In our affluent society, technology was supposed to free us for greater leisure time and creativity. Instead, the demands of our increasingly complex lives have come up against the unyielding 24-hour day. Today many Americans are harried and frustrated with their lives, despite being richer in material goods. We have become “busy bodies,” working frantically to maintain our standard of living but not seeming to get much satisfaction.

Lee Burns explains what he calls “the paradox of the good life.” With humor and wit, he shows how this obsession with time has crept into every aspect of our lives, from our changing romantic and eating habits to the way we run our economy and politics.