Against Convenience

‘A wake-up call. Effort and friction aren’t obstacles to a good life – they’re essential to it.’ – Jennifer Wallace, author of Mattering

‘Offers a blueprint for living deliberately, even if that’s a little hard.’ – Anna Kornbluh, author of Immediacy: Or, The Style of Too Late Capitalism

A provocative exploration of modern 'convenience culture' – and how we can resist and reclaim our time, resilience and happiness, for fans of How to Do Nothing and The Courage to Be Disliked.

We live in a world addicted to convenience. Countless tools and innovations fill our daily lives, allowing us to swipe, tap, click and subscribe without a second thought. We order food to our front door, call an Uber for a ride down the street and scroll through the endless songs and TV shows at our fingertips. In theory, convenience should give us more energy and time to do things we want to do, and make unpleasant jobs faster and simpler. But is it working?

Against Convenience takes a hard look at the effect the services, apps and ideas that claim to simplify life are having on us as consumers and citizens: how do we spot convenience that is actually a false promise? How can we possibly live without them to live more sustainably? What real difference would it make?

An urgent call to re-examine our most 'convenient' choices, and the true cost of these to our minds, our peers, and our planet, award-winning journalist Gabe Bullard unpacks whether a slower, less convenient approach can, paradoxically, unlock a richer, more colourful existence.