Working Ourselves to Death: The High Cost of Workaholism, the Rewards of Recovery

by Diane Fassel

Book Overview

Vividly depicting the difference between healthy productivity and obsessiveness, Fassel debunks the societal myths that perpetuate the fatal disease of work addiction. Includes self-tests, personal inventories, and daily work plans to guide readers toward balance and serenity, plus a discussion of support groups.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062503030
• ISBN13: 9780062503039
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.9" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

To the Appropriate Point

I suffered from chronic overwork several years ago - routinely working 80-100 hours weekly. As I was searching for a way out, I found this book to be particularly helpful in focusing on the key issues and finding the choices that led to the much more balanced life that I now have. This entailed leaving my work and working in another area of my organization for a year and a half (working regular hours) before leaving that organization and area to start something new (answer the call to teach) in a different area of the country. I highly recommend this book for those dealing with the consequences of overwork and desiring to search out their options for improving things where they are at, changing to something else or perhaps downsizing one's lifestyle by working part-time or early retirement. What could be more important than what you do with your time?

to the point

This has been one of the most truly useful books on the topic of workaholism that I have read. Most helpful is the disease-model approach and lots of examples of how it is acted out. Will be a page-worn book by the time I'm done with it!

So glad it's back in print

Working Ourselves to Death changed my life. I now HAVE a life. Fassel sheds light on the consequences of overinvolvement in work and provides concrete advice on how to extract yourself from the kind of soul-killing obsession that work can become. If you can't leave the office behind, this book will show you the way out.

Can't talk about stress without it.

Diane does a marvelous job of making you look at your workstyle and come to some hidden destroyers even when you think you have none. I particularly liked her frankness and most especially when she aligned her solid principles with the clergy. Excellent content, easy to read and learn form without haveing to get into psychobabble. I have referred the book every time I have given a seminar on stress management.

Recovering Workaddict

I found this to be the best book that I have read on word addiction. It is clear that Diane has been there, and she shares both from her personal as well as her professional experience. The result is a believable book that will resonate with any work addict, and will also show how to recover. I highly recommend it and I wish it was not out of print.