The Japanese edition of REST will be out in a few weeks, and I’ve started thinking about pieces that I could pitch to magazines and newspapers.
But it turns out that Joji Sakurai beat me to it in the New Statesman:
Japan has enjoyed spectacular business success by embracing a philosophy of gritting one’s teeth and putting up with crushing workloads. Yet a growing body of evidence suggests that many of the country’s achievements may have come in spite of a culture of overwork, not because of it. If Pang’s ideas are right, Japan’s admirable cult of quality – even perfectionism – could find greater opportunities to flourish without the inspiration-destroying effects of excessive labour.
Rest condemns neither hard work nor perfectionism, but rather celebrates both. The book advises us to work hard but in short bursts, with opportunities for recuperation, in order to bring out the best that we can achieve.
Maybe I can still come up with something novel to say, but he hasn’t left me a lot of room. Which is to say it’s quite a well-done piece!