Preamble The Servant Problem By Lewis H. Lapham It is man’s nature to be doing something, or at least to fancy that he’s doing something, but to what purpose? More
Essay Lost Tools By Donovan Hohn A tour of the antique tool trade confirms that they just don’t make things like they used to. More
Essay Treasure Hunt By Alain de Botton A person’s vocation has become more than a job—it should transform us into who we are. More
Essay The Mother of Possibility By Sven Birkerts Idleness is what happens when we thwart the impulse to plan forward, and instead enjoy the present. More
Essay A Talent for Sloth By Philip Connors Ten years as a lookout on a fire tower requires a particular aptitude for idleness. More
Essay Tools of the Trade By Peter Stothard Slavery was the energy industry of the ancients—no part of the empire was untouched by its effects. More
Essay Pushing Paper By Ben Kafka Paperwork has never fit comfortably into our idea of what work means—it has no heroes and few sympathies. More
