 It gained notability in the UK following its inclusion in the 2008 Richard & Judy Book Club list.In his book "Essays from the Nick of Time", Slouka argues that "The humanities are a superb delivery mechanism for what we might call democratic values"  In one of the essays, "Quitting the Paint Factory", he states, "Idleness is ... requisite to the construction of a complete human being; ... allowing us time to figure out who we are, and what we believe; by allowing us time to consider what is unjust, and what we might do about it.