How to Do Nothing

Book Review:

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy

Author: Jenny Odell
232 Pages

This book review originally appeared in a modified form in Book Jam, 1(5).

Odell, an artist, writer, and teacher at Stanford University, has discovered a way to escape the exhausting commodification of the self that has resulted from capitalism, without "dropping out" of society. Her premise--that we render our reality by what we choose to pay attention to, and that we can "escape laterally"--resulted in a book that is simultaneously political manifesto, philosophical essays, self-help book, artist statement, naturalist memoir, and how-to guide. Impressively, she succeeds in combining these disparate genres without overwhelming. The book is academic in tone, yet completely accessible. 

There is also something spiritual about the ideas Odell explores and the conclusions she reaches, such as: "Sometimes it's good to be stuck in the in-between, even if it's uncomfortable." She believes that our abusive stance toward the environment is wrapped up in capitalism, colonialism, and loneliness; if she's correct, an environmental case can be made for better-quality social interactions. 

Odell has a knack for problematizing topics using complicated and often interdisciplinary theory, but then proving it immediately applicable to our lives. The best aspect of this book is that its ideas are deep and well thought-out, but presented in such a contemporary way as to make the book propulsive and relevant. You'll want to read with a highlighter, and talk to a friend about the book once you've finished. You'll start to almost inadvertently perceive things about your surroundings that were always there, but went unnoticed. 

Unlike other books that make similar arguments (I'm thinking of 10 Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now), Odell takes an optimistic approach by focusing not on the evils of algorithms and surveillance, but on the possibilities of human connection--with each other, and with the natural world. A weakness of the book, however, if it is indeed to serve as an activist manifesto, is its insistence on individuals to change their own behavior in order to buck the [addictive, effective, and far-reaching] system. While Odell acknowledges that refusal is a privilege, that problem is not quite overcome in her theorization. Still, this book is well worth a read (and a re-read), even if only for the simple and refreshing reminder that, in this digital age, we are still embodied social creatures living in a material world.