Exhaustion

July 1, 2016

This book on exhaustion is somewhat exhausting to read as Schaffner (comparative literature & medical humanities, Univ. of Kent, UK; Modernism and Perversion) presents well-researched information about how definitions of being worn down have evolved. However, those facts can only be obtained in the book through veering in and out of topics. Schaffner traces exhaustion via either the human condition leading to it or the universe's influences that result in the condition by altering the human experience. At one time, exhaustion was seen as an imbalance of bodily fluids. Planetary position and then-frowned-upon sexual behaviors (such as masturbation or homosexuality) could be contributing factors. Schaffner's thesis is that because there is no Western standardized definition of energy, there is no standard for defining burnout; when we leave it to subjective terminology, we run into culture-shaping definitions of exhaustion as much as the condition itself defines behavior and the experience of illness. The author provides evidence for this argument but struggles to keep readers' interest, potentially making the book inaccessible. VERDICT Appropriate for researchers of exhaustion in the psychological, medical, and historical disciplines.--Jennifer M. Schlau, Elgin Community Coll., IL

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