Rush

The stress experienced in chasing the American dream is good for us, and most of us are happier and better off as a result. The book is peppered with historic anecdotes and scientific research to back up his assertion.

The book highlights examples of research purporting to show that people who work for what they get are better satisfied than those who get a free ride. People like to compete because they like to win. Competitive instincts are embedded in human genes, and to the extent that competition drives us to excellence, it is not only a positive force; it may well have been the force most vital to human development. We compete for rewards. Competition breeds innovation; innovation means progress. In a society where there everyone gets rewarded there is no need to compete; there is no progress.

Work is the agency of competition. There is nothing wrong with working. Indeed, productive work keeps our minds sharp and our bodies healthy. Retirees, for example, tend to dry up and die away; those who keep working seem to grow old gracefully. The idea that work is a hardship, that the less one works the better is a demonstrable error. There is satisfaction in work. Work is rewarded...