108 books
—
34 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline Of Leisure” as Want to Read:
The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline Of Leisure
by
This pathbreaking book explains why, contrary to all expectations, Americans are working harder than ever. Juliet Schor presents the astonishing news that over the past twenty years our working hours have increased by the equivalent of one month per year—a dramatic spurt that has hit everybody: men and women, professionals as well as low-paid workers. Why are we—unlike eve
...more
Get A Copy
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
March 24th 1993
by Basic Books
(first published January 28th 1957)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Overworked American,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about The Overworked American
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline Of Leisure
This book inspired me to be that slacker that I am.
As others have mentioned, this book feels dated because it was written in the late 1990s. Fortunately, the author has published similarly themed books more recently. Reading this book now just makes it seem like more of a harbinger. It also has me wondering what carrots employers will dangle to get us to work long hours when we're no longer dependent on them for health care in the very near future.
This book is important because it drives the point home about how much has been taken from us in t ...more
This book is important because it drives the point home about how much has been taken from us in t ...more
The Overworked American is an incredible work of academic inspection that is totally relatable to the general public, and which touches on topics and issues that most of us - if not all of us - can identify with.
At the risk of vastly oversimplifying this book, Schor argues these things:
- Americans work more than they need to.
- Americans work more than they want to.
- Americans aren't getting more leisure time as time passes, but in fact are receiving less.
- Business elites are to blame for this^ ...more
At the risk of vastly oversimplifying this book, Schor argues these things:
- Americans work more than they need to.
- Americans work more than they want to.
- Americans aren't getting more leisure time as time passes, but in fact are receiving less.
- Business elites are to blame for this^ ...more
Great book. She talks a lot about materialism/consumerism, work/family issues, and how to get out of the cycle of "work and spend", from a progressive economist's viewpoint. There's a good history of the work week, dating back to medieval Europe (and beyond that, though with much less precision in her estimates). It's a bit dated (1992), but if the stats on working hours were updated, she could pretty much leave everything else alone and it would still be relevant to today. One of the fine econo
...more
Should be required reading. How and why the 8 hour day and 40 hour week are kiling our society and our selves.
Why wasn’t this book assigned reading in my doctoral program? Schor covers economics, labor relations, psychology, and sex and gender. A definite classic.
An approachable, mostly statistics-based analysis on American work habits over the past century. Schor demonstrates that Americans work hours, both at home and at the workplace, have increased. Though most households have appliances such as washing machines and microwaves designed to save time, Americans now spend more or the same amount of time on housework as they did before. And generally speaking, most employees will prefer higher pay as compensation rather than more flexible or reduced hour
...more
A ground-breaking study on working America that is well-researched and practical. The author traces the history of work from the Middle Ages to modern day and presents arguments from all sides. I learned interesting facts about work habits and our culture that are highly relevant to life, health and happiness but were never mentioned in any text or lecture during my four years as a business major.
This book is a launching pad into new areas of research in the fields of sociology, psychology and e ...more
This book is a launching pad into new areas of research in the fields of sociology, psychology and e ...more
Aug 18, 2012
Robert
added it
I thought it was informative and depressing; depressing because most US workers are still obsessed with the outdated "Puritan" work ethic and endless consumption. US workers - especially those who have time, like the unemployed - need to read this book. As our economy continues to be radically reshaped, and we wonder what our future work lives may be, this book presents a compelling argument to reduce our average working hours/days/months and re-invest in our families and communities.
...more
This book discussed the development of our economic system over the past 200 years or so and how it has resulted in our current state of almost constant work and lack of leisure time. Also touches on the "disappearance" of house work as real work.
...more
Apr 19, 2009
Leslie Edwards
added it
fantastic deconstruction of how our American working culture has gotten into it's current mess. it will make you think twice about all the plastic shit your're buying, whether you really need it, and whether you really want to work more to be able to have it.
...more
An urgent clarion call for everyone to just chill out before the American experiment goes irreversibly awry. Really. Just chill out, everybody.
Although a bit dated, this book shows how American society chose consumerism over relaxation as the benefit of modernization.
'Let us not forget that the point of economic growth was to increase wellbeing, not to harm it.'
...more
I thought it was somewhat humorous that I was reading this and one other book for a class and I work full time. Aside from my personal experience, I felt this book provided an in-depth understanding of the changes to the culture around working in the US and what possible changes could be made to improve the lives of employees while improving productivity in the workplace.
The Overworked American is a well-researched, but dense economic history of the our struggle with the tradeoff between time and money. What really makes this book shine is the data in the latter chapters of the book that discuss the implications of the recent research that shows the broad preference for Americans to receive more free time rather than more money as part of their compensation rise. I also found her framing of the conflict between the labor movement of the early 20th century and bu
...more
A bit too broad, too long, and a little out of date (early 90s). But some interesting quotes from before I stopped reading:
U.S. manufacturing employees currently work 320 more hours--the equivalent of over two months--than their counterparts in West Germany or France. - location 80
Yet with all these labor-saving innovations, no labor has been saved. Instead, housework expanded to fill the available time. Norms of cleanliness rose. Standards of mothering grew more rigorous. - location 166
If you n ...more
U.S. manufacturing employees currently work 320 more hours--the equivalent of over two months--than their counterparts in West Germany or France. - location 80
Yet with all these labor-saving innovations, no labor has been saved. Instead, housework expanded to fill the available time. Norms of cleanliness rose. Standards of mothering grew more rigorous. - location 166
If you n ...more
As other reviewers have noted, the statistics in this book, though dated at this point, are fascinating. However, if I read it right, the number of hours per week that Americans worked increased only slightly in the time period she studied--the real increase was in the number of weeks they worked, and she never really explained or speculated on the reasons for this. All I can think of is that it was because of a shift in the types of jobs people hold--in the 60s, maybe more people were still in
...more
Interesting reading, but would be more so if there were not burdened down with so many statistics.
Being a bestseller, one would think this would have been a "call-to-arms" to bring the unions back, bud sadly over fifteen years later the lack of time off has decreased even more. I know at my job it is less than one day then even last year, & that they wanted to take Independence day away from us this year (& already have it on the agenda to so do next year). Is this what our country has come to- ...more
Being a bestseller, one would think this would have been a "call-to-arms" to bring the unions back, bud sadly over fifteen years later the lack of time off has decreased even more. I know at my job it is less than one day then even last year, & that they wanted to take Independence day away from us this year (& already have it on the agenda to so do next year). Is this what our country has come to- ...more
Aug 29, 2007
Andi
added it
A very informative and interesting book. It made me far more aware of the business cycles that are around me. This is a great read.
I notice that unlike, Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, this book has not generated a lot of debate and commentary. I think that is rather sad, because although this book is well written, I only presents one side of a story. A unique side, to be sure, but not the only side.
I notice that unlike, Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, this book has not generated a lot of debate and commentary. I think that is rather sad, because although this book is well written, I only presents one side of a story. A unique side, to be sure, but not the only side.
Aside from being a bit old, this book takes a comprehensive look at modern working habits and compares that with several key points in history. Several oof the ideas suggested by the author for limiting overwork are effective. In the end, the author calls for a greater appreciation and more meaningful use of leisure time.
This is dated now, but still has a lot of interesting points - some of which I agree with and some I don't. There was in some cases too much repetition of certain points and not enough "fleshing out" of others, which is why I only gave it three stars.
...more
An excellent analysis of the demands on working people, the decline in workers' wellbeing, and way that we get sucked into our own oppression, backed up with scholarly research, clear argument, insightful analysis.
...more
Confirmation, as if you need any, that you're working too hard.
...more
Its not my favorite of Schor's work, but its good.
...more
Clear, lucid sociology showing how the personal is political.
tech made us work..common sense
I love Juliet Schor. All her books should be required reading.
I liked the overall theme of this book, but disagreed with the proposed government healthcare system...
A wonderful book, filled with useful stats, research, and socio-historical examples that show that leisure time in modern America has become increasingly scarce.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers also enjoyed
Juliet Schor’s research over the last ten years has focussed on issues pertaining to trends in work and leisure, consumerism, the relationship between work and family, women's issues and economic justice. Schor's latest book is Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture (Scribner 2004). She is also author of The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure and The
...more
News & Interviews
If you listen to NPR regularly, you’ve likely heard the voice of Shankar Vedantam, the longtime science correspondent and host of the radio...
16 likes · 3 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
