"For all his wry humor, Morimoto makes some trenchant points about social and cultural issues like friendship, the elusiveness of human connection, artificial intelligence and the role of money."--
Bookpage "Undeniable poignancy... a narrative that transcends cultural borders... An eccentric, charming book, showing how humans can connect in the strangest of circumstances."--
Kirkus STARRED review "Distinctively Japanese musings on meaning and connection."--
Observer "A beguiling kind of picaresque."--
The Times "Lays bare the bathos and banality of contemporary life... Morimoto, though still elusive, emerges as a modern Bartleby, an inadvertent dissident, someone who has come to see his practice as being 'about enjoying the absurdity of swimming against the tide of efficiency.'"--
Guardian "Shoji Morimoto's unique memoir tracks the author's life as he refuses work and rents himself out as a passive companion."--
The Skinny "Shoji Morimoto raises questions about work, productivity culture, and companionship in this unique account of his service called 'Do-nothing Rental.'"--
Booklist "A fascinating and oddly endearing memoir."--
Library Journal "
Rental Person is affirmative of the human experience. The client case stories in this book and Morimoto's quasi-philosophical approach to them are shining attestations of the ineffable value of human fellowship."--
Brooklyn Rail
