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A review by gautamgopalk
Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
Shoji Morimoto, a young Japanese man in 2018, decided to start a "do-nothing rental" in which people can request his presence in various situations where he would be present and do nothing. This seemingly absurd concept has grown into a popular phenomenon with very creative requests from clients and it has culminated in this book, Rental Person Who Does Nothing, published originally in Japanese in 2023 (and this version in English being published in 2024). The book is a very light read, which is extremely fun and hilariously written.
The book provides an insight into why people request such a service, with numerous descriptions of actual scenarios sprinkled in the narrative in which the author was rented as "a person who does nothing". He only charges train fare for the commute to the location and the cost for food (if any was incurred). It is written in the form of a memoir with a brief introduction to the thought process and philosophical idea that began this service. There are some thoughts on the financial aspect of "do-nothing rental" (or lack thereof). The highlight of this book is the recounting of the incredibly funny reasons for which this service was used. The book falls shorts of being a memoir as it leaves the reader with more questions than answers but it doesn't detract from being an entertaining read.
The book provides an insight into why people request such a service, with numerous descriptions of actual scenarios sprinkled in the narrative in which the author was rented as "a person who does nothing". He only charges train fare for the commute to the location and the cost for food (if any was incurred). It is written in the form of a memoir with a brief introduction to the thought process and philosophical idea that began this service. There are some thoughts on the financial aspect of "do-nothing rental" (or lack thereof). The highlight of this book is the recounting of the incredibly funny reasons for which this service was used. The book falls shorts of being a memoir as it leaves the reader with more questions than answers but it doesn't detract from being an entertaining read.