I love the concept and premise of this book--super interesting, and of course timely! It's been interesting to watch life go on and see what role covid plays in it past a pandemic mode, as it were, and this examines that at length.

Sternberg and I definitely fall a ways apart on the spectrum politically and spiritually, and some of that plays out in how much I enjoyed (or didn't) this read. Some discernment is, as ever, necessary. And I'll admit, I plain skimmed through a portion of it--it was just tedious to me!

I understand her other books may be more readable, so I might give those a try in future. For now, this did prove nominally interesting and got me thinking. Several chapters were particularly fascinating/relevant to me, so I spent more time with those.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

WELL AT WORK by Esther M. Sternberg (Healing Spaces) offers advice for "Creating Wellbeing in any Workspace." Sternberg is Professor of Medicine, Psychology, and Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Planning at the University of Arizona. She has an impressive list of clients, including the World Health Organization. Her latest work has three main parts; the first discusses searching for well-being in the workplace, saying "Today ... we demand more comfortable, calming spaces designed to support all aspects of physical and emotional well-being." She argues that personalized work environments, not unlike individualized treatments for health, will help people to thrive. Then, in Part II, she writes about the Wellbuilt for Wellbeing Study and seven domains of "integrated health," including stress, movement, sleep, and nutrition (e.g., what stimulants besides chocolate, coffee and tea can give you a boost at work?). Other chapters are devoted to relationships, environment, and spirituality. Part III of WELL AT WORK is titled Looking Ahead and presents her thoughts on the post-COVID workplace as well as a more general look at the future of work, especially the new technological tools that will allow for measurement of biological responses and subsequent updating of the environment. Her major focus seems to be on office/managerial/government type of work; there was limited reference to factory floors or K-12 schools which would have been helpful. Sternberg tends to have a text-heavy, somewhat rambling style in which she introduces multiple resources and vignettes. She gracefully acknowledges numerous colleagues and references their scientific research, devoting approximately fifteen percent of the text to detailed notes and bibliography. Adding summaries and/or bullet points to each chapter would be helpful.

An interesting look at work and its relation to wellness. We need to rethink how we design our work environments. The part that resonated most with me was the example that buildings are designed to hold the equipment but not designed for the well being of the people who work in them.

Well at Work was a decent read for me. I like how the author provides some very practical advice, though I feel like a lot of these things are already known. I love how she went into depth about the importance of sleep. Lots of people still don't realize how important sleep is to overall health and well-being.

Appreciate the chance to receive an arc copy of this book!