Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life

"Brigid Schulte is a vital voice on the future of work, & her carefully researched book lights the way to fewer hours, less stress, & more meaning."
―Adam Grant, #1 NY Times bestselling author of Think Again & Hidden Potential, & host of the podcast WorkLife

From the New York Times bestselling author of Overwhelmed, a deeply reported exploration of why American work isn't working & how our lives can be made more meaningful

Following Overwhelmed, Brigid Schulte's groundbreaking examination of time management & stress, the prizewinning journalist now turns her attention to the greatest culprit in America's quality-of-life crisis: the way our economy & culture conceive of work. Americans across all demographics, industries, & socioeconomic levels report exhaustion, burnout, & the wish for more meaningful lives. This full-system failure in our structure of work affects everything from gender inequality to domestic stability, & it even shortens our lifespans.

Drawing on years of research, Schulte traces the arc of our discontent from a time before the 1980s, when work was compatible with well-being & allowed a single earner to support a family, until today, with millions of people working multiple hourly jobs or in white-collar positions where no hours are ever off duty.

She casts a wide net in search of solutions, exploring the movement to institute a four-day workweek, introducing Japan’s Housewives Brigade—which demands legal protection for family time—& embedding with CEOs who are making the business case for humane conditions. And she demonstrates the power of a collective & creative demand for change, showing that work can be organized in an infinite number of ways that are good for humans & for business.

Fiercely argued & vividly told, rich with stories and informed by deep investigation, Over Work lays out a clear vision for ending our punishing grind & reclaiming leisure, joy, & meanin