The Joy of Laziness: Why Life Is Better Slower and How to Get There

By Peter Axt

This surprise bestseller in Germany will change work and play habits -- and lives. It contradicts much popular thinking about how to lead a long, healthy and happy life, and it does so based on scientifically grounded arguments and research which shows that the key to good health, success and longevity is the CONSERVATION of life energy.

On the basis of the scientifically recognized Metabolic Theory, this book develops a program that can work for everyone. It explains the scientific correlation between life energy and longevity in an easy-to-understand way. The authors have found through their research that older but hearty and active people often do not follow the regimen we have believed was the secret to a long life. They are calm in every situation; they enjoy life, play sports in moderation, eat little and do not waste their valuable life energy. They are not excessively ambitious. All this seems to be the secret to vitality and good health.

The book contains valuable tips and advice for everyone who wants to stay healthy and live longer, energy-saving suggestions about eating, working and exercising, and quizzes to test your stress level, life energy and physical well-being.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: Sep 19, 2003
• ISBN: 9781630265311

Reviews for The Joy of Laziness

[asukamaxwell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like Chadwick's writing style, his writing is very orderly and step-by-step that no one should have any difficulty. I only wish I had this book when writing my thesis, but sadly it was published too late. But I am so glad to see a book about George Wythe, because let's face it, there are too few out there. Which is a shame because George Wythe was not only a Founding Father but trained many of the revolutionary generation in law and some of our nation's greats: Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Henry Clay, just to name a few. Despite the title, the book doesn't really focus on Jefferson at all, save for his reaction to Wythe's death. Instead, Chadwick centers on lesser known men like William Wirt, Edmund Randolph, Dr. McClurg, Dr. McCaw, Dr. Foushee and of course the suspect, George Wythe Sweeney. The reader is also offered a short history of eighteenth century medicine, a history of the use of arsenic as a poison in America, and Virginia slave legal codes. Problem is, the historical backdrop that Chadwick is trying to provide often moves from relevant to completely off topic. At one point the reader is learning about Caesar's autopsy and Shakespeare's fondness for using poison in his plays. But Chadwick also describes similar cases and the growth of crime, gambling and prostitution in Richmond at this time, which is very interesting. Finally, it ends with well-organized notes and bibliography. But as much as I like it, there's some serious editing to be done.

[a1stitcher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting account of George Wythe, the first Virginian to sign the Declaration of Independence, a beloved lawyer who rewrote his state's law codes and taught some of our country's greatest men.
Perhaps this is petty of me, but I give this book only three stars because of a brief mention of Lucrezia Borgia and her supposed love of using arsenic poisoning. Added to the comment that she had an illegitimate child via an incestuous affair with her father, I could not help but wonder what other information in this book was also so inaccurate.
Still, it's an interesting history of the city of Richmond, Virginia and of the medical practice of the 18th and early 19 th century.

[noblechicken · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting story, or more a clarification of the 1806 "murder" of the 1st Professor of law in the US, George Wythe. Wythe was an elderly man, 80, when he was purportedly poisoned by his nephew. The case was a shocker for the time; a signer of the Declaration of Independence, educator of men like Thomas Jefferson, poisoned by his blood relative for money. To only tell the story of this case, which is interesting, would fill only about 100 pages, so there is a lot of padding in the book, to bring it just under 250 pages. The padding is not bad; Richmond, VA at the time of the late 1700/ early 1800s, history of various people poisoned, law in the the U.S. regarding African Americans in "White" trials, history of various doctors who did Wythe's autopsy (botched), and a slight biography of Wythe himself. Sometimes it is relevant, interesting and then sometimes it feels like just a listing of things that happened, paragraph by paragraph. Take the history of various people poisoned in history section; it goes paragraph after paragraph, from Pharaohs to Kings, being poisoned for power. It borders on silly when Chadwick, I guess in an effort to add ONE MORE paragraph, adds the plays of Shakespeare as an example of poisoning. Okay...why and how is this relevant to an 1806 murder? So yes, you do realize it is padding to make a book at time, but overall I would say worth a check out at the library if the subject interests you.