Work Less & Play More [Paperback]

Steven Caltin (Author), Steven A. Catlin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Catlin presents a good case for having fun enjoying life's simple pleasures. In doing so, he advocates a greatly simplified lifestyle as well as placing a priority on one's time as opposed to acquiring material wealth. That is not to say rejecting earning money; in fact, a new and different life is dependent upon saving a nice nest egg in order to work less and enjoy life more. The philosophy has a familiar ring to it; still, Catlin's orderly approach clearly spells out a method that may be followed to streamline spending, reject conformity, get rid of extraneous possessions, and increase desired leisure time. It may be a scary idea for some people--quitting a job to gain freedom--but Catlin describes another, if less widespread, way of living life without the usual shackles. Alice Joyce

Review

"...an often humorous and insightful book on putting one's business and private lives into more productive yet peaceful balance. The hurdle to overcome in this process is learning to distinguish between needs and frivolous wants; this book offers guidance in that direction without insisting the fun be taken out of life." -- Booklist

"It's a wonderfully useful and complete road map for anyone struggling to balance the demands of their job with the desire to live a happy and fulfilled life." -- David Sharp (Author of "Six Months Off")

"This book will definitely make you laugh and very likely it will make you angry. But its value is in the fact that it will make you think." -- Cheapskate Monthly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Kimberlite Pub (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965418804
• ISBN-13: 978-0965418805
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,681,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational Book on Personal Finance, December 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Work Less & Play More (Paperback)

A common sense, easy to read book that does an outstanding job of getting the reader to re-evaluate what is important in life. Today's society rates success by the amount of material posessions one has acquired. For most, this process is achieved through increased time at the office, often resulting in increased stress, and a substantial reduction in time for personal activities. This might be o.k. if your vocation is your vacation, but for most, it is not. The typical 40 year, 9 to 5 job is challanged in this book, and provides far more attractive alternatives. After reading this book, I immediately made changes in my buying decisions and lifestyle, and am much happier as a result. Everyone will get something positive out of this book. I hope Steve Catlin has a follow up book sometime in the future.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The title says it all, July 26, 2004

By 

John White - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Work Less & Play More (Paperback)

"Work Less & Play More" presents a viable alternative to the "Work till you're 65, then go home and die" tradition. Contained within this book are many techniques and strategies that can allow someone to reduce their spending and increase their savings, facilitating an early retirement or a semi-retirement.

The chapter entitled "Avoiding Consequence Costs" is excellent. The author makes a convincing argument that you need to examine the total cost of a purchase, not just the initial price. The example he uses is of a dog that has an initial purchase price of $50. But then after the initial purchase there are license fees, shots, food, and vet bills for years afterward. In addition, there is the inconvenience factor to consider: bathing, walking, cleaning up after the dog, etc.

The chapter entitled "The Law of Possessions" is equally well done. He effectively illustrates how every possession has a cost in money and time associated with it.

Another factor that makes this book worthwhile is that it's well written and enjoyable to read.

Highly recommended.

John L. White, [...]

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing In Its Simplicity, August 9, 2001

By 

bl pitney (Tucson, Az) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Work Less & Play More (Paperback)

I, for one, really liked this book! As someone who is more than ready to retire from the rat race and have shared similar thoughts, it was an affirmation of my own instincts. Catlin recommends that we evaluate the difference between needs and wants (and doesn't label "wants" as necessarily bad, asks only that we be conscious of the difference), think of the "consequence costs" of the things we buy and recommends that we simply... save our money! I've been reading plenty of books about investing and find that most of them are far too complex for those who simply don't have enough interest to learn all the details. Catlin is not recommending gambling... but conserving. His concept of a "personal treasury" worked well. His discussion of the minimalist lifestyle made a great deal of sense. All in all, well worth reading! For those who want to escape the mind-numbing conformity of corporate America and want more quality and leisure, the ideas presented in the book are right on! I would like to see more books by Steven Catlin, perhaps addressing some of the simpler investment options like low-cost mutual funds and I-Bonds.