Time Off! The Leisure Guide to San Francisco [Paperback]

Dean LaTourrette (Author), Kristine Enea (Author)

Book Description

Series: Time Off! | Publication Date: November 15, 2006

Time Off! The Leisure Guide to San Francisco helps the underworked, the overworked, and those who simply aren’t working — by choice or otherwise — make the most of their leisure time in the City by the Bay. Part guidebook, part reference, and part leisure manifesto, the book offers practical advice on obtaining unemployment insurance, curing the unemployment blues, finding odd jobs, getting along without a regular job, and saving money in innovative ways. Chapters on volunteering and going back to school help make down time rewarding and productive, while sections on rediscovering the city — with a wealth of suggestions for shops, restaurants, nightlife, fairs and festivals, and little-known attractions — celebrate the leisure time in down time. More than just a how-to or travel guide, the book offers a positive, guilt-free assessment of leisure, reminding readers that it is possible to be gainfully unemployed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Take this book to heart and you'll someday consider your job loss as the best thing that ever happened. -- Ethan Watters, author of Urban Tribes

Time Off! gave me a wealth of ideas for enjoying life after City Hall. The book beautifully represents San Francisco. -- Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr.

Time Off! is full of practical ideas and thoughtful medicine, delivered with a big, funny spoonful of sugar. -- John de Graaf, national coordinator, Take Back Your Time Day and co-author, Affluenza --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

The founders of leisure itself??? Well, not quite. Dean LaTourrette and Kristine Enea grew up in the same hometown and have lived in San Francisco for the past 15 years. Both worked in the technology industry during its peak and subsequent bust. They have been successfully unemployed since 2001, pursuing creative interests and attempting to perfect the leisure lifestyle. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Team Productions; 2nd edition (November 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974108413
• ISBN-13: 978-0974108414
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coordinator of Client Services - Glide Memorial Church, June 7, 2004

By 

William Hibbitts (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time Off! The Unemployed Guide to San Francisco (Paperback)

As a social worker in San Francisco running vocational training programs, the first thing we do is try to get our unemployed clients to perceive their situations in the most positive light possible - not always an easy task. The generous stack of books that the author herself presented to our organization in hopes of alleviating some of the above mentioned stress have been of great help with this daunting task.

Personally, after thumbing through the chapters, I have not only over come any fear of losing my job in the environment of layoffs and downsizings, but now secretly await my own "Time Off!" - don't tell my boss.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unemployment Doldrums Got You Down in San Francisco? Read This..., March 4, 2007

By 

Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Time Off! The Leisure Guide to San Francisco (Paperback)

Escaping unscathed from the dot-com fallout, Dean LaTourrette and Kristine Enea have taken a cue from Cary Grant's character in 1938's "Holiday" when he chose to take an extended period of adventurous unemployment despite pressure from his fiancée's family to accept a staid, unfulfilling job at a bank. Although they state that they have been "successfully unemployed since 2001", each has found the financial means to pursue their creative interests in order to build an ideal leisure lifestyle. Their most renowned outlet has been their "Time Off!" books, which I think are terrific, eminently readable resources for those wondering how to handle the abrupt reversal between time and money when between jobs.

I still have a ragged, used copy of the first edition which was called "The Unemployed Guide to San Francisco". The switch to "Leisure" seems quite intentional, especially since much of the text is directed to anyone in a high-stress situation. In fact, the first part of the book is devoted to the art of leisure, and it gives informative stepwise advice on managing the transition to unemployment. This section covers not only the psychological aspects, including nagging feelings of guilt and dismantling time schedules based on going to work, but also practical advice on dealing with dwindling financial resources. I particularly like how they clearly define the three phases of money management - Finance 101 for planning and budgeting, Finance 202 for paying off debt and keeping a cash reserve, and Finance 303 for getting cash in the immediate term.

By far the biggest part of the book, Part 2 is a cleverly organized guide to free or low-cost activities in San Francisco, including museums, festivals, volunteer organizations and a great matrix of the more famous coffeehouses. Granted some of the information is dated (e.g., the National Maritime Museum is closed until 2009), this was still immensely helpful to me when I was unemployed and trying to live comfortably in one of the world's most expensive cities. There is even a large section on travel and how you can reasonably journey to far-flung locales on a budget. It's inevitable that the book should end with how to manage the transition back to the job hunt and work, and the co-authors remain steadfast in ensuring you incorporate leisure even during this process. The revised book feels a bit heavier, but the graphics remain pleasing and the text relatively light-hearted. I think it's a great instructional resource for those trying to make the best of a most trying time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Year of Living Dangerously, December 17, 2004

By 

Kevin C. Goebel (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Time Off! The Unemployed Guide to San Francisco (Paperback)

Yesterday was my one year anniversary of not working. I picked up this book shortly afterwards and as a result, I have to say that this last year was the best year of my life. I have to highly recommend it for the unemployed of the SF Bay Area. Not only does it provide some interesting, low-cost things to do in the City, but also (and more importantly), it addresses the psychology of unemployment. It's easy to get in a funk when you're unemployed - this book will help you see it for a chance of an excellent adventure.