Customer Reviews

Take Back Your Time: Fighting Overwork and Time Poverty in America

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For years I've thought of Europe as like the grandfather... sitting on the porch, watching America in action. He sits there, somewhat envious, reminiscing about the days when he used to be the top dog himself. But the envy is shortlived; in truth, he would never trade places with us, for he knows that the true cost of being able to call yourself #1 is far too high.
Money and power, after all, aren't everything.
In Take Back Your Time, de Graaf looks at a culture that is all about the material short term and cannot see beyond. It's a book that reminds us that it's OUR time, that this is a commodity that we CHOOSE to trade for things like money, status and comfort. I use the word 'remind' loosely--in truth, it's almost a new concept, for many. We hear stories of millionaires on their deathbed who would give everything to have one more year, yet other millionaires will do 15 hours tomorrow rather than think about it. Our culture is basically designed to HAVE TO work like this: the economy would go bust if we put anything before money. You could argue it's always been that way, but not to this extreme: every year we trade more hours so as to buy bigger houses, better cars, more gadgets, etc. This is a book that all of America needs to read. If only we had the time.

Wow! I am going to send a copy of this book to my team leader, as she hasn't figured out why she is always angry. It's because she is here until 9 every night, goes home to see her kids for about five minutes (who have "acted out" while she's been at work) and has to spend what little free time she has taking them to family therapists - who tell her she needs to achieve work/life balance, or, as she says, "whatever THAT is".

I would also like to give this to the productivity experts who say companies can do more with less. I'm sick of doing more with less and I am going to use this book as an inspiration to rebel. "No more 12 hour days" has become my mantra. Woe to those who try to test me on this!

Unlike many books of social criticism, this book describes how we can change our own lives and families, as we change our communities and country. The thirty essays cover a range of topics around the issue of 'time poverty.'

Particularly interesting to me were the essays on voluntary simplicity by Vicki Robin and Cecile Andrew. A common theme of several essays is how our role as consumers steals time that we could spend to enrich our lives, families, and communities. Too many of us commute to work to earn the money that we spend while shopping for things that then clutter our homes.

Federal legislation mandating minimum vacations and a shorter work week is unlikely (in the near term), but we can be more mindful of how our behavior as consumers sacrifices our time.

I'm looking forward to October 24, 2004 to celebrate the next Take Back Your Time Day.

It's the 900 pound gorilla in America that everyone should be talking about: time poverty. Most folks accept it as unavoidable; that's just the way life is. Work, work, work. Busy, busy, busy. Bulloney, says this book. I'm not doing too bad but I see the trappings of modern existence creeping into my life and I'm inspired to keep them in check. This book is particularly strong because it draws on the opinions of many progressive thinkers, rather that just one lone voice in the wilderness. Stop buying stuff, invest time in your family and community and civic society. Live deeper. I'm working on it. Are you?

I didn't have to read this book to be sold on the concept. I bought it so that I could have more facts when people asked me questions. What I gained from reading these many essays is more than simple facts. I gained a deeper understanding of how pervasive both the causes and effects are of time poverty in America. I have had no choice but to look at my own life to see what I can do differently. And I am even more certain that what the Take Back Your Time Day organizers have been doing is of immediate and necessary importance.

Why should you read this book? Because no matter how much you think you know about overwork and time poverty in America, you will almost certainly discover something new.

Having been interested in these issues for a few years, I participated in the official Take Back Your Time Day on Oct. 24. I hadn't bought the book before the event since I thought I already knew enough about the issues, but with the enthusiasm generated from the event, I purchased a copy. I was pleased to find that it's a very readable, thought-provoking book - a variety of short essays by knowledgeable people about important ideas. It offers many ideas I hadn't thought about before. Well worth the cost - both in money and in the time spent reading it!

This is a fantastic book about overwork and lack of leisure time in America, and how it affects us personally and as a society! John de Graaf has done an outstanding job as editor of this book! Get a copy for everyone workaholic you know! This is the book for the Take Back Your Time day movement that is growing by leaps and bounds! Say NO to overwork and get this book!

Out of the various books on overworked Americans, the history of time and work in America, the environmental impacts of our lifestyle, and simple living alternatives, this volume is the single best introduction to all these topics. This book makes a great gift to just about anybody who works today.

This book really illustrates the problem we have in this country. Most people are busy paying on 300K + houses, paying SUV bills and are starved for time to live life the way it is to be lived. My hope is that people will use this book to fight corporate greed and gain a real life.

This book is not repetitive like others book in genres similar. This has many wonderfully written topics on time and our lack there of it in the United States. Different issues can arise due to lack of time. Some others also cross compare other countries who have more time and leisure, yet still have a great economy with more relaxed workers. Defienntly worth the time to read and may give you ideas on starting a movement to bring about more time for us.