Sharing the Work, Sparing the Planet: Work Time, Consumption and Ecology - Softcover

This book is a comprehensive, up-to-date and thoughtful account of "work time reduction" which is being increasingly discussed and experimented with in many countries, particularly in Western Europe. The idea embraces an innovative range of possibilities, including a shorter working week, early retirement, and parental leave. The author argues that work time reduction can contribute to reducing ecological stress as an environmentally sound response to unemployment (some 35 million people are jobless in OECD countries) and by encouraging new notions of progress based on more free time rather than more material consumption. The author explores the political, economic, and cultural obstacles to be overcome.