Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto (Rest Is Resistance, 1)

***INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER***

Disrupt and push back against capitalism and white supremacy. In this book, Tricia Hersey, aka The Nap Bishop, encourages us to connect to the liberating power of rest, daydreaming, and naps as a foundation for healing and justice.

What would it be like to live in a well-rested world? Far too many of us have claimed productivity as the cornerstone of success. Brainwashed by capitalism, we subject our bodies and minds to work at an unrealistic, damaging, and machine-level pace -- feeding into the same engine that enslaved millions into brutal labor for its own relentless benefit.


In Rest Is Resistance, Tricia Hersey, aka the Nap Bishop, casts an illuminating light on our troubled relationship with rest and how to imagine and dream our way to a future where rest is exalted. Our worth does not reside in how much we produce, especially not for a system that exploits and dehumanizes us. Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. We are enough. The systems cannot have us.


Rest Is Resistance is rooted in spiritual energy and centered in Black liberation, womanism, somatics, and Afrofuturism. With captivating storytelling and practical advice, all delivered in Hersey's lyrical voice and informed by her deep experience in theology, activism, and performance art, Rest Is Resistance is a call to action, a battle cry, a field guide, and a manifesto for all of us who are sleep deprived, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of Grind Culture.

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224 pages

Average rating: 6.3

54 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

thelexilusk
Feb 16, 2025
6/10 stars
while i found this book quite intriguing, i must admit it didn't fully resonate with me as much as i hoped it would! the central premise revolves around using rest as a form of resistance against our capitalistic society, which is a compelling idea. however, i couldn't shake the feeling that the message was somewhat overshadowed by the constant repetition of phrases centered around "capitalism and white supremacy." after finishing the book, that’s pretty much what lingered in my mind. the author shares personal insights about what rest means to her and emphasizes its importance, but the section on how to actually incorporate rest into our lives felt a bit like an afterthought. i’ve listened to interviews with Tricia discussing both her book and her Nap Ministry, and my takeaway was similar: there’s a lack of depth when it comes to practical strategies for utilizing rest as a tool for resistance. to be fair, the book does offer a few methods here and there, but if the goal is to empower readers to use rest as a form of resistance, why not dive deeper into that concept? it would have been more impactful to explore resources and actionable steps rather than get bogged down with political jargon. a balance between theory and practice could elevate the message and engage readers more fully. overall, it's a thought-provoking read, but i left wanting more when it came to practical guidance on making rest a meaningful part of our lives.
Indigenous Reader
Sep 18, 2024
5/10 stars
Very insightful as to how we rush through life,how colonization has colored our lives.
iz.ra
Jan 18, 2023
7/10 stars
A daring homily that identifies the root of our restlessness: capitalism and white supremacy. Hersey shares personal stories from their childhood as well as their experience within the grind culture. For me, I think I would have better absorbed their way of writing if I listened to an audiobook version. Still an important read to dismantle our traditional views of rest (that it has to be earned, that it's dispensable, etc.)

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