by Jenny Odell
First published 2019
In a world where our value is determined by 24/7 data output, artist Jenny Odell argues that doing nothing may be our most important form of resistance. Odell sees our attention as a precious, overdrawn resource. By learning to pay a new kind of attention, she believes we can reimagine our role in the environment and find more meaningful paths to happiness. Far from a simple anti-tech screed, this is an action plan for thinking outside of capitalist narratives of efficiency and techno-determinism.
Genres: art, philosophy, social-issues, non-fiction, 21st-century, activism
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: call-to-action, manifesto
Setting: Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose
Period: 1990-2020
256 pages · Paperback · Melville House