The Joy of Not Working

Ernie J. Zelinski makes the case that work, leisure, unemployment and retirement can all be lived to the fullest. Using exercises, diagrams, cartoons and quotations, he urges readers to become more productive by working less, to pursue their passions, and to take up leisure activities that support physical, mental and spiritual well-being. He also addresses guilt about not working long hours, leaving a corporate job that drains the life out of a person, and reaching financial independence on less money. For people out of work, he holds that happiness is a matter of choice. The revised edition adds thirty letters from readers, and the book has appeared in 17 languages.

It appears in the list of books Marvin Liao, partner at 500 Startups, gave in a Book-Talk interview.