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.' Dominic West'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

The author of How to Be Idle, Tom Hodgkinson, now shares his delightfully irreverent musings on what true independence means and what it takes to be free. The Freedom Manifesto draws on French existentialists, British punks, beat poets, hippies and yippies, medieval thinkers, and anarchists to provide a new, simple, joyful blueprint for modern living. From growing your own vegetables to canceling your credit cards to reading Jean-Paul Sartre, here are excellent suggestions for nourishing mind, body, and spirit—witty, provocative, sometimes outrageous, yet eminently sage advice for breaking with convention and living an uncluttered, unfettered, and therefore happier, life.

From long lunches to the art of the nap—all the inspiration you need to take a break from your fast-paced, overworked life.Yearning for a life of leisure? In twenty-four chapters representing each hour of a typical working day, this book will coax out the loafer in even the most diligent and schedule-obsessed worker.From the founding editor of the celebrated magazine about the freedom and fine art of doing nothing, The Idler, comes not simply a book, but an antidote to our work-obsessed culture. In How to Be Idle, Hodgkinson presents his learned yet whimsical argument for a new, universal standard of living: being happy doing nothing. He covers a whole spectrum of issues affecting the modern idler—sleep, work, pleasure, relationships—bemoaning the cultural skepticism of idleness while reflecting on the writing of such famous apologists for it as Oscar Wilde, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Johnson, and Nietzsche—all of whom have admitted to doing their very best work in bed.It''s a well-known fact that Europeans spend fewer hours at work a week than Americans. So it''s only befitting that one of them—the very clever, extremely engaging, and quite hilarious Tom Hodgkinson—should have the wittiest and most useful insights into the fun and nature of being idle."In this beguiling book, [Hodgkinson] persuasively advocates idleness as the way to gain access to the creativity of the subconscious mind, or at least to enjoy a few beers." —The Spectator"Irresistible . . . a true literary gem." —USA Today"Excellent." —The New York Times Book Review"A joyful tribute to how we could live." —The Providence Journal

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.

A MANIFESTO FOR A LIBERATED LIFEModern 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' Knave'As a follow-up to his charming How to be Idle, Tom Hodgkinson offers nothing less than a manifesto of resistance to the modern world' Guardian

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.

How to be Idle is Tom Hodgkinson's entertaining guide to reclaiming your right to be idle.As Oscar Wilde said, doing nothing is hard work. The Protestant 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. From Tom Hodgkinson, editor of the Idler, comes How to be Idle, an antidote to the work-obsessed culture which puts so many obstacles between ourselves and our dreams. 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 may affect the modern idler - sleep, the world of work, pleasure and hedonism, relationships, bohemian living, revolution - he draws on the writings of such well-known apologists for idleness as Dr Johnson, Oscar Wilde, Robert Louis Stevenson and Nietzsche. His message is clear: take control of your life and reclaim 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 Times'In his life and in this book the author is 100 per cent on the side of the angels' Literary Review'The book is so stuffed with wisdom and so stuffed with good jokes that I raced through it like a speed freak' Independent 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'.

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.

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 opened the Idler Academy in London, an independent bookshop, coffeehouse and cultural centre which offers online and real-world courses in everything from philosophy and calligraphy to business skills and self-defence.

'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.

'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.

'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.' Dominic West'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.

24 witty essays channelling the ancient wisdom of Socrates for the modern age.It was Socrates who asked the question we’re still trying to answer today: what does it mean to live a good and meaningful life? Tom Hodgkinson, the noted bon viveur and the bestselling author of How to Be Idle, looks to the life of this elusive and maddening philosopher to channel ancient wisdom for the modern age. He learns how to learn to love wisdom, annoy everyone and avoid politics – just like the great thinker himself. This witty and breezy book is filled with eye-popping stories from the life of Socrates and his cohort in Ancient Athens, structured around Hodgkinson’s own experience of putting Socrates’ lessons into practice as a lifelong idler, seeker of wisdom and entrepreneur.From Socrates we can learn to love regardless of gender, to fight furiously with our families, live simply, learn to dance, and face death cheerfully.

The Book of Idle Pleasures is a restorative gift book for the stressed out, tired and hassled. An antidote to our non-stop culture, it is a welcome compendium of timeless delights. The book lists and reflects on 75 simple pastimes and proves that the best things in life really are free: lighting fires, skimming stones, catching falling leaves, whittling, staring out of the window, dreaming, doodling or taking a nap. The Book of Idle Pleasures is a celebration of pleasure for its own sake in a world of consumer overload.