This is a self-help book which takes the radical approach of questioning the fundamental premises behinid self-help books in its niche. It posits that books promoting systems for getting more done in less time lead to dissatisfaction because the time freed up is ultimately filled up with other stuff, assuming the reader sticks with the system in the first place. It favors a view of time that is not a commodity outside the individual but part of life itself. Taking inspiration from philosophy, psychology, and spirituality it puts forward suggestions for finding more happiness within the very short time we each have on Earth, ways to achieve connection, meaning, and self-acceptance much more satisfying than mechanically crossing off tasks on a list. Part of its origin comes from the pandemic and the resulting remote work experiences, but a lot of the observations go back centuries whose relevance have gone unrecognized in our time. Some of the urgency comes from the sense of crisis in the forefront of many thinking people's minds which cannot simply be taken away using some kind of mental magic. By taking some slight action to fight the threats against us we can regain some measure of consolation, this author says.

I thought the book was humane in the best sense, trying to wean folks from gurus and gadgets that always seem to fall short, or make things worse for a person just seeking reassurance. I am glad I came across this at just this time and have recorded a few passages for me to ponder further.