NOT DOING: THE ART OF EFFORTLESS ACTION

Given today's increasing pace of change and the constant, excessive busyness that results, it's not a surprise that so many people are struggling, feeling stretched beyond their limits, overwhelmed, and exhausted, besieged by the demands of complex projects and workplaces. They are engaged in a kind of "doing" that is more effort and struggle than the kind of "doing" that comes from a place of presence, openness, and aliveness. Not only is the latter method of "doing" ineffective and unsustainable, but ultimately leads to stress, anxiety, and burnout.

This book, by the authors of the award-winning Not Knowing: the art of turning uncertainty into opportunity (Best Management Book of the Year), explores the limits and dangers of "doing"; how do they play out in our lives and workplaces; what is driving, or contributing, to our excessive activity; and what would a different kind of "doing" look like, that is less about control and struggle and more about well-being, harmony and creativity.

Steven D'Souza is an associate fellow at Said Business School, University of Oxford, author of Brilliant Networking (Prentice Hall), and co-author of Made in Britain, and Not Knowing (LID Publishing). He is also the director of Deeper Learning Ltd.