Drawing from writings by such iconoclasts as William Godwin and Jack Kerouac, the author of How To Be Idle returns with sage advice for breaking with convention and living an unfettered life
In this delightfully irreverent follow-up to his acclaimed How to Be Idle, Tom Hodgkinson shares his musings on what it means to have true independence and what the common man needs to achieve happiness through freedom.
The Freedom Manifesto is an erudite, witty, and useful manual for anyone who wants to look after themselves and take responsibility for their own lives. Hodgkinson advises lowering personal standards, learning the guitar, cooperating with neighbors, throwing away credit cards, and embracing poverty. Peppered throughout are insights from such great minds as Rousseau, Ken Kesey, Nietzsche, and many others that reveal the secret happiness found in a free mind.
Finally, an antidote for all those personal productivity books that make you feel guilty for not being an optimally efficient wage'bot, forever getting things done with your highly effective habits. This book made me feel happy about the times when I kick back and become a total slacker.
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Excellent book full of common sense and I don't know...I thought it was lovely and hopeful and more people should read it and follow some of the advice and give up all of the nonsense that it opposes because there is nothing wrong with anything Hodgkinson suggests. It is a no argument sort of thing...only if you believe in humans and the idea of them living a wonderful, whole, and fruitful life full of freedom and love and...
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I don't even remember how I heard about or came across the book but the cover and title must have caught my eye. If you can get over the pain, humiliation, and shock when you figure out that you are not "free" but simply a corporate hack easily influenced by big marketing and empty promises of a "career" and a "life" you will love this book. Now don't beat yourself up too much as it happens to the best of us and the sad part...
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The freedom manifesto is a great read for the all those searching and yearning for a meaning to life. It is also a great read for those who believe are lives are largely manipulated by government, and corporate advertisement to maximise profits at the expense of our contentment. It doesn't pull its punches ~ and is not afraid to say things as they are. It is a doorway to the obvious ~ for when you read it you realize what...
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After reading "How to be Idle" in the summer of 2007 and finding out that Hodgkinson had a new release in late 2007, I quickly reserved a copy at my bookstore. As much as I loved "How to be Idle", I enjoyed this one even more. Once again, Hodgkinson's insights prove very insightful and thought provoking. This is not a book that I will read only once.
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