Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?
How the European Model Can Help You Get a Life
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- 336 pages
- 12 hours of reading
More about the book
Acclaimed labor lawyer and author Thomas Geoghegan explores the differences between American and European lifestyles in a captivating travelogue that examines public policy. He embarks on five trips to experience European socialism firsthand, starting in France, which many Americans view as emblematic of the continent. His journey leads him to Germany, often labeled as "boring," where he discovers an economic model characterized by significant worker control, surpassing that of any other country. While acknowledging Germany's challenges, Geoghegan highlights its achievements and argues that social democracy could enhance quality of life and global competitiveness. This insightful book challenges the notion that the European model cannot thrive in the twenty-first century, suggesting it may offer valuable lessons for the U.S. Geoghegan contrasts the two regions with striking statistics: Americans average 13 paid vacation days, while Germans enjoy 35. In parental leave policies, new mothers in the U.S. receive only three months of unpaid leave, whereas Germany guarantees four months of paid leave and offers parents 67% of their salary for up to 14 months. Additionally, U.S. life expectancy ranks 50th globally, compared to Germany's 32nd. Through his exploration, Geoghegan invites readers to reconsider the benefits of the European approach to work and life.
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Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?, Thomas Geoghegan
- Language
- Released
- 2010
- Binding
- (Hardcover)
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- Title
- Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?
- Subtitle
- How the European Model Can Help You Get a Life
- Language
- English
- Authors
- Thomas Geoghegan
- Publisher
- New Press
- Released
- 2010
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 336
- ISBN10
- 159558403X
- ISBN13
- 9781595584038
- Series
- Categories
- Tags
- Business, Politics, USA, Germany, Europe, Culture and Society, Political Theories, 21st Century, Western Europe, Socialism, Economic Policy, Political Economy, Social Conditions, Quality of Life, Social Democracy
- Description
- Acclaimed labor lawyer and author Thomas Geoghegan explores the differences between American and European lifestyles in a captivating travelogue that examines public policy. He embarks on five trips to experience European socialism firsthand, starting in France, which many Americans view as emblematic of the continent. His journey leads him to Germany, often labeled as "boring," where he discovers an economic model characterized by significant worker control, surpassing that of any other country. While acknowledging Germany's challenges, Geoghegan highlights its achievements and argues that social democracy could enhance quality of life and global competitiveness. This insightful book challenges the notion that the European model cannot thrive in the twenty-first century, suggesting it may offer valuable lessons for the U.S. Geoghegan contrasts the two regions with striking statistics: Americans average 13 paid vacation days, while Germans enjoy 35. In parental leave policies, new mothers in the U.S. receive only three months of unpaid leave, whereas Germany guarantees four months of paid leave and offers parents 67% of their salary for up to 14 months. Additionally, U.S. life expectancy ranks 50th globally, compared to Germany's 32nd. Through his exploration, Geoghegan invites readers to reconsider the benefits of the European approach to work and life.