With the advent of the modern corporate workplace in the twenty-first century, more and more people are toiling away behind desks, wearily clocking the standard forty-hour week. By 1910, writer Arnold Bennett had observed a worrying trend of exhausted wage earners whose waking hours revolved around their jobs and who had little time to spend on the business of actually living. Self-improvement was Bennett’s prescription for a speedy escape from the woes of the rat race. In his popular work How to Live on 24 Hours a Day, he advised those starved for time to set manageable goals for themselves and to pursue fulfilling activities—in much the same way that modern self-help experts urge today’s busy people to seek enlightenment, relaxation, and satisfaction in a chaotic world. Take a break from your busy day and let Arnold Bennett’s still fresh advice help you find the contentment and calm you seek.
