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In this scathing book, the author produced a landmark study of affluent American society that exposes, with brilliant ruthlessness, the habits of production and waste that link invidious business tactics and barbaric social behavior. Veblen's analysis of the evolutionary process sees greed as the overriding motive in the modern economy, and with an impartial gaze he examines the human cost paid when social institutions exploit the consumption of unessential...
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"In today's world, the leisure class has been replaced by a new elite. Highly educated and defined by cultural capital rather than income bracket, these individuals earnestly buy organic, carry NPR tote bags, and breast-feed their babies. They care about discreet, inconspicuous consumption--like eating free-range chicken and heirloom tomatoes, wearing organic cotton shirts and TOMS shoes, and listening to the Serial podcast. They use their purchasing...
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“We work,” Aristotle wrote, “in order to have leisure.” Today, this is still true. But is the leisure that Aristotle spoke of—the freedom to do nothing—the same as the leisure we look forward to each weekend? There have always been breaks from the routine of work—taboo days, market days, public festivals, holy days—we couldn't survive without them. In Waiting for the Weekend, Witold Rybczynski unfolds the history and evolution of leisure...
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Acquired Tastes, originally published as Expensive Habits, is a celebration of life's extravagances. It explores an aspect of human nature that, although dormant in hard economic times, is capable of erupting with the hint of good fortune and the drop of a credit card. It samples the luxuries of Havana cigars, Parisian hotels, bespoke London tailoring, and hand-made shoes; discusses the proper color for a stretch limousine; and weighs the cost versus...
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Travel industry experts report that more and more people are combining vacations with volunteer work-the growing phenomenon called "voluntourism." Professionals predict this will be a key growth area for years to come; the voluntourists themselves find it a rewarding activity, good for body and soul.
And nobody provides such a fun, inviting overview of the possibilities as savvy travel writer Pam Grout in the latest title in our 100 Best Vacations...
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"For millennia, idleness and laziness have been regarded as vices. We're all expected to work to survive and get ahead, and devoting energy to anything but labor and self-improvement can seem like a luxury or a moral failure. Far from questioning this conventional wisdom, modern philosophers have worked hard to develop new reasons to denigrate idleness. In Idleness, the first book to challenge modern philosophy's portrayal of inactivity, Brian O'Connor...
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Travel statistics say that baby boomers travel more than any other age group in America-and that an ever increasing number of them are looking for ways to spend their leisure time in substantial, meaningful ways. One especially fast-growing area of interest is the "experience-driven" or "wellness" vacation, a proactive approach based on the idea that true recreation involves positive engagement: acquiring a new skill or volunteering to share your...
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In an age of obsessive productivity and stress, this illustrated ode to idleness invites readers to explore the pleasures and possibilities of slowing down. Beloved author and illustrator Roman Muradov weaves together the words and stories of artists, writers, philosophers, and eccentrics who have pursued inspiration by doing less. He reveals that doing nothing is both easily achievable and absolutely essential to leading an enjoyable and creative...
Publisher
Kanopy Streaming
Pub. Date
2014.
Language
English
Description
This tells how Alton Towers launched Oblivion, the world's first vertical drop roller-coaster. Alton Towers has been successful in pulling in families, but is losing its thrill-seeking customers. Marketing staff hope Oblivion will change all that. Much of their 5m marketing budget goes on a TV advert campaign for the new ride. The advert has to be exciting enough to appeal to teenagers, but not so scary that it will put off families. They use public...
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Little Simon
Pub. Date
[2018]
Language
English
Description
Behold the armadillo, a cute and curious creature who follows his nose wherever it goes. Join him as he quietly travels the less-traveled road: he picks cranberries, stops and smells the flowers, takes a nap in the meadow, searches out the source of a beautiful melody, and at day's end passes an overeager hippo sprinting the other direction.
17) The layover
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"An unexpected tropical layover with her nemesis turns a flight attendant's life upside down in this witty, breezy debut romantic comedy about life--and love--30,000 feet above the ground"--
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In this wonderfully evocative volume, following the outstanding success of The Hornet's Nest, Christmas in Plains, and his classic, An Hour Before Daylight, Jimmy Carter shows us the things that matter most, the simple relaxed days and nights that he has enjoyed with family and friends through the years and across generations. Here are lively and witty accounts of exploring the outdoors with his father and with black playmates, making furniture and...
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Leaving the professional world doesn't mean losing your purpose: A guide to aging well and moving on to a fulfilling second act. You've had a successful career and you're no couch potato-but how do you make the transition to a new phase of your life? From one of the original creators of the popular Franklin Day Planner, the former Chairman and CEO of Franklin Covey Co., and the recognized "Father of Time Management," this guide shows you how you can...
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"A meditation on the value of daydreaming and ease, and the primacy of the imagination, by one of our finest prose stylists Modern life only seems to become increasingly hectic and stressful, as we try to cram more and more into each day. In her new book, acclaimed author Patricia Hampl argues for the necessity of daydreaming and leisure in our over-amped lives. Written out of a lifelong fascination with contemplation, solitude, and silence, The Art...
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