Burnout: The Cost of Caring (Paperback)

~ Christina Maslach (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Malor Books (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883536359
• ISBN-13: 978-1883536350
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #529,615 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Even more relevant today, June 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Burnout: The Cost of Caring (Paperback)

I'm sorry to see that this book is out of print, because it's even more pertinent today than when it was first written. The author describes the problem of "burnout" common in people in the helping professions, and points out that its causes come from the work environment rather than the individual. This is in contrast to most other studies of burnout, which view it as strictly the individual's problem and thus something to be treated on the individual level. She identifies the institutional problems that can lead to burnout -- e.g., excessive workloads and lack of control -- and offers suggestions on how to improve the work environment. In the era of "managed care," underfunded schools, and lack of support (financial and emotional) for people in the helping professions, her advice is more important than ever. Her 1997 book is excellent, but it focuses more on corporations, while I think the helping professions still have the worst problems with burnout. The writing in this book is more heavily "academic," but it's a thorough and believable study, and still very much worth reading.