Title: In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement is
Challenging the Cult of Speed:

Author: Carl Honore

ISBN: 006054578X
  (General non-fiction)

The Following Review Was Contrubuted by: Paul Lappen -CLICK TO VIEW>>>>Paul Lappen's Reviews

We live in an era of speed, where everything moves
faster than ever before. Ever since the Industrial
Revolution, the idea has been to cram more into each
minute of the day. Any unoccupied time during the day,
whether for adults or children, is considered a reason
to panic. At what cost? Imagine the time spent, over a
lifetime, sitting in commuter traffic, or being placed
on hold. Imagine the health care dollars spent on
stress-related illnesses. The average American adult
spends only a half-hour per week making love. There is
an alternative, called the Slow movement.

Now a growing worldwide phenomenon, the Slow movement
is not a Luddite call to abandon technology.
Cellphones and email can be very good things. Nor does
it suggest that people should live their entire lives
in slow motion, while the rest of the world acts like
a video tape stuck on fast forward. Occasionally, Fast
is necessary. Slow strives to find a balance in
people's lives. Sometimes, slowing down leads to more
energy.

Not everything in this book is possible for everyone
but here are some examples. Cook a meal from scratch
once a week. Eat a homemade tossed salad (made with
locally produced vegetables) along with take-out
Chinese food. Set the table for take out pizza,
instead of eating in front of the TV; in fact, no more
dinners in front of TV. There are a number of
cookboooks that specialize in quick meals. When
cooking, prepare more than is needed and freeze the
rest.

If your child isn't doing well in school, a possible
reason is that every spare moment out of school is
filled with activities. It leaves them no time to
relax or just be a kid. Ask them if that's what they
really want. Turn off the TV.

There is a growing movement of health professionals
who think that spending more time with each individual
patient is not a bad thing. Consider trying
alternative medicine, in addition to, not instead of,
regular medicine. For those who need to lose a few
pounds, try walking. It's free, you don't need to join
a health club, and you may be surprised at what you
will find in your own neighborhood.

This book is much needed, and I really enjoyed reading
it. Stress seems to be endemic in the 21st century.
Here is an antidote. This is very highly recommended.