Insights from "The Hedonism Handbook"

"Any fool can make things bigger, more comlex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction."
- Albert Einstein

Paid Vacations Required by Law
Sweden - 25
France - 25
Germany - 24
Portugal - 21
Italy - 20
UK - 20
Greece - 20
China - 15
Japan - 10
USA - 0*
*Though there is no national vacation requirement in the United States, some requirements do exist for public employees.

Sensible Weekly Time Allocation

WORK - 40 hrs. (it's the law!)

SLEEP - 56 hrs. (8 hours per night)

CHORES - 6 hrs. (necessary evil, delegate when possible)

LEISURE - 66 hrs. (use them well.)

10 Sure Fire Ways to Slow Time Down

1. Find a park bench, sit and observe

2. Lie in a hammock and stare at the stars

3. Bob in the ocean

4. Go for a walk without direction

5. Read a book in complete silence

6. Take a nap in the sun

7. Take a bath by candlelight

8. Sleep until you can sleep no more

9. Extend foreplay

10. Watch Swedish cinema

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues."

- Abraham Lincoln

A good hedonist knows that leisure is not a luxury or an indulgence, but a true necessity of life, and it is during leisure time that the best things in life take place. Meaningful conversation, thoughtful reflection, spontaneous laughter and human connections rarely occur on a treadmill.

10 Pleasurable Things to do before you Die
1. Go on an adventurous vacation by yourself. You'll learn about yourself.
2. Fall passionately in love. Emotional safety isn't all it's cracked up to be.
3. Visit the tropics with a lover. Whether it lasts or not, you'll always remember.
4. Camp out in the desert. Escape from civilization and clarity will come.
5. Ride in a hot air ballon. But don't jump up and down.
6. Spend a week at a retreat. Enjoy sheer indulgence.
7. Throw yourself a spectacular birthday party. It doesn't have to be big, just grand.
8. Assemble a photo album of your life. You'll see that your life has a story.
9. Have a portrait of yourself done. Everyone should be immortalized for posterity.
10. Let go of the past. It's there to remember, not to cling to.

Essential Luxuries

High Thread-Count Sheets

Good Wine

Fresh Flowers

Jewels

Regular Spa Treatments

A Flashy Wardrobe

A Good Lover

A Passport

A Hammock

A Cocktail Robe

"As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death."

-Leonardo da Vinci