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pp. 260, “Rybczynski ( Home ) traces the evolution of the seven-day week back to the Babylonian calendar and, more recently, to the Great Depression, when the two-day weekend became institutionalized in the U.S., with shorter work hours viewed as an antidote to unemployment. The common 19th-century European practice of “keeping Saint Monday,” or not working on Monday, paved the way for the modern weekend, which the author sees as a reflection of our mechanized culture: “We want the freedom to be leisurely, but we want it regularly . . . like clockwork.” In an enchanting, strikingly profound meditation on the relationship between leisure and labor, Rybczynski investigates holy days, precursors of modern holidays, and sketches a social history of reading, TV-watching and gardening. His beautifully written book is full of interesting tidbits: the Japanese language has no word for leisure; 22 million Americans work more than 49 hours a week. “
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| ISBN | 0670830011 | |
|---|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9780670830015 | |
| Number of pages | 260 | |
| Original Title | Waiting for the Weekend | |
| Published Date | 1991 | |
| Book Condition | Very Good | |
| Jacket Condition | Very Good | |
| Binding | Hardcover | |
| Size | 8vo | |
| Place of Publication | New York | |
| Edition | First Edition | |
| Category: | History | |
| Author: | Witold Rybczynski | |
| Publisher: | Viking Press |
pp. 260, “Rybczynski ( Home ) traces the evolution of the seven-day week back to the Babylonian calendar and, more recently, to the Great Depression, when the two-day weekend became institutionalized in the U.S., with shorter work hours viewed as an antidote to unemployment. The common 19th-century European practice of “keeping Saint Monday,” or not working on Monday, paved the way for the modern weekend, which the author sees as a reflection of our mechanized culture: “We want the freedom to be leisurely, but we want it regularly . . . like clockwork.” In an enchanting, strikingly profound meditation on the relationship between leisure and labor, Rybczynski investigates holy days, precursors of modern holidays, and sketches a social history of reading, TV-watching and gardening. His beautifully written book is full of interesting tidbits: the Japanese language has no word for leisure; 22 million Americans work more than 49 hours a week. “
| Weight | 0.85 kg |
|---|
