The Myth of Laziness

The Myth of Laziness by Mel Levine, M.D. 

Quote from the back of the book: 

"When we call someone lazy, we condemn a human being.  I am convinced that laziness is nothing more than a myth - hence the title of this book.  Everybody yearns to be productive.  Every kid would prefer to do his homework and be praised for its quality.  Every grown-up would like to generate output that merits a raise or a promotion.  It's all part of a natural search for both recognition and self-satisfaction.  As I've said, it's a basic drive.  Therefore, when someone's output is too low, we shouldn't accuse or blame that individual. Instead, we should wonder what could be thwarting that person's output, obstructing their natural, inborn inclination to produce."

"There are constructive ways to help children and grown-ups with output failure.  There's even more we can do to prevent output failure.  But to be most effective, we have to both understand what it takes to be productive and identify the specific weaknesses that trip up so many people."