Book · 2019 · Technology & Engineering
How to Do Nothing
Resisting the Attention Economy
- episodes
- 8
- podcasts
- 5
- people
- 7
- episodes recommend it
- 2
How to Do Nothing, which is by Jenny Odell, and I still think it's the best book about attention and mind in this era.
Ezra Klein · The Ezra Klein Show · Sep 2024 Listen at 1:10:20 Questions about How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
Who recommends How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell on podcasts?
Chris Hayes (1 episode) and Tommy Vietor (1 episode) have recommended How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell on podcasts. In all, 7 people brought it up across 5 podcasts (2 people recommended it).
Which podcasts mention How to Do Nothing the most?
The Book Review (3 episodes), The Ezra Klein Show (2 episodes), Big Technology Podcast (1 episode), Pod Save America (1 episode) and The Tim Ferriss Show (1 episode).
Is How to Do Nothing recommended, or only discussed?
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell was recommended in 2 episodes and discussed without a recommendation in 6 episodes, as of 2025-01-17.
What do people say about How to Do Nothing?
Ezra Klein on The Ezra Klein Show (2024-09-03): "How to Do Nothing, which is by Jenny Odell, and I still think it's the best book about attention and mind in this era."
When was How to Do Nothing last mentioned on a podcast?
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell was last recommended on The Ezra Klein Show on 2025-01-17.
What they say about it
- Resisting the attention economy subtitle“resisting the attention economy”4
The best things said about it
Jenny Odell's How to Do Nothing is a fantastic book.
Like I remember also like I had read how to do nothing like right right around and I was like yeah this might be a shortcut to the the kind of outside the clock time you know where you are just not being useful to anyone but the people in front of this thing that I was trying so hard.
Jenny Odell's book How to Do Nothing, which of course is a really excellent title, the subtitle is Resisting the Attention Economy.
It was Jenny Odell's How to Do Nothing, which coincidentally was also on Barack Obama's list of his favorite books of 2019.
So, very briefly, in 2019, the artist-writer Jenny O'Dell, is that right? Helped kind of start the trend, which we're going to talk about when she published a book titled How to Do Nothing, subtitle Resisting the Attention Economy.
Tim Ferriss The Tim Ferriss Show · Feb 2022 Where and when it comes up
Most episodes, by podcast
7 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell is an exploration of attention, the attention economy, and the value of stepping away from constant productivity. On The Ezra Klein Show, Chris Hayes recommended the book as a fantastic read that was relevant to discussions on attention, while Ezra Klein praised it as the premier book on attention and the mind in the modern era. Jia Tolentino mentioned reading it around the same time she was exploring ways to step outside of clock time and relentless usefulness. Tim Ferriss introduced the book on The Tim Ferriss Show as a starting point for the anti-busyness trend, and Charlie Warzel discussed it on the Big Technology Podcast while considering creative fallow periods and the need for mental space. Pamela Paul also discussed reading the book, praising its subtitle about resisting the attention economy, while Tommy Vietor briefly noted the title on Pod Save America.
Every mention
Chris Hayes um but Jenny Odell's how to do nothing um is a fantastic book 1
“um but Jenny Odell's how to do nothing um is a fantastic book”
Tommy Vietor it's called how to do nothing by jenny odell 1
“it's called how to do nothing by jenny odell”
Pamela Paul it was Jenny Odell's how to do nothing which coincidentally was also on Barack Obama's list of his favorite… 3
“and the other book that I read while I was away is called Jenny Odell's book how to do nothing which of course is a really excellent title the subtitle is resisting the attention economy”
“it was Jenny Odell's how to do nothing which coincidentally was also on Barack Obama's list of his favorite books of of 2019 and and therefore a lot of people have started reading it”
“Jenny Odell will be here to talk about her book how to do nothing”
“her new book is called how to do nothing resisting the attention economy”
“because the title of your book again it's how to do nothing resisting the attention economy”
Charlie Warzel When my mind isn't totally shot and fried from banging my head against the wall on this thing, you know, I… 1
“When my mind isn't totally shot and fried from banging my head against the wall on this thing, you know, I actually feel like I have a little more space. Um, you know, I think like the mind is, you know, there's this, um, this writer, um, Jenny O'Dell who wrote this book, how to do nothing.”
Ezra Klein uh you said talked about reading how to do nothing which is by Jenny Odell and I I still think it's the bes… 1
“uh you said talked about reading how to do nothing which is by Jenny Odell and I I still think it's the best book about attention and and mind in in in this era”
Jia Tolentino like I remember also like I had read how to do nothing like right right around and I was like yeah this mig… 1
“like I remember also like I had read how to do nothing like right right around and I was like yeah this might be a shortcut to the the kind of outside the clock time you know where you are just not being useful to anyone but the people in front of this thing that I was trying so hard”
Tim Ferriss So, very briefly, in 2019, the artist-writer Jenny O'Dell, is that right? Helped kind of start the trend, w… 1
“So, very briefly, in 2019, the artist-writer Jenny O'Dell, is that right? Helped kind of start the trend, which we're going to talk about when she published a book titled How to Do Nothing, subtitle Resisting the Attention Economy.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
“great um another book that has been mentioned on your podcast a lot and relevant which is again I I feel like I'm sort of citing can Tex here and it's important for me to do because I want to be clear as we all are as authors you know lots of people have been thinking about this very well”
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Jenny Odell is the author of how to do nothing resisting the attention economy”