Deserter Presents: Shirk, Rest and Play
By Andrew Grumbridge and Vincent Raison
50,000 words that will change your life - or your money back.*
Unbound Exclusives
About the book
Deserter presents… Shirk, Rest & Play, an illustrated self-help book for wannabe drop-outs, dreamers, slackers, gadabouts, smokers, jokers and midnight tokers. Ideal for holidays, birthdays and Christmas (unsuitable for Lent).
Addressing all walks of life, the authors and their panoply of wastrel acquaintances (first encountered in Today South London, Tomorrow South London, Unbound, 2018) offer ruminations on how to see beauty in the ordinary, lessons in tactical slacking and advice on how to get more out of life by doing less.
Illustrated once again by Emily Medley, the book covers all aspects of life, starting with Work and how to avoid it, before moving smartly through Leisure, Home, Money, Health, Beauty and, of course, Death, where even amidst the tears and sadness, you can still find plates of mini-burgers.
Taking things easy has long been known as an antidote to stress and a path to happiness. This, then, is a book for all times. But perhaps it is particularly relevant now.
The advent of Covid-19 has made many of us realise that there is more to life than slog, obligation and suffering. Whether it’s working from home, being furloughed, reduced working hours or even being made redundant, we have been offered a tantalising glimpse of a life with less graft, more free time and the opportunity to take lunch in bed. And many of us have no desire to return to the previous life, thank you very much.
The cat is out of the bag: work isn’t good for you, there is a magic money tree, you can turn roads into bars… But how can we implement these new learnings in the real world? How do we embrace this opportunity, navigate from the philosophical to the practical and wrest back control of our fleeting lives?
If only there was some sort of guide book. One available in all good book shops, for £9.99.
Introducing the ultimate slacker bible, Shirk, Rest & Play. This, by the way, is our working title. If you have a better idea, let us know at hello@deserter.co.uk
*Subject to completing the refund form. Also, may only be 40,000 words.
