I'm not really a fan of non-fiction, which is probably why I DNFed it. I was bored after listening to someone talking about their product like an advertisement. To readers, I would recommend skipping over that part if you are not interested.
I listened to the audiobook, which I think is the best way to consume this one!
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the audiobook!

I just finished this read, I disagree with a few earlier reviews, and overall greatly appreciate the author's intent and execution. A great discussion of play, its origin, its importance in daily life, and application to adult life, particularly in the work place. I enjoy the applications and exercises discussed, and look forward to utilizing some of these exercises with my with own personal and work family.

I have been on a journey myself to incorporate mindfulness and its basics into my daily like the author describes. I appreciate the references to play as a form of mindfulness, and ways to make small but meaningful changes in your daily steps.

I also like his frank anecdote about his past, I think it shares vulnerability and allows the readers to connect with him early on.

My main criticisms are:
1) at times, it does seem to border on a bit more advertising for the author's own products than I'd care for. To me, it detracts a bit from the read. Other reviewers have commented on this as well. To future readers, I do recommend continuing past them; the discussion behind the products does add value.
2) Some of the stories are bit verbose and redundant. Again, overall I appreciate the read, but I suspect it could have been shortened a bit without affecting its goal that is met.

My initial rating was 4 stars, but given my criticism above, I will make my overall rating to future readers of 3 stars..

Thank you NetGalley for my free book. The comments above are mine without influence.

A mix of biography, marketing, and good self-help advice, this book takes a non-standard approach to mindfulness but I think the advice and lessons in incorporating play and games o work and school life are generally good. The author does do a little too much shilling for his apps, but his descriptions of games and clear and I could see doing these things with family or at work with a minimum of cringing.

All Work and No Play was narrated by Grant Cartwright written by Dale Sidebottom. 224 pages, it isn’t very long and there isn’t any thing earth shattering about it either. He talks of his life and how he ended up wanting to share this concept, while all the time encouraging and suggesting we don’t forget to embrace our playfulness. (My words). I thought this was just ok and some things were very helpful but I thought it could of….. IDK, put together better? Just my opinion.
Thanks Gildan Media via Netgalley.

Dale Sidebottom has built a life rooted in play. By incorporating play and games into all aspects of his life, from personal to professional, Sidebottom has found a way to seize happiness in the ordinary and mundane. His book All Work No Play focuses on just that - discovering ways to incorporate play into your daily activities to lead a more fulfilling and happier life.

Going into this book, I didn't realize that the advice given was going to be play/game-based. I likely wouldn't have read this book knowing that, but it was interesting nonetheless. The book is filled with anecdotes from Sidebottom's life and work experiences, and demonstrates how he has used play to make his life better. Examples are given for both one's personal life, as well as for incorporating more "fun" into the work setting.

A main focal point of All Work No Play is the acronym "PIG." Sidebottom encourages everyone to start their day by looking forward to the challenges of the day, thinking about what might be a challenge that day, and discovering ways to make someone's day better. Sidebottom professes that if a person adopts the PIG tool, they will lead a happier life.

I think that All Work No Play would work best for leaders in the work setting. I liked Sidebottoms strategies for making workplace meetings and icebreaker events more fun and meaningful to the participants. As for my personal life, I can't see myself incorporating Sidebottom's games into my daily routine (one included challenging yourself to jump out and scare as many people as possible in one day), I did play some of them as a child bored in school growing up. Which is perhaps Sidebottom's point ... that we have lost the art of play and need to find it.

I listened to an audiobook of this book, which I do recommend. The narrator was pleasing, and the book flowed well in audio format. However, it does seems as if there were some physical examples presented in the book that I didn't have access to being that I listened to it.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was a bit different than I expected it to be. However, that it is not necessarily a bad thing. Dale is such an interesting individual and I love how he tries to infuse play, jokes, and happiness into the common work day. He even describes many games he has used in a corporate setting, in large groups, to help break the ice and help people loosen up. The book also has a heavy emphasis on gratitude and mindfulness. While I did not find all of it particularly relevant to me, I thought it was an intriguing short read and it taught some fun ways to improve relationships and reframe the reader's mindset to be more positive and lighthearted. I listened to an audio ARC and also really enjoyed the narrator.