Busy Bodies: Why Our Time-Obsessed Society Keeps Us Running in Place

Porn videos, sound bites, declining volunteerism, Three Mile Island and mis-read Pap tests are a few of the myriad examples Burns cites in this witty look at how a perceived shortage of time is mishaping American society. We are driven by a rule to get the most pleasure in the least time, suggests Burns, who teaches in UCLA's Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Tracking this principle as it operates in politics, manners, medicine, fitness, relationships and home life, he occasionally probes views of other societies, especially Japan. Also of interest is a history of time-telling and time-saving. Although reductive and repetitive, with too many explanations calling on quasi-algebraic equations, Burns's survey offers much to enjoy--for those who have the time. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Mar.)