Home Books The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard

The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard

The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard

by Ollivier Pourriol tr. Helen Stevenson

Penguin Life ·2020 ·240 pages ·Culture
Bottom of the Pile
Bottom of the Pile
I Index
16/99
Bottom of the Pile

10/99

Critics

Bottom of the Pile

22/99

Readers

n/a

Scholars

4/99

Rating

15/99

Volume

3/99

Rating

40/99

Volume

Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.


About This Book

Sick of striving? Giving up on grit? Had enough of hustle culture? Daunted by the 10,000-hour rule? As the French know, it's the best way to be better at everything. In the realm of love, what could be less seductive than someone who's trying to seduce you? Seduction is the art of succeeding without trying, and that's a lesson the French have mastered. We can see it in their laissez-faire parenting, chic style, haute cuisine, and enviable home They barely seem to be trying, yet the results are world-famous--thanks to a certain je ne sais quoi that is the key to a more creative, fulfilling, and productive life. For fans of both Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Alain de Botton's How Proust Can Change Your Life, philosopher Ollivier Pourriol's The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard draws on the examples of such French legends as Descartes, Stendhal, Rodin, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Françoise Sagan to show how to be efficient à la française, and how to effortlessly reap the rewards. A PENGUIN LIFE TITLE


Preview


Reviews

"This translation flows well thanks to the seemingly effortless work of Stevenson."

Holly Hebert· Library Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Rodin, Montaigne, and many others are included in this amusing and interesting read; even Pourriol's description of his approach to the material is a lesson in the laissez-faire outlook."

Danise Hoover· Booklist Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Perhaps the recommendation to not try so hard to gain understanding will be of use to readers when trying to parse this unconvincing guide."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Bottom of the Pile

Reader Reviews

0 reviews

Sign in to write a review.

No reader reviews yet. Be the first!