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Book Review - In Praise of Slowness

Carl Honore was a true member of the Cult of Speed not too long ago. Then one day, he was waiting to catch a flight and saw an advertisement for ‘The One-Minute Bedtime Story’. The ad had quite a different effect, one the creators never anticipated. Carl did not buy the books, instead he started questioning why he was always in a hurry. That was the spark that eventually ignited the idea behind the book ‘In Praise of Slowness.’

In ‘In Praise of Slowness’, Carl Honore writes about different ways one can slow down and enjoy life. He explains that ones quality of life can inprove if one learns to slow down when preparinig Food. He also talks about Cities, Body/Mind, Medicine, Sex, Work, Leisure, and Children. The common theme is how one should find ways to slow down and enjoy life.

As I reading this book, I remember thinking that most young batchelor and batchelorettes would probably scoff at this book. They are probably happy members of the cult of speed, and have no desire to slow down. Most likely those who either already have a family or are looking to start one are the ones who will get the most out of this book.

I, being the family man, absolutely loved reading this book. Honore did some excellent research and uses both anecdotal evidence and personal experience to make his point. The book was both easy to read and well organized so one can go back and easily find information if they wish to. I appreciated the style of writing immensely. I was also intrigued by the subject matter, and was entertained by his personal experiences.

Honore relates a final tale at the conclusion of his book. He is putting his son to bed and he reads a book, answering all the questions his son has along the way. He then reads another book, answering all questions. He lost track of time, but he was ready to read another book. His son told him he was tired and wanted to go to bed, kissed him goodnight and snuggled under his covers. I am glad that he has found such a good relationship with his son, and I hope to have one just like it. He is doing his best to practice what he writes about, and how can you not be touched? I congratulate Carl Honore with being true to the slow movement and for writing a fantastic book.

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  • http://www.victusspiritus.com/ Mark Essel

    Making extra time is the biggest hill to climb as we age. I think it's a double edged sword of responsibility combined with less vital energy. We can exercise and align our work with our enthusiasm to boost our energy. But responsibility seems to find us because of healthy life choices (family, home, income).Glad you're giving yourself more time to explore. Keep writing and reading. Don't forget to make time for editing, that's been an ongoing challenge for me.

  • http://www.victusspiritus.com/ Mark Essel

    Making extra time is the biggest hill to climb as we age. I think it's a double edged sword of responsibility combined with less vital energy.

    We can exercise and align our work with our enthusiasm to boost our energy. But responsibility seems to find us because of healthy life choices (family, home, income).

    Glad you're giving yourself more time to explore. Keep writing and reading. Don't forget to make time for editing, that's been an ongoing challenge for me.

  • http://wolfsongs.com RealMaverick

    I like what you say about making extra time, but I also feel that it's a little more complicated than that.

    Part of the idea of finding time to slow down is that you should find ways that allow you to recharge your vital energy. You should not necessaraily use all the examples in the book, but find the ones that work best for you. If taking time to cook makes you feel good, the food itself will be more nutritious, and the actual time lost at the moment should reap more time down the road as your vital energy increases and recharges properly. Slow exercising in the book does not take any more time, and if it works for you it will also start increasing your vital energy. Even maintaining the speed limit will on signifigantly slow anyone down on a daily basis but will allow people to be more alert and take in more of their surroundings.

    The key is to align any methods to slow down with our natural habits as another way to boost our energy with a minor sacrifice in actual time spent.

    As far as reading and writing I have to reorganize my time and reading habits. I have come to the conclusion that doing that will optimize my reading time and allow more reviews to be written. Time to edit my habits as well as my writing!

  • http://www.victusspiritus.com/ Mark Essel

    Great spot for the plugin. Thanks for the support Terence!

  • http://wolfsongs.com Alpha Wolf

    Whoa! That plugin is starting to look pretty hot there! It just needs to be a little narrower and it would be perfect for my page! I like the carousel effect, that looks awesome!

  • http://www.crowgyrls.com/ Meg

    Do you still have this book?

  • http://wolfsongs.com RealMaverick

    Yes, I still have the book! Would you like me to send it to you?

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