How I Sub-Contracted My Life

Original title: Comment j’ai sous-traité ma vie

Publication Date:

September 2017

Pages:

200

Original language and publisher

French | Allary Editions

Territories Handled

Worldwide excl. French

Genre

Humor

How I Sub-Contracted My Life

Original title: Comment j’ai sous-traité ma vie

  • 2 Seas Represents: World Excl. French.
  • Over 3,000 copies sold

ESSAY

It’s the funniest book out this autumn. – ELLE

Nicolas Santolaria has penned a book that is as scathing as it is alarming, on his experience that he has led for a year; outsourcing the most unglamorous tasks of his daily life to others. – Twenty Magazine

A book that is funny as well as being rich in lessons on the not-so reassuring path that our society follows. – Le Soir

The outcome is not necessarily the one we expect. In his book, the author ask himself why this is so. – 7 sur 7

With biting humour, Nicolas Santolaria recounts to us his stagnant odyssey in the confines of self-expropriation and assisted slacking. Hilarious! – Le Blog de Moon

Behind the stories of these experiences, told with much humor (we often burst out laughing while reading), the author raises existential questions on the usage of automatisms and delegating to machines. […] Absolutely a book to read, especially to read oneself! – Office et Culture

This investigation of his was absolutely hilarious to read throughout. – Gael

A truly societal documentary. It’s necessary that we think more about this. Au Fil des Mots etc.

What would our life look like once it’s been relieved of all our daily chores?

Nicolas Santolaria has given himself the challenge to create a life without chores. For one year, he delegated the management of everything that weighs him down in every day life to specialized websites and online subscription services.

Housekeeping? A robot takes care of it. Grocery shopping and cooking? In a few pedal pushes, a delivery person drops everything at his door. Standing in line at the post office? Caretaker 2.0 sends someone to wait in his place. Growing plants? All you need is an app to have a green thumb. Writing an article for the newspaper he works for? He can have it done in 24 hours, and it will cost him 5 Euros. Flirting on dating sites? Even this can be left to a professional.

Entrusting others with the small and big tasks that usually keep us busy: this privilege, which until recently was reserved for the denizens of palaces, has become democratized today. Our smartphones now offer services tailored to all budgets and needs.

With biting humor, Nicolas Santolaria tells us of his motionless odyssey in the confines of self-denial and assisted laziness.

Nicolas Santolaria is a journalist and columnist for the “Époque” supplement at Le Monde. He is also the author of Touriste regarde où tu poses tes tongs (Tourist, Watch Where You Put Your Flip-Flops Down), an ecolo-comical travel guide (Allary Editions).