The Week: A History of the Unnatural Rhythms That Made Us Who We Are

An investigation into the evolution of the seven-day week and how our attachment to its rhythms influences how we live

“[Henkin] scours American literature, diaries, periodicals, menus and other ephemera from as far back as the 17th century to unearth fascinating evidence of the stickiness of the seven-day cycle.”—Melissa Holbrook Pierson, Wall Street Journal

We take the seven-day week for granted, rarely asking what anchors it or what it does to us. Yet weeks are not dictated by the natur...