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Vendor
Liepman Literary Agency
Marc Koralnik
Original language
English

LEAN OUT

Tara Henley

A Meditation on the Madness of Modern Life

A deeply personal and informed reflection on the modern world – and why so many feel disillusioned by it.
In Lean Out: A Meditation on the Madness of Modern Life, current affairs journalist Tara Henley sets out to discover alternatives to the always-on work culture of North America. From early retirement enthusiasts in urban British Columbia to moneyless men in rural Ireland, Henley uncovers a parallel track, in which everyday citizens are quietly dropping out of the mainstream and reclaiming their lives from overwork in all kinds of weird and wonderful ways.

In 2016 Henley was at the top of her game, working at the heart of Canadian media. After almost two decades in the business, she had traveled the world, from Soweto to Bangkok to Borneo to Brooklyn, interviewing authors and community leaders, rappers and philanthropists, politicians and Hollywood celebrities. She had experienced the thrill of sitting down with Beyoncé. And of arguing with Kanye West. But when she started getting chest pains at her desk in the newsroom, none of that seemed to matter.

As she began searching for a path to healing her body and mind, Henley came to a surprising realization: for the last decade, our culture has been conditioned to draw inspiration from the elite few who thrive in high-pressure environments; those who, from the desk to the home, can afford to – financially, personally – perpetually “lean in.” If she wanted to find innovative solutions to the epidemic of burnout and stressrelated illness, wasn't it time to talk to those who'd been forced to go in a different direction: the outliers, the creatives, the rebels, and the eccentrics?

Throughout her fascinating journey, Henley explores the underlying causes of these disparate movements – a rejection of consumerism, a growing appetite for social contribution, and a quest for meaningful, faceto- face contact in this era of extreme isolation and loneliness – and shares hope and inspiration for anyone who has suffered from overwork.

TARA HENLEY is a producer at CBC Radio and a books columnist for the Toronto Star. Her work has also appeared on CBC television, and in the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Walrus, and The Globe and Mail. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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Published 2020-03-01 by Appetite Books

Comments

Winter books preview: 36 reads to get you through till spring Read more...

"Travel to the land of Couldn't Be More Timely. Off to some drop-out communities whose critizens have decided to live more slowly. Would you like it there? Do you like it here?"