A necessary takedown of the culture of stress and overwork, drawing a contrast between the cargo cult (and regular cult!) of hard work,with its long hours and crushing schedules, and the culture of serious work, which requires reflection, deliberation, vigilance, practice, and more than a little courage. I especially enjoyed the miniature profiles of "serenity role models" throughout the book, who remind me of the artists, scientists, and authors profiled in Mason Currey's "Daily Rituals" (a group, it should be noted, conspicuously short on overextended workaholics).