The Pleasures of Leisure

Robert Dessaix

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Paperback

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English

Vintage (Australia)
02 May 2023

Society & Social Sciences; Cultural studies; Sociology: sport & leisure

Robert Dessaix's guide to work and play in the 21st century.

'Almost everybody I know has done it at least once. Some of my friends indulge on a regular basis. Women seem especially susceptible to giving it a go. I've been at it since I was at least five. What on earth do we imagine we're doing?'

Many of us lack a talent for leisure. We are working longer hours as we consume more than ever before, and as new forms of technology erode the work-life balance. And yet, we often feel that only work can give real meaning to our existence. In a world where time is money, what is the value of walking without purpose, or socialising without networking, or travelling for reasons other than our jobs?

Robert Dessaix lays out the dilemma that modern Westerners face, but never in a didactic or dogmatic way. He writes that leisure allows us the masters of our own time. It allows us to freely choose to do something pleasurable, for its own sake or to deepen our sense of who we are as human beings. How can we reclaim our right to 'rest well', and to loaf, groom, nest and play?

In his trademark personal and anecdotal style, Robert Dessaix guides us through the history of leisure. As with all of his writing, this book will be full of wise lessons and intellectual games, but above all, it will be a lively and engaging conversation with his readers.

By: Robert Dessaix
Imprint: Vintage (Australia)
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 209mm, Width: 136mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 200g
ISBN: 9780143780052
ISBN 10: 0143780050
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 02 May 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Robert Dessaix is a writer of fiction, autobiography and the occasional essay. From 1985 to 1995, after teaching Russian language and literature for many years at the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales, he presented the weekly Books and Writing program on ABC Radio National. In more recent years he has also presented radio series on Australian public intellectuals and great travellers in history, as well as regular programs on language. His best-known books, all translated into several European languages, are his autobiography A Mother's Disgrace; the novels Night Letters and Corfu; a collection of essays and short stories (and so forth); and the travel memoirs Twilight of Love and Arabesques. In 2012 he published the collection of originally spoken pieces As I Was Saying, and in 2014 the meditation What Days Are For. A full-time writer since 1995, Robert Dessaix lives in Hobart, Tasmania.