BOOK REVIEW: How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
1. What is your favorite quote from the book and why do you find it meaningful?
“What if we spent less time shouting into the void and being washed over with shouting in return-and more time talking in rooms to those for whom our words are intended?”
This is my favorite quote from the book. As I believe here the writer wants to convey a very significant message. The meaning I drive from this quote is we should not spend our time shouting and whining into the void. More energy and words should be spent in saying the right things to the right people at the right time. Whether it be a real (physical meeting) or in a group chat. Restoration of context is very significant in bringing up a productive and healthy discussion.
2. Why do you think this book, released by indie publishing house Melville Press, has become an unexpected bestseller in Corona Times?
The bookselling stats suggest that this book became an unexpected bestseller in Corona Times, I think the main reason behind this due to lockdown people were restricted to their homes. They did not have enough social and work activities, which led them, have a feeling that they were becoming unproductive eventually. People were spending most of their energy on using social media and playing games. It almost became impossible for them to differentiate between work and leisure time. This book has a great message for people. It encourages them to stay away from their phone and focus on life and other things around them. This book by Odell allows people to justify the time they spend with themselves processing their thoughts. She clears the doubts of not being productive, by explaining that productivity is not productive always. Sometimes, doing nothing is more practical and productive, as it helps people relax their minds and body. The book became a best seller as it made them concentrate on real-life away from technology and devices and being engaged with the surroundings in a more personal way.
3. How does the attention economy benefit from our social media activity and media streaming consumption?
The attention economy is relatively a new term. The attention economy is a resource that cannot be bought by money as the users pay the service or information; they receive online through attention. This term describes the supply and demand of people’s attention on social media. Social media websites are fueling this type of economy with the number of actively visiting users. Businesses are operating on social media to attain more attention and recognition globally. Business entities are targeting public attention on social media and they are placing their ads that grab people’s attention. They are targeting our unhealthy social media usage to advantage their businesses. Technology is being used to boost the economy rather than entertaining. Social media is intended to increase the ad space with pop-ups and it has become a market war be leading companies.
4. How does this book relate to the topic of celebrity culture?
Celebrities are one of the best ways to promote companies set different trends, products, and voice opinions. Wherever we go, we will constantly hear about popular culture and what is new with whom. These people have a tremendous influence on our world’s society more than we could even imagine. How to do nothing relates to the topic of celebrity culture in a way that how celebrity culture has become a part of our everyday life and it is functional as a form of entertainment. In today’s world, citizens play a significant role in the dissemination of celebrity culture. People constantly check the whereabouts and brand endorsements them. People look for trends within celebrity culture and the lives of celebrities and try to follow them.
5. Do you take digital detox breaks? If yes, describe them. Have they been more challenging during the quarantine era? Why?
Yes, I try to take digital detox breaks from time to time. As I start feeling exhausted by using the internet for some time. I feel like my mind, eyes get tired, and I feel the urge to shut down my gadgets for a while. This time is very peaceful always and restores my energy. During the quarantine era, it became nearly impossible for me to get rid of the bad habit of staying on social networking sites for hours. Mostly because I had nothing else to do in my opinion. However, eventually, I set my limits and I started spending more time in healthy activities. For example, I tried to grow plants and started spending quiet time by the window, it was very helpful for me.
6. Do you sleep with your phone or computer? Are you aware of impacts on your sleep cycles and relaxation caused by overnight proximity?
I try to keep my electronic gadgets including my phone away from me while sleeping. The first reason is I want to keep them away while I am sleeping, as many types of research suggest that phones etc. emit radiation that is not good for humans. Secondly, I believe gadgets near you disrupt your quality of sleep. Every time you wake up at night, you start scrolling. Keeping them away is a good strategy to limit my access to them at the night.
Yes, I am aware of the impacts on sleep cycles and relaxation caused by overnight proximity. Many researchers suggest that using a mobile phone within an hour before going to bed has a negative impact on the sleep pattern. Smartphones emit radiations that can cause disfunction of sleep.
7. What is the role of nature in Odell’s book, in particular the role of birds? (P.S. Did you know that birdwatching has become a HUGE pastime in the Covid era with a Snow Owl becoming a celebrity in NYC’s Central Park? See NY Times (Links to an external site.) article on Birdwatching and another on the snowy owl (Links to an external site.))
“What amazed and humbled me about bird watching was the way it changed the granularity of my perception, which had been pretty “low-res.” In the Book, Odell explains the role of nature. Paying close attention to the birds is a huge pastime activity and it enhances the skills of deep and active listening. Odell suggests that the sensory stimulation we find in nature and public art is something that finds us and it enriches us. During bird watching, we can not look for birds, they find us and it is the opposite of looking things up on social media.
8. Experiment: Leave your phone at home for one hour to take a walk in your neighborhood. Write down your observations when you return and draw a map of your path. What did you observe? Take a photo of your map to include in your book review. Did the experience provide any revelations? Were you anxious, relieved, inspired? Did you notice anything you’d never seen before?
I went to Guilford Salt Meadows Sanctuary Ann Connover Nature Trail for the experiment. It went longer than an hour. I spent almost two hours there. I was a bit anxious in the beginning but as I continued to go, I started enjoying little things and it became interesting. I was able to listen to the birds. There are many birdhouses along the meadow and it was a good place for bird watching. It was a very nice and quiet walk. I could also listen to people around, though not clear but they were in the background and created the ambiance that people cherish. It was quite cold though, but I loved the experience.
9. What does Odell mean by ‘doing nothing?’ Are we capable of doing nothing?
By doing Nothing Odell means is we should take some time out for ourselves without using technology and gadgets. That time spending with nature might be unproductive but very useful. Simply connecting yourself with the surrounding and nature helps in making a deeper sense of belonging to your surroundings. Spending some time with nature is enjoyable and helps us restore our energy. Doing nothing can also be productive in so many ways.
“I am genuinely interested in nothing for the sake of nothing, rather than nothing for the sake of something.”
By doing nothing, Odell suggests observing nature and the surrounding which brings inner peace to us. She encourages people to put aside technology for a while and make deeper connections with other people.
