Over Work

Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life

By: Brigid Schulte

Narrated by: Rachel Perry

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

Following Overwhelmed, Brigid Schulte’s groundbreaking examination of time management and stress, the prizewinning journalist now turns her attention to the greatest culprit in America’s quality-of-life crisis: the way our economy and culture conceive of work. Americans across all demographics, industries, and socioeconomic levels report exhaustion, burnout, and the wish for more meaningful lives. This full-system failure in our structure of work affects everything from gender inequality to domestic stability, and 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 and 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—and embedding with CEOs who are making the business case for humane conditions. And she demonstrates the power of a collective and creative demand for change, showing that work can be organized in an infinite number of ways that are good for humans and for business.

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

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

©2024 Brigid Schulte (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

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

“Revelatory and inspiring, Over Work delivers the hopeful news that real change is possible. While we’ve all been tied to the grind, workers of every kind—from domestic workers to CEOs—have been building a movement, refusing to accept that our punishing, perilous way of work is the only way to organize our lives. The stories captured in Schulte’s book point to the possibility of an economy where we move beyond winners and losers to shared opportunity and true progress.”—Ai-jen Poo, President, National Domestic Workers Alliance, and author of The Age of Dignity

“Before the pandemic, millions of Americans were already struggling to manage their workload in a society that undervalues caregiving and respite while overvaluing exertion and individual responsibility. Now, the disruption of the coronavirus has set loose a power struggle over how we might reorder work to align it more with employees’ needs. Brigid Schulte is the ideal person to capture this struggle in all its complexity. Over Work is a comprehensive, timely, and humane exploration of the great work-life conundrum.”—Alec MacGillis, reporter and author of Fulfillment: America in the Shadow of Amazon

Well researched

This was well researched. However it left me feeling rather hopeless. Major societal changes would be necessary for change.