The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard - Ollivier Pourriol

Written by Ollivier Pourriol
Read by Robert Petkoff
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps

Whether it’s the Protestant work ethic, or the capitalist need for productivity, most of us in the English-speaking world believe that in order to achieve anything worthwhile, we must first expend huge amounts of effort. In fact, just the opposite is true. In ‘The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard’, Ollivier Pourriol shows how the best results in life, love, work, art and even sports come not from working harder, but from letting go.

This is not a new idea in France: since Montaigne, philosophers have suggested that a certain je ne sais quoi is the key to a more creative, fulfilling and productive existence. We can see it in their laissez faire parenting, their chic style, their haute cuisine and enviable home cooking - the French barely seem to be trying, yet the results are world famous.

Drawing lessons from French legends like Descartes, Stendhal and Françoise Sagan, Rodin and Zidane, Cyrano de Bergerac and Coco Chanel, Ollivier Pourriol explores how to be efficient a la française, and how to effortlessly reap the rewards.