From the Publisher
In the tradition of such trailblazing books as No
Logo and The Tipping Point, In
Praise of Slow heralds a growing international movement of
people dedicated to slowing down the pace of our contemporary times
and enjoying a richer, fuller life as a result.
These days, almost everyone complains about the hectic pace of
their lives. We live in a world where speed rules and everyone is
under pressure to go faster. But when speed is king, anyone or
anything that gets in our way, that slows us down, becomes an
enemy. Thanks to speed, we are living in the age of rage.
Carl Honore has discovered a movement that is quickly working its
way into the mainstream. Groups of people are developing a recipe
for living better in a fast-paced, modern environment by striving
for a new balance between fast and slow. In an entertaining and
hands-on investigation of this new movement, Honore takes us from a
Tantric sex workshop in a trendy neighbourhood in London, England
to Bra, Italy, the home of the Slow Food, Slow Cities and Slow Sex
movements. He examines how we can continue to live productive lives
by embracing the tenets of the slow movement.
A challenging take on the cult of speed, as well as a corrective
look at how we can approach our lives with new understanding,
In Praise of Slow uncovers a movement whose time
has come.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Jacket
"The No Logo of its age…. Strangely enthralling,
an epiphany for those of us who have forgotten how to look forward
to things or enjoy the moment when it arrives."
-The Herald (UK)
"Honoré is particularly good at detailing the addictive properties
and vagaries of speed, and its ill effects on individuals and
society, including himself."
-The Globe and Mail
"It's about time someone took issue with the underlying mentality
that sets our daily metronome.... Those who savour this hopeful
book one chapter at a time will be the biggest winners. It's
seductively crafted in this way ... measuring out its subversive
but ultimately healing message."
-Edmonton Journal
"Honoré offers compelling evidence that suggests controlling your
own tempo of life is not only a healthier and happier alternative,
but leads to a more rewarding and productive lifestyle."
-Toronto Star
"Life is getting faster, no doubt about it. We rush everything: we
eat fast food, have quickie sex, drive like maniacs, and compete
hard for fast-paced jobs. We wish to slow down and slack off, but
we're afraid we'll fail... A London-based journalist, Honoré shows
us the benefits of slowness, with chapters on food, transportation,
meditation and exercise, medicine, sex, work, and parenting…. This
book presents ideas and resources that will be new to most readers
and is recommended for both public and academic libraries."
-Library Journal Review
"A former 'speedaholic,' an award-winning Canadian journalist
advocates living a slower, more measured existence, in virtually
every area, a philosophy he defines as 'balance.' The author
explores, in convincing and skillful prose, a quiet revolution
known as 'the slow movement,' which is attempting to integrate the
advances of the information age into a lifestyle that is marked by
an 'inner slowness' that gives more depth to relationships with
others and with oneself. For the overprogrammed and stressed, slow
and steady may win the race."
-Publisher's Weekly
"Honoré's engaging report should be embraced by those with
quality-of-life and environmental concerns."
-Booklist
"Try reading this book one chapter a day - it is worth allowing its
subversive message to sink slowly in so it has a chance of changing
your life."
-Bill McKibben, author of Enough: Staying Human in an
Engineered Age and The End of
Nature
"The speed of life borders on insanity for an increasing
number of us, and the price we pay is the erosion of our happiness
and health. If you sometimes feel engulfed by the mad pace of
modern life - and who doesn't? - Carl Honoré's In Praise of
Slow could prove life-saving."
-Larry Dossey, MD, Author: Healing Beyond the
Body and Reinventing Medicine
"In this terrific book, Carl Honoré gets to the heart of
what's ailing western industrial societies - our obsession with
productivity, speed and consumerism - but he doesn't stop with the
gloom and doom. Instead, he shows the way out, with inspiring
examples from the growing worldwide 'slow ' movement. Take the
time to read this important, excellently written book
- our future depends on the ideas it contains!"
-John de Graaf, co-author, Affluenza: The All-Consuming
Epidemic, and editor, Take Back Your Time
"It's about time someone insisted - in intelligent,
persuasive language - that we all put on the brakes, or at least
check the instruments on the dashboard. Through anecdote, statistic
and argument, Honoré wants to convert us to an atheism that is
opposed to this culture's mad theology of speed."
- Billy Collins, former US Poet Laureate
"Entrepreneur and slow may seem like oxymorons. However, taking the
time to read Carl Honoré'sIn Praise of
Slow may be the best decision an entrepreneur, or anyone
working full time, can make."
- Gary Erickson, Entrepreneur & CEO of Clif Bar Inc., and
Author of Raising the Bar
About the Author
Carl Honore is a Canadian journalist living in London, England. He
has written for The Globe and Mail, the National
Post, The Guardian and The Economist. While
researching this book in Italy, he was slapped with a speeding
ticket.
From the Hardcover edition.