Princeton Univers. Press Saint-Amand, P: Pursuit of Laziness

"Seductive and charming, this is a little gem of a book. I was won over by the author's fresh insights and playful, yet lucid, tone."--Darrin M. McMahon, Florida State University and author of "Happiness: A History" "We have become accustomed to thinking of the Enlightenment as aligned with industry, labor, and disciplined bodies. But in this book, Saint-Amand deftly opens the door to a different--and indeed contrary--vision of philosophy and letters in the eighteenth-century: one that is fascinated by idleness, suspicious of the value of work for work's sake, and invested in indolence. In this unique and compelling account, familiar figures emerge into a new light, and lesser-known writers suddenly command our attention."--James Steintrager, University of California, Irvine