The Freedom Manifesto: How to Free Yourself from Anxiety, Fear, Mortgages, Money, Guilt, Debt, Government, Boredom, Supermarkets, Bills, Mela

Finally, an antidote for all those personal productivity books that make you feel guilty for not being an optimally efficient wage'bot, forever getting things done with your highly effective habits. This book made me feel happy about the times when I kick back and become a total slacker.

Excellent book full of common sense and I don't know...I thought it was lovely and hopeful and more people should read it and follow some of the advice and give up all of the nonsense that it opposes because there is nothing wrong with anything Hodgkinson suggests. It is a no argument sort of thing...only if you believe in humans and the idea of them living a wonderful, whole, and fruitful life full of freedom and love and truth. And for the reviewer who said this book is for sociopaths...what the hell do you even mean? I do not think you are clear on what a sociopath is and it would be good to look it up and get clear because your comment made me laugh; it was so weird.

I don't even remember how I heard about or came across the book but the cover and title must have caught my eye. If you can get over the pain, humiliation, and shock when you figure out that you are not "free" but simply a corporate hack easily influenced by big marketing and empty promises of a "career" and a "life" you will love this book. Now don't beat yourself up too much as it happens to the best of us and the sad part is you start to fall deeper and deeper in without even realizing it. You work to live and before you know it you live to work. Your needs go from food and shelter to big cars, bigger houses, over priced vacations n so on. In fact this book is so out there book stores have merchandised the book in both the humor section and the self help section. Here is a few sentences from the book - "Self importance is a trap, because the moment we start to think that we actually matter is the moment when things start to go wrong. The truth is that you are supremely unimportant, and that nothing matters. All of man's striving is for nothing; all effort is wasted." or "Career is just posh slavery. And career is an institutionalized putting-off, a paradise defferred. I also bought his book " How to be Idle" which I am currently reading and enjoying. The amount of people, books, & articles he references from the last 200 years is vast and if you pursue them individualy could turn into a full time job, which if you read the book you may understand that it may not be a bad thing. However he helpfully listed all resources used in the back of the book for easy reference. Buy it, love it and then try and live it if you dare!

The freedom manifesto is a great read for the all those searching and yearning for a meaning to life. It is also a great read for those who believe are lives are largely manipulated by government, and corporate advertisement to maximise profits at the expense of our contentment. It doesn't pull its punches ~ and is not afraid to say things as they are. It is a doorway to the obvious ~ for when you read it you realize what it says is obviously common sense ~ although like most it is difficult to put in practice. It is a witty, cleverly crafted book that makes you laugh whilst trying to encourage us to lead a more rewarding self empowered life. Well done!

After reading "How to be Idle" in the summer of 2007 and finding out that Hodgkinson had a new release in late 2007, I quickly reserved a copy at my bookstore. As much as I loved "How to be Idle", I enjoyed this one even more. Once again, Hodgkinson's insights prove very insightful and thought provoking. This is not a book that I will read only once.