This book is a fascinating exploration of a topic we all can relate to: exhaustion. Schaffner dives deep into the history and culture surrounding exhaustion, shedding light on how it has evolved over time. What's truly impressive is how she manages to make such a seemingly mundane subject so engaging and thought-provoking. With clear prose and insightful analysis, Schaffner guides readers through centuries of human experience, offering new perspectives and understanding along the way. If you're interested in delving into the complexities of exhaustion and its impact on society, this book is definitely worth a read.

An interesting historical read, but it made me tired to contemplate all of the ennui.

Part of a trend of tracing an idea through history, this is a study of the concept of exhaustion--not the tired-from-physically-productive-work, but the corrosive depression. Schaffner finds examples in Jason (of the Argonauts) and his railing against being tasked but having no resources, the medieval sin of sloth and its component of spiritual lacking, early modern excess of self-awareness and Hamlet's paralysis from too many choices, battlefield fatigue, cubicle burnout and the modern science of Prozac, even the resignation of Pope Benedict.