This book isn’t bad, and the concept of Niksen is solid and intriguing, but it seemed a bit dull at points. There are other, more entertaining books on the topic. Unless you want to read them all, I wouldn’t be in a hurry to read this one.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I love all of the books about self care and doing nothing. It makes me feel validated in my laziness.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion in exchange for providing an honest review. I enjoyed “The Lost Art of Doing Nothing” by Maartje Williams.

I was particularly fascinated by the author's description of social constructs or ideas that have drawn people away from embracing stillness. I also found myself reflecting on the intimacy found in moments with friends and family who are comfortable just being with one another without an agenda after reading the section about shared nothingness. The layout of the text and tip boxes was a bit visually distracting, especially given the topic of the book, but this may be more due to e-formatting.

How you ever heard about the Dutch cozy way of living, Hygge? This is another approach to life that the Dutch are giving us, Niksen, the art of doing nothing. This was such a fascinating read! How does one master doing nothing? It’s a lot more difficult than it sounds.

The book gives step by step info on how to start to implement the ways of Niksen, which include spur of the moment nothingness. Mindfulness is discussed, timing, environment, and the reality of how hard this can be to achieve in our “never stop” societal norms.

I have mixed reviews about this book, I found myself thinking some of the stuff was very repetitive and dragged on, could have been explained in half the sentences. But then I found myself really enjoying the different aspects the author used as supporting details and evidence. So again mixed because both these emotions were present for me throughout the book. Ultimately, I am happy I pushed through and finished the book.

I am obsessed with how this book looks. The cover is very eye catching and the illustrations inside are just as beautiful as the cover! I love reading books similar to this because it helps remind me it is okay to not do anything at all. It is important to sit and relax and should be a daily habit. I enjoyed the topics they go over and learning more about NIKSEN. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

This wonderful book gave many good insights and tips on going through life feeling like you should always be doing something, would recommend everyone to give this a shot.

"The Lost Art of Doing Nothing: How the Dutch Unwind with NIKSEN", by Martje Willems and Lona Aalders, is a lightweight exploration of the Dutch concept of *niksen*, doing nothing. The authors suggest that we can restore ourselves by permitting ourselves to be idle and to do things without any use, such as sitting in a chair and looking out the window.

The book is not an in-depth exploration of the importance or the psychological impact of doing nothing. A book like Cal Newport's *Digital Minimalism* is a much better exploration of those topics. *The Lost Art of Doing Nothing* is more of a casual, fun discussion of the topic. Nor does the book cover in much detail the related Buddhist concepts like *shikantaza*. But the book is light and whimsical and a nice quick read.

It was an okay book, but a bit shallow and not really memorable. I mean I know turning off the phone and doing nothing is good for me.

The Lost Art of Doing Nothing by Maartje Willems is an interesting audiobook. I enjoyed listening to it on my long drive to and from work and it really made me think about the things i was doing in my life and about the way i was spending my time.

Another book for Americans about the peaceful and better ways of a specific European culture. I found this book interesting, though not necessarily memorable.

The Lost Art of Doing Nothing and I love the cover and the idea behind it. Thanks to @netgalley and @theexperiment for this e-advanced copy!

Doing nothing sounds so simple but in fact it's one of the toughest things to do. Even when we're sitting on our couches we aren't resting. I know I'm always checking my phone, getting notifications, watching tv. Meditation is a laundry list of to-dos and reading is constantly interrupted.

✨Our world is overstimulated and in constant motion. We need REAL REST. That's where this book comes in.✨

I thought the author did a great job of explaining 'why' we need to add some nothing time into our days and 'what' the benefits are to setting aside some time to completely let go and just be.

I felt that the 'how's' were missing a bit but really that is because you do NOTHING. And in our culture that idea seems outlandish because we never stop. There were a few practice ideas I'd like to try though!

All in all loved the concept and the illustrations were gorgeous. Easy face paced read if you want to know a little more about Niksen!

Thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for the digital review copy of this book.

In our non-stop, twenty-four “on” lifestyle, we could all use a break every now and again. But, if you’re like me, when you sit down to do “nothing,” you immediately get distracted by the phone or the tv or a book, and all of that isn’t as relaxing and restorative as simply doing nothing. Unfortunately, doing nothing can come with a slew of negative emotions, and I start thinking about all the “shoulds” I need to do.

Niksen has many benefits, including making you calmer, helping you to rest, giving your brain space for creativity, and also, it’s free! This book introduces its reader to Niksen and is full of other facts, info, and fun drawings. Honestly, I think it could have been a nice, long blog post for just the relevant information, but I enjoyed leisurely strolling through its pages and learning about the adjacent info.

The pace of the book invites calm and an easy-going attitude, and it’s pretty short, I finished it in about an hour. It was a nice palate cleanser from some of the heavier, longer books I’ve been catching up on lately. It’s out in March, just in time for new, springtime habits, and hopefully we’ll be close to whatever the new normal looks like then and there will be time and space for a little bit of nothing.

I have read several books that focus on slowing down, getting comfortable, and finding solace in life. That is why this book was a little confusing for me. The author educated the reader about how the Dutch are excellent merchants with extremely cleanly habits. That is all well and good, but it lacked the concrete ways folks tend to really slow down and do nothing without getting judged by others.

I really wanted this book to dig deep and get in there with revolutionary ideas! Perhaps this is more of a relaxed call to arms for the people of the Netherlands? Maybe I skimmed it too quickly? I will agree that switching off my phone and pursuing creative ventures are good ideas--thanks for that!

**The PDF that I enjoyed was an advanced reader copy granted to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own and not that of the publisher.**

I love that cover and I love THE LOST ART OF DOING NOTHING! Learn how to rest using the Dutch practice of Niksen, in which you reach a kind of meditative state without thoughts by doing absolutely nada. That “space” is healing and much more than it seems. It provides a deep respite for mind, body and spirit — soooooooo needed to cope with COVID angst.

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 30 Mar 2021
#TheLostArtofDoingNothing #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, The Experiment, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.