Boredom : a lively history

"A fun and illuminating argument for the benefits of boredom."-Angus Clarke, The Times -- Angus Clarke * The Times * "Toohey's book is a veritable boredom bible, plus it's got some funny bits and lots of nice pictures."-Chris Moss, Time Out -- Chris Moss * Time Out * "A lively, eminently readable book."-S. Halling, Choice -- S. Halling * Choice * "It's a brave author who chooses boredom as the subject for a book. How to describe this least glamorous of emotions, or delve into its essential qualities, without concocting a truly dull tract? Peter Toohey's method is to whip through the history, meaning and artistic representations of boredom at such a jaunty pace that there's no time to be bored at all."-Helen Zaltzman, The Observer -- Helen Zaltzman * The Observer * "....a playful but scholarly study."-Sunday Herald * Sunday Herald * "Highly entertaining."-Gordon Pitz, PsycCRITIQUES -- Gordon Pitz * PsycCRITIQUES * "[Toohey] makes a persuasive case that there are even benefits to boredom, and at the very least this engaging read proffers a temporary antidote to the noonday demon."-Kelly McMasters, Newsday -- Newsday * Kelly McMasters * "...... [Toohey] writes breezily and entertainingly about one of the world's most boring subjects: boredom itself."-Tim Heald, The Tablet -- Tim Heald * The Tablet * "In Boredom: A Lively History Peter Toohey, a professor of classics, makes a strong case for boredom as a universal emotion, experienced by humans throughout history and throughout all cultures, with many practical and emotional benefits."-Ian Sansom, The Guardian -- Ian Sansom * The Guardian * "Toohey has lots of exciting things to say about boredom."-Craig Brown, The Mail on Sunday -- Craig Brown * The Mail on Sunday * "...quirky and contentious."-Stuart Kelly, Scotland on Sunday -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday * "[Toohey's] crisp conversational prose is untainted by jargon or pretence. His arguments display impressive erudition: history, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience and aesthetics all get a guernsey. If good writing requires authorial boredom, Toohey was undoubtedly tortured by tedium while writing this sharp, humane and funny book."-Damon Young, The Australian -- Damon Young * The Australian * "A thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the history a maligned emotion, which according to the author, may actually be designed to help us flourish."-The Bookseller * The Bookseller * 'Who would have thought that boredom could be so stimulating?' - Michael Foley, author of The Age of Absurdity -- Michael Foley 'Forget ennui: Peter Toohey makes the case that the simpler, everyday kind of boredom we all experience is far more important than the pretentious world-weariness of French philosophers. Being bored can be excruciating, but it can also spur people to the heights of creativity. Toohey succeeds in making boredom interesting.' - Dylan Evans, author of Emotion: The Science of Sentiment -- Dylan Evans 'Peter Toohey is a wonderful scholar, whose work on classical literature both instructs and delights.' - Darian Leader -- Darian Leader "Mr. Toohey presents his case with verve."-Elizabeth Lowry, Wall Street Journal -- Elizabeth Lowry * Wall Street Journal * "Few writers on boredom can match Peter Toohey when it comes to finding pleasure, excitement and even a perverse kind of glee in his subject."-Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, The Daily Telegraph -- Robert Douglas-Fairhurst * The Daily Telegraph * "There are plenty of fine things here to keep a receptive mind alert."-Alain de Botton, The Times -- Alain de Botton * The Times * "Readers who are willing to meander from science to literature to art and other realms will find themselves engaged."-Nina C. Ayoub, The Chronicle Review -- Nina C. Ayoub * The Chronicle Review * "As for his engaging new book, Toohey needn't worry: Boredom, with its wise insights, is never boring."-Carmela Ciuraru, Boston Globe -- Carmela Ciuraru * Boston Globe * Read more...