Idle Threats: Men and the Limits of Productivity in 19th-Century America

by Andrew Lyndon Knighton

Book Overview

The 19th century witnessed an explosion of writing about unproductivity, with the exploits of various idlers, loafers, and "gentlemen of refinement" capturing the imagination o fa country that was deeply ambivalent about its work ethic. Idle Threats documents this American obsession with unproductivity and its potentials, while offering an explanation of the profound significance of idle practices for literary and cultural production.

While...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814789390
• ISBN13: 9780814789391
• Release Date: October 2012
• Publisher: New York University Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 8.9"