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Waiting for the Weekend Audible – Unabridged

Nadia May (Narrator), Witold Rybczynski (Author), Inc. Blackstone Audio (Publisher)

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"We work," Aristotle wrote, "in order to have leisure." Today, this is still true: "Thank God it's Friday - I'm out of here!" we exclaim. But is the leisure that Aristotle spoke of - the freedom to do nothing - the same leisure we look forward to each weekend?

In Waiting for the Weekend, Witold Rybczynski unfolds the history of leisure. There have always been breaks from the routine of work: taboo days, market days, public festivals, holy days - we couldn't survive without them. He explores the origins of the week and the observance of the Sabbath, and shows how, beginning with the industrial revolution, when workers began staying home on Mondays, the practice of "keeping Saint Monday" evolved into the familiar institution of the weekend.

"At first, the five-day week was common in only three industries: the needle trade, building construction (where well-organized unions had been aggressive in seeking shorter hours), and to a lesser degree printing and publishing, where the change from the half-Saturday to the full-Saturday holiday was slow in coming."

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Product Details

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 5 hours and 26 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Audible.com Release Date: October 24, 2000
Language: English
ASIN: B0000545HU
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
- #372 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Sociology > Social Theory
- #3023 in Books > Business & Money > Economics > Labor & Industrial Relations
- #3028 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Specific Topics > Labor & Industrial Relations

Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars

5 star		43%
4 star		43%
3 star		14%
2 star		0%
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Top Customer Reviews

Natural Rhythms

By J. Brian Watkins VINE VOICE on February 26, 2007

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

Rybczynkski has a wonderful gift for exploring the seemingly ordinary. Why should a week have seven days? Haven't we always had Saturday and Sunday off? What about ancient civilizations using other calendars?

All of these questions and more are answered. However, the book is recommended not because of the answers, but because it evidences the joy of scholarship--the pleasure of researching and discovering forgotten truths that illuminate present practice. I wish my High School teachers had recommended books such as this as Rybczynski demonstrates that everything has a story worth knowing and that our modern world is based upon a real foundation of historical facts.

And, besides all that, it made me tremendously grateful to live in a world where we have a chance to live independently of our professions and occupations, where we have the ability to spend time on private pursuits.

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A thought provoking essay

By A Customer on December 11, 1998

Format: Paperback

This delightful shortish (234 pages) book is a sort of rambling essay on first the development of the seven day week and the two day weekend (which unlike the 365 day year, the 30 day month and the 24 hour day, are not dictated by celestial phenomena) and then on the rise of leisure.
Rybczynski provides many interesting facts: where the names of the days come from; how the Depression led to shorter workdays; that Henry Ford was one of the early advocates of shorter work hours because he foresaw that workers would be better consumers if they had more free time, etc.
It also raises several fascinating arguments: that thanks to automation and specialization in the workplace, most of us probably require greater skills in our leisure pursuits than in our jobs (one inevitably thinks of Chuck's 4 handicap); that the recent increase in folks average hours of work is a result of the rise of leisure, most 40 hour jobs will pay for life's necessities, the increased hours pay for vacation houses, country club memberships, boats, etc..
It all makes for a very diverting & thought-provoking entertainment.

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Of Work as a four letter word.

By Justin Playfair on May 11, 2013

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

This is a transitional account of the period when agrarian people migrated toward industrialization, and the problems encountered in leaving the seasonal aspects of day/night to the adjustment to the seven day week.
It is entertaining to say the least as we learn about the Early closing association, what is a lushington? How this all began and how shopkeepers and clerks were much worse off than factory workers. This gets rid of the myths of the Dickensian sweat shop and shows how workers, other than poverty stricken widows with children, countered the demands of factory management by "disappearing" after payday and returning to work again four days later. Also, suggested reading -George H. Watson's article on "The Decline of Leisure"

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Outstanding book - very worthwhile

By Darren Rushing (rushing@tstar.net) on February 24, 1999

Format: Paperback

In an overall sense, this is an outstanding book. Rybczynski, has an ability to force the reader to think about life situations normally taken for granted. In, Waiting for the Weekend, the author looks at several angles concerning the ideas of the "weekend" and "leisure". After reading this book, I will never look at leisure the way I did in the past. This is not the type of book to read if the reader does not want to be challenged. Rybczynski's writing style is thorough, witty, and informative. This is a worthwhile book.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

A Delightful Excursion

Another interesting and endearing look at an off-beat topic by Mr. Rybczynski, this one on how we got to the weekend. Read more

Published on December 30, 2013 by Anne Mills

just o.k.

he is an excellent writer but i did not find this as interesting as some of his other works. i have reread his the perfect house many times.

Published on October 2, 2013 by mjm

food for the mind

I thought it was a great summer reading book to keep your mind level headed and not out in space twenty-four seven. It places facts into your mind and leaves room for open thought. Read more

Published on August 9, 1999