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Professor James Currie releases new book "Doing Nothing"
Professor James Currie has released a new book, "Doing Nothing," published by Duke University Press in February 2026. The book explores what it means to do nothing in a world that places constant pressure on productivity and action.
Rather than focusing on rest as a tool for efficiency, Currie examines forms of inaction shaped by procrastination resignation and reflection. Drawing on examples from everyday life film and broader cultural moments, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the book connects personal experience with larger questions about time work and meaning.
"Doing Nothing" also considers how these states relate to identity emotion and creative thought, offering a perspective that challenges familiar ideas about purpose and progress.
