Surely, many are afraid of their jobs, but others simply endure the process. One hundred years ago, working conditions were appalling and workers formed unions to air their grievances and build new labor laws that treated workers fairly. Today, workers simply accept their fate instead of fighting for reform. It makes the reader wonder what the difference is, and why today's workers are "content" with the system. All of this work and stress directly relates to American issues in recreation and leisure. Americans are taking fewer vacations. Movie theater attendance is down; more people are watching films in the comfort of their own homes. Fast food is what is on much of the nation's dinner plate, and busy families rush from school to athletic practice to bed just about every day of the week. Where is the fun in recreation and leisure when it becomes a "job" too? Americans are so overscheduled, they have to schedule "appointments" with themselves to exercise, and they even hire pet sitters for their stressed out pets who are depressed and lonely without human attention. Work has come to mean everything in our culture, and those who allow work to take a backseat to other pleasures are seen as "slackers" or "lazy."

Ultimately, the contents of this book indicate what is wrong with working too much, and how to change it. Too much work can cause stress, depression, health problems, and ultimately, lost work hours and poor decision-making. Americans need to work...

It is a difficult lesson to learn, as this book clearly illustrates. However, our society places so much value on work, there is less time for recreation and leisure than ever before. That is a sad statement for families, for Americans, and even for the companies who are fueling the overwork in the first place. When work becomes an all-important aspect of society, the society suffers, and there are illustrations of that in our own society every day. We work too much, enjoy it less, and enjoy ourselves less in the process, and that is a sad statement about the American worker.
In conclusion, this collection of essays shows that Americans work too much for their own good. While leisure time is important, even vital to mental and physical health, it seems for many Americans, that leisure time is spent in front of the television or computer, rather than in other leisure pursuits. Recreation and leisure are still important to our society as a whole, but fewer people are taking vacations, relaxing on the weekends, and engaging in other types of entertainment, recreation, and leisure activities. America is a work-oriented society, and many industries expect (or demand) long hours from their employees.

References

De Graaf, J. (ed.). (2003). Take back your time: Fighting overwork and time poverty in America. San Francisco. Berrett- Koehler Publishers.