Burnout: The Cost of Caring

by Christina Maslach, Philip G. Zimbardo (Introduction)

This book shows how to recognize, prevent and cure burnout syndrome for nurses, teachers, counselors, doctors, therapists, police, social workers, and anyone else who cares about and for people. Christina Maslach, the leading pioneer in research on burnout, offers help using illustrative examples and first-hand accounts. She points out what causes the feelings of emotional exhaustion, the callous indifference to people's problems, and the sense of inadequacy about one's ability to help and relate to others.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Business

302 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1982

Reviews

[Angel T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an older book but it has some great resources and really explains the different facets of burnout. I used this book as part of my research for a Masters thesis. I found it to be very insightful and it connected to much of the other research. I came across this book because so many of the other burnout articles and studies used this as their main means of measurement.

Overall, well written.

[Mrs C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important book. This author keeps getting mentioned alongside Herbert Freudenberger. This is important reading material for those who want to know more about burnout. Very accessible.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty fascinating book. In essence, the author argues that burn out is not a personal development inefficiency but rather the natural result of engage in jobs that have more cognitive demand than a person's supply could possibly meet. This really makes me think deeper about the Cognitive Load Theory.

In essence, we can't just think of jobs as paychecks. Rather, there's a parallel currency (cognitive load) that's attached to it. Given that people have limited cognitive capacity, one ought to pick jobs that grants one lower capacity so one can actually take the paycheck and enjoy it.

Author noted that there are jobs (nurses, social workers, teachers etc) that's innately designed to drain a person's cognitive load. The author noted that when a person's cognitive load is drained, human resorts to Heuristics to save mental load dealing with others. This could lead to black and white thinking, de-humanization and such. The author concluded that the best way to resolve those issue isn't just having a stronger supporting system, but rather to prevent being in this pickle to begin with.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read on this topic.

I am a very picky reader if it's below 4 stars on Goodreads I don't read it. That's why when I was recommended this classic I was shocked to see it was rated 3.5.

That is criminal, this book was one of the best laid out books about the causes and management of burnout I've ever read.

Even though the book is in the realm of healthcare providers it is universally applicable.

It goes over cause, effect, and most importantly useful practical coping mechanisms. It provides a realistically pragmatic view, which in many ways, may be why the book might not have higher ratings. As someone who has dealt with burnout it's frank and to the point.

If you're looking for a fluff piece and something more self help this isn't for you. If you've been burned out and want to make sure you're getting the most effective and proven advice on how to effectively deal with it and prevent it this is gold.

[Robert Bogue · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been many years now since I first experienced burnout – and since I have written about it. I was not – and am not – in the kind of professions that Christina Maslach focuses on in her book Burnout: The Cost of Caring, but I experienced burnout just the same. My works were Tips for Identifying Burnout in Yourself and Your Staff (June 23, 2003) and Breaking Out of Burnout Mode at Work (June 30, 2003). They were part of a weekly column I was writing at the time. I expressed a general sense of what burnout is and some useful tips for getting out of it, but I didn’t have the clarity on the topic that I now have. Unfortunately, Burnout: The Cost of Caring doesn’t seem to offer any more clarity than my articles so many years ago. However, there some nuggets to be gained.

Click here to read the full review

[Sara Stefanoni · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Letto per la tesi)

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am getting really interested in this topic especially as it applies to non-profit and government employees. This apparently was the first comprehensive book on the subject, or at least the most famous one--it definitely lays out the problems but is weaker on the solutions. That makes sense since the problems were not usually identified or openly discussed when the book was first published (they still aren't). To me it was great groundwork for work remaining to do.

[Esme · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad. It tells me everything I already knew from experience. However, I suspect that, for academic purposes, this is an important book that has opened the academic dialog about emotions in life.

[Susan Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A staple for therapists and people in the caring professions.