Laziness Does Not Exist
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Laziness Does Not Exist Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 743 ratings

From social psychologist Dr. Devon Price, a conversational, stirring call to “a better, more human way to live” (Cal Newport, New York Times best-selling author) that examines the “laziness lie” - which falsely tells us we are not working or learning hard enough.

Extra-curricular activities. Honors classes. 60-hour work weeks. Side hustles.

Like many Americans, Dr. Devon Price believed that productivity was the best way to measure self-worth. Price was an overachiever from the start, graduating from both college and graduate school early, but that success came at a cost. After Price was diagnosed with a severe case of anemia and heart complications from overexertion, they were forced to examine the darker side of all this productivity.

Laziness Does Not Exist explores the psychological underpinnings of the “laziness lie,” including its origins from the Puritans and how it has continued to proliferate as digital work tools have blurred the boundaries between work and life. Using in-depth research, Price explains that people today do far more work than nearly any other humans in history, yet most of us often still feel we are not doing enough.

Filled with practical and accessible advice for overcoming society’s pressure to do more, and featuring interviews with researchers, consultants, and experiences from real people drowning in too much work, Laziness Does Not Exist “is the book we all need right now” (Caroline Dooner, author of The F*ck It Diet).

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Product details

Listening Length 7 hours and 50 minutes
Author Devon Price PhD
Narrator Em Grosland
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date January 05, 2021
Publisher Simon & Schuster Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B08D3Z8S5B
Best Sellers Rank #8,329 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#18 in Time Management (Audible Books & Originals)
#47 in Social Psychology
#51 in Personal Time Management

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
743 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2022
The writing style is conversational and easy to engage with. I'm really looking forward to reading more of Devon Price's work.
The topic is challenging and contemporary. I don't know anyone who has mastered overcoming the Laziness Lie yet, but I hope more people start perceiving the world as compassionately as Devon does.
17 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2022
Laziness does not exist.
This title was actually recommended to me by a friend. I had it in my Audible queue but like the mysterious morning dew, I hadn't felt the time was right until recently. Then, I was ready.
It's interesting, because to a very large part of me, the topic and experience of the author is completely foreign to me.
I don't know if it's spending so much time outside the US during my childhood, my autistic brain, or a combination of both. Probably both.
But the practice of sticking a morality on the productivity of a person is utterly ridiculous. And now we see exactly why. So many of the burned out people continue to run their bodies and minds into the ground in this post capitalist feudal society.
But taking a break, resting your body, resting your mind, your soul is IMPORTANT. In fact, as this book states, it's a survival instinct.
Yet why do so many US Americans feel like they're bad people, or not good enough, if they don't create any capital? Whether it's over working their bodies or trying to maintain that they have a perfect home, the obsession with perfection is incredible! It's also more than a bit insane. But it can be equally difficult for so trained a person to drop this "background program" of need to work. This book has real tips and ways to stop this line of thought and get yourself off your own back. I really recommend anyone who lives in the US or wants to understand the culture here to read this book.
10/10 recommend for US culture and values
49 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2023
I felt Dr. Price established a clear thesis and encouraged, gently and with compassion, how to be ok. Fantastic! A really great plan in a world where things can diminish our interest in ourselves or be able to remember that compassion is incredibly important in all interactions.
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023
In all of Dr. Price's books there is a part of note, sometimes many parts, where I cease reading the book. Mostly because it's at that point that the book starts reading me!

Please keep reading me for filth, I think it's making me a better person, Doc.
10 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2022
This book is so helpful to working your way out of artistic burn out. Or should I say resting your way out of burn out? My boomer mother and I are reading this book together. We are and learning a lot of protestant work BS. This book also helped me to finally break my Internet addiction and comment culture quicksand-like-addiction. I also highly recommend the book “unmasking autism” as well.
17 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2021
It does an okay job of outlining the issues of work and productivity culture in the US. The long anecdotes interspersed with light discussion of the scientific evidence makes for an easy and entertaining read. Some of the ideas presented are nonsensical, but if you are willing to look past those, it could be an interesting read for someone who has not read about these topics in the past.

It is written for an academic or white-collar office job worker. It would be worse than irrelevant to read as a blue-collar worker. It contains almost no actionable advice for either.

I investigated an organization repeatedly mentioned in the book as if it were an active community, but found only a long abandoned website that seems to have never been popular. The studies cited are often not from the same population that the author is trying to draw concussions about. Despite this, I still found that the book had thorough citations and made a compelling argument.

The content, style and perspective are reminiscent of popular feminist blogs.

I would not recommend this as a self-help book.
84 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2022
I loved the plethora of analogies and real-life examples. I, too, am an individual that worked herself almost to death in my 15 years of adulthood, 2 years ago, it fully blew up, leaving me with chronic illness and a life in shambles.

It's different when you know you're truly not alone, and the events that led to my seemingly permanent burn out and less-than-ideal health are a common foe for almost everybody.

I've become more aware, and much more compassionate towards myself after this read, and can not recommend it enough.

And there really is no rush, I read it in small pieces over the past 3 months, taking in a few small lessons at a time, and very much look forward to reading it again in the future.
25 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
Learned a lot and feel like this was a different take on self help books. I hope to apply some of these things to my daily life and decrease my anxiety and stress.

Top reviews from other countries

Jillian
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read highly recommend
Reviewed in Canada on June 6, 2022
This awesome book was recommended to me by my therapist and I'm so glad she did! I've found Dr. Devon Price's book to be very helpful in dismantling my own guilt surrounding rest and understanding why we feel so guilty taking the rest we NEED. I'm so glad he's sharing all of this information with the world because people truly need to slow down and unhook from constant productivity. Excited to read his latest book, Unmasking Autism next!
2 people found this helpful
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Deborah Pearson
5.0 out of 5 stars I have loved this book to distraction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2022
I am so moved by this book that I bought it for one of my most hard working friends. The ideas in it are somehow both radical and comforting, such an odd combination. I felt galvanised, challenged and soothed whenever I read it. I particularly love the research around “savouring.” I really can’t recommend it enough.
4 people found this helpful
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Friederike
5.0 out of 5 stars Quick read, evidence based, left me wondering my life
Reviewed in Germany on July 27, 2022
Good for anybody starting a full time job or stuck in a work place they dont like. Also good to re-evaluate what you are passionate about and want to spend your time with! They also have a really nice writing style and lots of examples!
4 people found this helpful
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Nowfel Yousef
5.0 out of 5 stars Triumph of 'Thinking the other way' process
Reviewed in India on October 10, 2021
Frankly, I was attracted to the title alone. The description gave a glimpse of what it is about, and I couldn't resist.

Clearly a topic for an open discussion with plenty of instances I believe most of us could personally directly relate and understand one of the biggest Lies of the Age.

Congratulations to Dr. Devon Price for conceptualizing this fabulous work.
One person found this helpful
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Danielle Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!
Reviewed in Australia on July 13, 2021
I've been following Dr. Price's social media content for a while and decided to purchase this recently. 5 stars for the content and the book. Delivery was a bit slow to my location but that's Book Depository/Amazon issue not publisher.