Geography of Time Essay

The seventh chapter â€Å"Health, Wealth, Happiness and Charity† discusses why some places are faster than others, what countries are more ready to help unknown people in need, etc. The question is where people are healthier, happier and more charitable. The author starts his research from assuming that slower people are healthier than faster. When people work harder and have less leisure they may be more subjected to health and psychological problems in contrast to people who relax more. It is argued that social well-being of community is also involved. The author says that the heart patients in waiting rooms seem to be tenser than others. Moreover, some people are constantly living self-imposed mindset of chronic tension. It means that some people tend to create problems when they are not present and feel depressed trying to solve them. It is also found that people suffering from coronary disease are characterized by time urgency, hostility and competitiveness. Therefore, faster place are characterized by increased death rates and heart attacks. The study examined 31 different countries and 36 cities in the United States. The results show that there is a strong correlation between pace of life and heart disease. Further, the author described a paradox. He writes that â€Å"people in faster places are more prone to suffer coronary heart disease, but they are also more likely to be happier with their lives†. (p. 158) Divorce rates are higher in individualistic nations, but marital satisfaction is high as well. Pace of life is claimed to have important implications for the way people are ready to take care of other people, strangers, etc. People in fast cities are less likely to help strangers in need. Moreover, people in fast cities prove to be less civilian than people in slower cities. The author concludes that fast pace of life makes people capable to find time for others. Despite less free time for relaxing and leisure fast citizens try to find time to devote to families and to help others. The eights chapter â€Å"Japan’s Contradiction† analyzes relations between coronary disease rates and a rapid pace of life in Japan. Japanese lifestyle is defined as workaholism as Japanese people have the longest working day and have the least time to relax. Japanese pace of life is the most demanding on the earth and Japanese workers work quickly and they work a lot. Japanese people have fewer vacations and they tend to avoid dread retirement. The highest reward in Japan is to be allowed to work after retirement age. Japanese workers are not bothering about Blue Mondays and, therefore, they are more likely to have psychological problems and to be inflicted afflicted with ‘Sunday Disease’. The author writes that â€Å"the magnitude of Japanese dedication to work can be dazzling†. (p. 170) Nowadays government is even trying to make people work less and to have more time for leisure. Government policy aims at making people slow down. Further, the author explains: â€Å"For the nations’ domestic market t pick up, which the government says it must, a rise in consumer spending is a must†. (p. 170) It means that leisure for Japanese workers will be a must. The notorious Japanese aversion is challenging by requirement to take vacations. Government tries to encourage vacations by claiming that taking a vacation is a sign of competence. Nevertheless, workaholism remains Japanese way of life, but the problem is that workaholism is correlated with psychological disorders and increased coronary disease rates. Nevertheless, statistics shows that death from coronary disease is rare case in the country. Cultural values of the country are centered on welfare of the collective as people are devoted to community. Japanese workers aren’t characterized by competitive hostility and anger. Therefore, the author concludes that in contrast to the United States in Japan there are little relations between fast pace of life and coronary disease rates. Time urgency doesn’t contribute to heart attacks and coronary disease.