Niksen, Olga Mecking
Niksen, Olga Mecking
List: $23.99 | Sale: $16.79
Club: $11.99

Niksen
Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing

Author: Olga Mecking

Narrator: Lucy Price-Lewis

Unabridged: 5 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Harvest

Published: 01/12/2021


Synopsis

The Dutch people are some of the happiest in the world. Their secret? They are masters of niksen, or the art of doing nothing.

Niksen is not a form of meditation, nor is it a state of laziness or boredom. It’s not scrolling through social media, or wondering what you’re going to cook for dinner. Rather, to niks is to make a conscious choice to sit back, let go, and do nothing at all.
With this book, learn how to do nothing in the most important areas of your life, such as:AT HOME: Find a comfy nook and sit. No technology or other distractions. AT WORK: Stare at your computer. Take in the view from your office. Close your eyes.IN PUBLIC: Forget waiting for the bus, enjoy some relaxing niksen time.Backed with advice from the world’s leading experts on happiness and productivity, this book examines the underlying science behind niksen and how doing less can often yield so much more. Perfect for anyone who feels overwhelmed, burnt out, or exhausted, NIKSEN does not tell you to work harder. Instead, it shows you how to take a break from all the busyness while giving you sincere, heartfelt permission to do nothing.

About Olga Mecking

Olga Mecking is a writer, journalist, and translator based in the Netherlands. She contributes to The New York Times, The Guardian, The BBC, The Atlantic, and many other publications. She is the reporter who made Niksen big, her New York Times article on the subject was shared over 100k times. Since then, she has been interviewed by numerous media on the topic, from written news and blogs to radio shows.  


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lauren on September 20, 2020

Review from an actual Dutch person: We’ve all seen those trendy lifestyle books based a specific aspect of certain cultures: hygge, ikigai, lagom… and now “niksen”, which is apparently the Dutch art of doing nothing. I picked up an advance reader’s copy of this book because I was curious what it woul......more

Goodreads review by Milou on October 15, 2020

Many an off-day my (not-Dutch) friend would text me asking what I was up to, to which my answer would be ‘nothing’. And almost every time he would tell me to get of my lazy ass (after which I would inform him there is absolutely nothing wrong with my ass). And then I saw this book on Netgalley and I......more

Goodreads review by Literary on July 28, 2020

Oh how I adore this colorful guide to doing nothing, a practice the Dutch have perfected. The cover and illustrations are lively, the message reassuring and perhaps even lifesaving in this time of high anxiety. To wit: Doing less can make you happier, healthier and even more productive. Backed by sc......more

Goodreads review by CrystalIsReading on Storygraph on December 19, 2020

Like many other readers, I really enjoyed Meik Wiking's book on the Danish wellness concepts/ practices of Hygge and Lykke. So when I saw a book purporting to be about a Dutch lifestyle/ wellness practice, I was intrigued. And then I was delighted to be approved for an advanced digital copy from #Ne......more

Goodreads review by Katie on June 20, 2021

Another book that wants to be Hygge or Marie Kondo but isn’t cozy or life-changing. Mostly a ramble about how awesome the Netherlands is rather than useful instructions for me on how to feel great doing absolutely nothing. See more of my reviews: Instagram......more