Rush
Why We Thrive in the Rat Race

Right wing analysis of why stress and competition is good for people. Work is beneficial. Big paternalistic government is evil. Argues that we wouldn't be happy in an Edenic state, nevertheless he seems to hold up eras like the fifties as some sort of Eden to be emulated.......more

There is no perfect performance from yourself to be happy. Only to know that everything rounds off itself and to know that true happiness and find your own Eden. Whether you're going to the bowling alley or spending your time in finance or yoga, you need that rush to be happy. People need to feel li......more

A key insight from the work of Adam Smith is that specialization in an economy makes us all better off in absolute terms. While this is undoubtedly true in material terms, it ignores the psychological costs that can come from hyper-specialization. And Smith himself was well aware of these psychologi......more

So many insightful stories that intermix with a good experience and references. Strong competition makes us as individual to strive, even without ever notice that we are part of the development to date. The subconscious mind and feels, did ever triggered those event to be part of survival. As we are......more

As is so often the case with these "modern/social science" type books I found the gist of the point made within the first few chapters to then be re-iterated (to the point of boredom) across those remaining. As such, I didn't finish it but was generally taken with it's premise (and I'm paraphrasing......more