The main assertion made is simple: Americans work more than needed and much more than most of the rest of the world does. In return, we tend to live more stressful, less happy lives. This book explores ways that business men and women can fight off the cultural norm of overworking, and what that additional time can be used for when many people derive significant meaning and value from what they do. ( )

I have a real compulsion about these types of books that suggest that my state of overtiredness and my consumer spending habits are a result of "the system" rather than me -- but that also give me suggestions on how to combat these problems. Ask me about "Not Buying It" by Judith Levine. Or Oprah's Debt Diet. Or anything about voluntary simplicity.

I enjoyed this, and it was a good collection of essays (particularly the work of Juliet Schor, who wrote "The Overworked American" and "The Overspent American", two excellent books). It didn't tell me anything I haven't read elsewhere, though. And opposed to Levine's book, which I found myself compulsively reading over and over--as if it were scripture, for god's sake--I found that I wasn't that excited about anything here. Maybe, much like other types of self-help literature, writing on the "simpler life," doesn't lend itself to breaking new ground, but rather repeating common sense. ( )