num_pages: 197
description: Intolerance and bigotry lie at the heart of all human suffering. So claims Bertrand Russell at the outset of In Praise of Idleness, a collection of essays in which he espouses the virtues of cool reflection and free inquiry; a voice of calm in a world of maddening unreason. From a devastating critique of the ancestry of fascism to a vehement defense of 'useless' knowledge, with consideration given to everything from insect pests to the human soul, this is a tour de force that only Bertrand Russell could perform.
language: English
title: In Praise of Idleness and other essays
titlecomplete: In Praise of Idleness and other essays
genres: Classics, Self Help, Philosophy, Sociology, Economics, Society, Science, Essays, Nonfiction, Politics
ratings_count: 5561
publisher: Atlantic Books