The Joy of Not Working

A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked

It's about learning to live every part of your life to the fullest.

It's about being more productive by working less.

It’s about pursuing interesting leisure activities that make a difference in your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being!

It’s about being financially independent with less money.

Over 200,000 copies Sold
Published in 16 languages

Nothing makes a man so selfish as work.

— George Bernard Shaw

One of the saddest things is that the only thing that a man can do for eight hours a day, day after day, is work. You can't eat eight hours a day nor drink for eight hours a day nor make love for eight hours- all you can do for eight hours is work. Which is the reason why man makes himself and everybody else so miserable and unhappy.

— William Faulkner

Excellence at Work

Perfection is our goal, excellence will be tolerated.

— J. Yahl

I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business.

— Michael J. Fox

Arrogance is too often the companion of excellence.

— Unknown wise person

Only the mediocre are always at their best.

— Jean Giraudoux

He writes so well he makes me feel like putting my quill back in my goose.

— Fred Allen

If my film makes one more person miserable, I'll feel I've done my job.

— Woody Allen

He did nothing in particular, and did it very well.

— W. S. Gilbert

God created man, but I could do better.

— Erma Bombeck

If you don't do it excellently, don't do it at all. Because if it's not excellent, it won't be profitable or fun, and if you're not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing here?

— Robert Townsend

If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.

— Japanese proverb

Experience

Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing.

— Oscar Wilde

Experience teaches you to recognize a mistake when you've made it again.

— Unknown wise person

Good judgment comes from experience; and experience comes from bad judgment.

— Unknown wise person

Sixty-five is the age when one acquires sufficient experience to lose one's job.

— Unknown wise person