THE FRENCH ART OF NOT TRYING TOO HARD
Ollivier Pourriol
Profile Books
REVIEWED BY TED FOX
The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard is an interesting look at the French attitude towards making things appear easy. It is also an intriguing and amusing Gallic read, the author’s description of his approach to writing the book being in itself a lesson in the laissez-faire outlook.
From a very young age, we are taught that everything must be earned, effort brings just rewards and nothing comes from nothing, Ollivier Pourriol tells us.
But he is convinced ‘‘the opposite is true’’. In certain cases, making an effort is not just useless, it is actually counterproductive.
The best results in life come not from working harder, but from letting go, Pourriol says. Big decisions often happen indirectly through the accumulation of tiny decisions.
Drawing examples from an assortment of philosophers, artists, actors and athletes, from Descartes, Stendhal and Francoise Sagan to Rodin and Cyrano de Bergerac, Pourriol explores how to be efficient a la francaise and reap the rewards.
Pourriol is a popular French philosopher. He is also a novelist, essayist and lecturer who has lectured at the Philharmonie de Paris and many cinemas, where he mixes philosophy and cinema.
Ted Fox is an online marketing and social media consultant
