The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure
by Juliet Schor

Why, contrary to all expectations, do Americans enjoy less leisure today than at any time since the end of World War II? In the last twenty years the average employed American has seen his or her working hours increase by the equiavalent of one month a year - and this dramatic spurt has hit nearly everybody, men and women, professionals and low-paid service workers, across industries and occupations. Why are we repeatedly 'choosing' money over time? Indeed, are we the ones doing the choosing? The author's explanation for the decline of leisure lies chiefly in the strong historic preference of employers for longer hours. The book shows how the demands of employers, growing unemployment, and ultimately the addictive nature of consumption form a seamless web in which long hours are the typical outcome. The solution, Schor maintains, will require more than mere laws cutting back the work week. It wil require a whole restructuring of the way we work and play.