In the U.S. it has been this kind of experience for much of society compared to what I’ve seen and experienced when I was living abroad. So for me this type of book seems long overdue here.
There has been way more societal pressure to overwork, overachieve, overdo, never stop, etc, since the early 80s and probably long before. The pressure cooker to “succeed” starts with parents with their very young children. Children basically miss being children and miss their childhood because they have to run in this crazy arms race to outcompete others. It’s really just a terrible form of survival of the fittest and to hell with those who aren’t so lucky to be born to the right family, right socioeconomic class, right health, and so on. They always say here there are winners and losers in this system… and for the losers they make them feel like it’s their fault…