Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement

by Herbert J. Freudenberger, Geraldine Richelson

Herbert Freudenberger's Burnout book is one of the best books I have ever read. It is only about 210 pages long but answers all the questions we have about the way we feel about life and the "what,why and how". It is the best self-help book EVER!! It allows you to laugh at yourself and at your coworkers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology

214 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This kind of book is hard to rate because it is so dated. The author keeps exclaiming about this thing called "a Burn-Out" that he has apparently discovered but it seems to describe all kinds of different problems, and they aren't even necessarily what I think of as burnout.
I would recommend:
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less

[Robert Bogue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like tracking back to the beginning of a topic. I want to know where things started. That’s what I found in Burn-out: The High Cost of High Achievement. I had previously reviewed some of Christina Maslach’s work – Burnout: The Cost of Caring – but her work started after or near the same time as Herbert Freudenberger. The writing is very different. Freudenberger’s perspective is down in the trenches and real.

Click here to read the full review

[Daniel Brockhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, get this book. Anyone is the psychology or religious field of study and/or practice should get this book. Most of the books about burn-out originate from this and this is one of the best books on burn-out I have ever read. I am actually so impressed I am going to do a blog series about it later.

[Adrianaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klasyk klasyków, genialnie opisane case'y z początków badania wypalenia.

[Haldun Umut Ağduk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m using this book as an introduction to my master’s thesis. It has its pros and cons, and is more of an historic introduction the question of burnout. It is nevertheless necessary to read to better understand the syndrome : there’s lots of clues to develop from.

I’ve really enjoyed the little jokes, and especially the clinical cases, which were chosen very well to illustrate the ideas of Freudenberger.

[Meg Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the social and cultural references are incredibly dated, this book was eye-opening to me on many levels. How easy it is to burn out in this culture! Through many examples I was able to see how burn out is chronic in the US, and is happening at younger ages. It helped me recognize my own behavioral patterns that buy into this madness and send me down the rabbit hole. I'm sure I'll be going back to this book for reminders as I move forward...highly recommend for everyone, even if you don't consider yourself a "high achiever."

[Michael Levitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published in 1980, but it timeless when it comes to the epidemic we face in 2019 called burnout.

[Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old, but easy to read book filled with relatable stories and some pretty relevant recommendations at the end.

Burnout stems from having unrealistic expectations and demands, and not being able to achieve them. The ways out are: to build closeness with those around us, and generally to round out our lives, reducing the all encompassing focus over a specific area of our lives, whether work, relationships, or otherwise.

When it comes to rounding out our lives the author suggests we: balance our personal needs with our goals, through being assertive, or through relaxing our expectations of success and our ideals. This second specific recommendation I think is pretty hard to swallow and in my case I feel like if my values and ideals aren’t being satisfied perhaps it’s time for a change.

He also suggests that we be kind to ourselves, reflecting back our previous insecurities and transforming them into positive messages and encouragement we’d tell our younger selves.

Another part that stuck with me is that he mentions that the larger the organization you are in the less likely you are to be in a position where you control your own destiny, and thus the greater the potential for burnout, and striving to push for perfectionism, ideals, and production, while not making any forward progress. Another way to look at this challenge is by thinking back to farmers who worked in coop groups of 3-4 where they each participated and shared in the tangible success of the group, and assisted others in times of need.

Lastly, the biggest learning he provided me was the idea that you have your own values and goals, and society has its own values and goals, some will align, and some won’t. He suggests we find ways to be defensive and protect our values in a way that doesn’t drive us insane while living in a society where those values differ. He mentions Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” as a way of framing this important lifelong challenge.

[Curtis Hu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7

A collection of a psychoanalyst's patient stories about modern woes. I'll make the assumption that most people are, to some degree, burnt out. This was an honest book and gives honest advice from an experienced psychoanalyst's viewpoint. (There's a lot of other books and media that just spits out the same "Steve Jobs" quotes, 100+ hour workweek stories, and Industrial-Revolution-fueled-ideas about the workplace. They are annoyingly popular, but they don't address the bad feelings that come with workaholism. Other sources don't really address the root of the issue or glimpse over them too quickly.)

He discusses patient stories about many hardworking people whose careers are on a rocket ship, but their stories vanish just as quickly as they spiral downwards. He talks about the symptoms, causes, its place in the societal structure we live in, common pitfalls and bad solutions, real solutions, and the compromises we have to make to accommodate the modern century. Basically, the response you'd expect from a professional and reasonable psychiatrist.

Very underrated and deserves more recognition. It puts into words the feelings you already know. It gives advice you already know deep inside. You just couldn’t summon the words. It was very insightful. You'll probably find ideas here you won't find in pop psychology books.

[Medhat Ullah · Rating 3 out of 5]

"As a practicing psychoanalyst, I have come to realize that people, as well as buildings, sometimes burn out. Under the strain of living in our complex world, their inner resources are consumed as if by fire, leaving a great emptiness inside, although their outer shells may be more of less unchanged"

[Brit Bucklee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated in its references but nonetheless informative.

[Maria De los angeles]

to read