Synopsis
'Fantastic' - Cal Newport
'A bold vision ... lights the way to fewer hours, less stress, and more meaning' - Adam Grant
Workers across all demographics, industries, and socioeconomic levels report exhaustion, burnout, and the wish for more meaningful lives.
Drawing on years of research, Brigid Schulte traces the arc of our discontent from a time before the 1980s, when work was more compatible with well-being and many jobs enabled 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.
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 bold vision ... lights the way to fewer hours, less stress, and more meaning' - Adam Grant
Workers across all demographics, industries, and socioeconomic levels report exhaustion, burnout, and the wish for more meaningful lives.
Drawing on years of research, Brigid Schulte traces the arc of our discontent from a time before the 1980s, when work was more compatible with well-being and many jobs enabled 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.
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.
Details
15 January 2026
9781785123832Imprint: Ithaka
Reviews
'A bold vision for transforming work from a burden that takes over our lives into an activity that enriches them ... her carefully researched book lights the way to fewer hours, less stress, and more meaning'
'Revelatory and inspiring, Over Work delivers the hopeful news that real change is possible ... 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'
'Over Work is a comprehensive, timely, and humane exploration of the great work-life conundrum'
'As with her first book, Overwhelmed, Brigid Schulte has once again captured the zeitgeist and brought it home to us with a mix of unforgettable people and unacceptable facts. The American workplace needs the same kind of dramatic transformation that Henry Ford created a century ago. Over Work shows us how'
