It Is a Lot of Work Writing about Not Working

Tim Ferris, author of The 4-Hour Work Week, stole a line from me before I was about to think of it and use it in one of my books.

Tim writes, "The truth be told, it is a hell of a lot of work writing about not working."

The nerve of the guy!

As the author of The Joy of Not Working, I should have exlusive right to this line.

Perhaps I will have to sue him.

As Mark Twain once said, "I can’t do any more writing because I’m contemplating a gigantic lawsuit and looking around for a defendant."

Here are a few more quotes about writing by writers.

I you want to be a writer - stop talking about it and sit down and write!
- Jackie Collings

Write drunk; edit sober.
- Ernest Hemingway

I'm a lousy writer; a helluva lot of people have got lousy taste.
- Grace Metalious

When I had got my notes all written out I thought I'd polish it off in two summers, but it took me twenty-seven years.
- Arnold Toynbee

The three great essentials to achieving anything worthwhile are; first, hard work, second, stick-to-it-iveness, and third, common sense.
- Thomas Edison

Ernie Zelinski

Author of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

(Over 125,000 copies sold and published in 9 languages.

Letter from Indonesia about The Joy of Not Working

This is an e-mail I recently received about The Joy of Not Working:

From Indonesia about The Joy of Not Working

----- Original Message -----
From: Fredy Irjadi
To: Ernie Zelinski < ( at ) telus (dot, dot) net
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 11:33 PM
Subject: Introduction

Dear Mr. Ernie Zelinski,

First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Fredy, from Jakarta - Indonesia. I had read your book of "The Joy of Not Working" and I can say that is a great book ever I read before.
For your information, I work in Information Technology for more than 9 years and I'm 31 years old now. Since year 2000, I try to establish my own business with IT Developer team, specialize in web application development. So every time we got the project, we develop together and I can call myself and my IT Developer team as a work alchololic to cathch up the schedule of the projects.

But when I read your book, I believe and realize that I had spent my free time with useless activities, like : shopping, watching television or movie, have a party with friends, etc which I admitted to myself that those activities indirectly make me as a consumtive person. That's why I try to change myself. Now, I have my own therapy for myself; starting with exploring my hobbies and intention in painting, art and some how (amazingly) I have some ideas to make a new educated game for children.

Hm, actually, at this time, I want to discuss many things regarding to your books. This is the first thing that I want to discuss with you. I admitted that your book can bring a new concept of healthy life for white-collar workers. I live in Jakarta - Indonesia, the capital city of Indonesia, which most of people here live very consumtive with disadvantage activities, like drunk, smoking, watching tv all day long, sleep all day long, etc. I do want to share this new concept by starting to my friends. But I don't think that this new concept can be accepted by my friends.

For your information, Indonesia is located in South East Asia, which the people is very protective with new concept or idea by changing their habits. And it's hard for the people to change their habit into the positive one. For example, the book of Steven Covey, "The 7 Habbits", the popular one. This books takes many years (about 4-5 years) to change the attitude of the people here.

Another thing, the book of Robert Kiyosaki, "Rich Dad Poor Dad", until this time, many people try to manipulate each other by Quadrant. But according to me, the book teach people how to manage their cash flow between cash flow in with the cash flow out.

And according to me, your book also can be used to manipulate other mind by quitting the job and enjoy life. When I read your book, I know what's the most important point that you would deliver to the people that people should use their free time by doing something that can bring advantage to their self or to others. I don't know whether my point is correct or not. But I believe that my point of your book is fit my life

Now the question that I would like to discuss with you. How to deliver my point of your book to my friends regarding to the culture of people here that so hard to accept new concept of life or idea that can change their habbit ?

I guess that' all for this time and I'm looking forward your reply. Thank you very much for your attention.

Have a nice day.

Sincerely,

Fredy Irjadi

PS : Have you visit Indonesia ? Or Bali maybe ? If you haven't, I can accompany you someday.
Cheers

Here are some retirement resources to check out:

World's Best Retirement Book by VIP BOOKS

Updated reviews on Ernie Zelinski's Bio at Redroom:

http://www.redroom.com/publishedwork/joy-not-working-a-book-retired-unemployed-and-overworked-21st-century-edition

http://www.redroom.com/publishedwork/how-retire-happy-wild-and-free-retirement-wisdom-that-you-wont-get-your-financial-advi

http://www.redroom.com/publishedwork/career-success-without-a-real-job-the-career-book-people-too-smart-work-corporations

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/living-wild-and-free-life

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/books-about-retirement

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/a-place-retire-how-retire-happy-wild-and-free

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/quintessential-reading-how-retire-happy-wild-and-free

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/entrepreneur-or-employee

The Joy of Not Working - Retirees Still Don't Have Time to Do the Things That They Would Like to Do

I just received this e-mail about my international bestseller The Joy of Not Working:

----- Original Message -----
From: Liz Hardwick
To: Ernie Zelinski
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 9:32 PM
Subject: Thank You

Just want to say thank you for a great read (The Joy of Not Working) will make sure I tell people about it.

We moved to Canada from England 10 years ago – got tired of the rat race – now live in Horsefly BC and couldn’t be happier, still not got time for all the things we want to do but it sure beats working.

Liz Hardwick

Incidentally, I am presently looking for a U.S. distributor for my two books Career Success Without a Real Job and How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free since Random House purchased Ten Speed Press and terminated the distribution Agreements that I had with Ten Speed Press.

I have indicated to U.S. distributors that I intend to sell 500,000 copies of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free over the next 10 years or so.

I have backed this up by showing the distributors a newspaper article from 1992 in which I was quoted as saying I intended to sell 100,000 copies of The Joy of Not Working.

For the record, The Joy of Not Working has now sold over 225,000 copies.

Go to this webpage for some tell-tale signs that you should be reading Career Success Without a Real Job:

Career Success on Twitter

The Joy of Not Working Steers Another Workaholic in the Right Direction

I recently received this e-mail from Tom S. (last name not given due to nature of e-mail) in California.

----- Original Message -----
From: Tom S.
To: vip-books (at) telus.net
Subject: Re: The Joy of Not Working

Hello Ernie,

I just picked up your book The Joy of Not Working this weekend. The
title sort of grabbed me. I have been out of work since April and
(so far) have found very little joy in it. Then I came to page 50
and fig 4.2 with the two boxes of before and after for a workaholic.
It was me. My marriage had been bad for years and finally ended
earlier this year. In effect I had already crossed off one item in
my box a long time ago. Then my employer decided to help me cross
off the other one. No wonder I felt lost, desperate, alone, and with
no idea where to turn. The only two things that mattered to me were
gone. From that I went through one compulsion after another. First
women (the serial dater), exercise, you name it. None made me happy.
Now I realize it’s not about finding a passion, it’s about finding
all of them. I am going to get to work right now filling up my box.

Thanks for steering me in the right direction. I’ll take it from
here.
Tom

Sonoma, CA

There are many more reasons to read The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked. For the record, this international bestselling book has now sold over 225,000 copies and has been published in 17 languages - soon 18 (Bulgarian this time).