The Week

A History of the Unnatural Rhythms That Made Us Who We Are

By: David Henkin

Narrated by: Pete Cross

We take the seven-day week for granted, rarely asking what anchors it or what it does to us. Yet weeks are not dictated by the natural order. They are, in fact, an artificial construction of the modern world.

With meticulous archival research that draws on a wide array of sources - including newspapers, restaurant menus, theater schedules, marriage records, school curricula, folklore, housekeeping guides, courtroom testimony, and diaries - David Henkin reveals how our current devotion to weekly rhythms emerged in the United States during the first half of the 19th century. Reconstructing how weekly patterns have insinuated themselves into the social practices and mental habits of Americans, Henkin argues that the week is more than just a regimen of rest days or breaks from work: It’s a dominant organizational principle of modern society. Ultimately, the seven-day week shapes our understanding and experience of time.

©2021 David Henkin (P)2021 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Meh

I couldn't get past the middle bit that goes on and on about 19th century America. More interested in the rest of the world but too bored to see if it'll get there.

skip it

I thought it would be a history and narrative of how we came to the week. Instead it is hours of trying to convince me that the week is an important unit of time. And the narration is dry and I think incorrect (it's probably regimen and not regime). skip it.