration, Tom Hodgkinson provides a joyful blueprint for a simpler and freer way of life. Filled with practical tips as well as inspiring reflections, here you can learn how to throw off the shackles of anxiety, bureaucracy, debt, governments, housework, supermarkets, waste and much else besides.Are you ready to be free? Read this book and find out.'One of the most provocatively entertaining, creatively subversive and, frankly, essential manifestoes of this or any moment' Time Out'Crammed with laugh-out-loud jokes and witty put-downs . . . acts as a survival guide for everything from the government to housework. Random in its details, essential in its advice' KnaveAs a follow-up to his charming How to be Idle, Tom Hodgkinson offers nothing less than a manifesto of resistance to the modern world' GuardianTom Hodgkinson is the founder and editor of The Idler and the author of How to be Idle, How to be Free, The Idle Parent and Brave Old World. In spring 2011 he founded The Idler Academy in London, a bookshop, coffeehouse and cultural centre which hosts literary events and offers courses in academic and practical subjects - from Latin to embroidery. Its motto is 'Liberty through Education'. Find out more at www.idler.co.uk.

The Idle Parent is Tom Hodgkinson's radical parenting remedy against stifled, mollycoddled children.Modern life is wrecking childhood. Why can't we just leave our kids alone?If you've ever wondered why so many of today's children are unhappy, spoilt, stressed and selfish, then the answers and the remedy are to be found in The Idle Parent. Tom Hodgkinson wants us to leave our kids be, to give them the space and time to grow into self-reliant, confident, inquisitive, happy and free people. Full of practical tips of what to do and (more importantly) what not to do, Tom will not only help your kids be happier, but also help you, their parents, live happier and more fulfilled lives. 'Wise, practical, funny, personal, it will make you a much better parent' Oliver James'An inspiring book, genuinely subversive. Time to put away "silly adult things" and embrace childhood in all its messy glory' London Lite'A recipe for bright, happy people with need of neither television nor shrink. Who could ask for more?' Evening Standard'An original, thought-provoking book' Toby Young, Mail on SundayTom Hodgkinson is the founder and editor of The Idler and the author of How to be Idle, How to be Free, The Idle Parent and Brave Old World. In spring 2011 he founded The Idler Academy in London, a bookshop, coffeehouse and cultural centre which hosts literary events and offers courses in academic and practical subjects - from Latin to embroidery. Its motto is 'Liberty through Education'. Find out more at www.idler.co.uk.

Everyone should work for themselves. But don't cashflow forecasts, tax returns and P&Ls all sound a bit of a faff?Fear not: help is at hand. In Business for Bohemians, Tom Hodgkinson combines practical advice with laugh-out-loud anecdote to create a refreshingly candid guidebook for all of us who aspire to a greater degree of freedom in our working lives. Whether you dream of launching your own startup or profiting from your creativity in your spare time, Business for Bohemians will equip you with the tools to turn your talents into a profitable and enjoyable business. Accounting need no longer be a dark art. You will become au fait with business plans and a friend of the spreadsheet. You will discover that laziness can be a virtue. Above all, you will realise that freedom from the nine-to-five life is achievable - and, with Hodgkinson's comforting, pragmatic and extremely funny advice at hand, you might even enjoy yourself along the way.Tom Hodgkinson is the founder and editor of The Idler and the bestselling author of How to be Idle, How to be Free, The Idle Parent and Brave Old World. In 2011 he and his partner Victoria launched the Idler Academy of Philosophy, Husbandry and Merriment, a business which offers online and real-world courses in the liberal arts and practical skills, from philosophy and ukulele to business skills and singing.

The Idler is a literary and philosophical lifestyle periodical edited by Tom Hodgkinson. This instalment features an interview with Jarvis Cocker about his memoir Good Pop Bad Pop, a guide to mudlarking, Arthur Smith in praise of teachers, Kate Rew on the history of outdoor swimming, Stewart Lee's music picks and more

The inspiring life of punk priestess Gina Birch, shocking tales from the Cynics of ancient Athens, Arthur Smith's best benches, joys of the e-bike, astrology in Middle Ages, plus sheds, beer, beekeeping and Stewart Lee's pop picks

Here is issue 87 of Tom Hodgkinson's essential magazine for good living. Meet Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, discover why Socrates was cynical about politics, and learn about the idling academies of 17th century Naples.

The cheering journal of merry philosophy, featuring Richard Coles on his new life by the sea, plus Virginia Ironside, Stewart Lee, Ukrainian fashion, Modern Toss and more

Idler 89 features pop's never-quite-made-it, the enigmatic Lawrence, in conversation with Will Hodgkinson. Plus David Graeber on pirate politics, world's best job survey, problems with Virginia Ironside, recipes with Lindey Bareham and music with Stewart Lee

Learn how to smash big tech with Cory Doctorow, plus why you don't need to worry about AI, Cath Kidston's new venture, Stewart Lee's music picks, Murray Lachlan Young and more

In which Will Hodgkinson meets Arthur Brown, the God of Hellfire; Stephen Bayley attacks the idea of fun; we look at the surprising history of the chaise longue, and visit Britain after the Romans left (it was wild and free). Plus Georgia Mann, Stewart Lee, Virginia Ironside, Peter York and how to spot a psycho.