Image: Margin by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 8 out of 10. An excellent book that describes the causes of and solutions for overcommitment and burnout.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD, author of unJoy / 12.27.2020; No. 30
Disclaimer: Yes, I am a physician, but I’m not your doctor and this article does not create a doctor-patient relationship. This article is for educational purposes and should not be seen as medical advice. You should consult with your physician before you rely on this information. This post also contains affiliate links. Please click this LINK for the full disclaimer.
Star Rating – 8 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
Richard Swenson
About the author
Richard Swenson, MD, is a family practice doctor who focuses on cultural medicine and studies the intersection of health, culture, faith, and the future. He is the author of several books on progress and its effects on people.
General description
Margin introduces a solution to combat the common human experience of the overload syndrome: being overwhelmed by the imbalances of life. The author writes from a Christian perspective but people of all religious beliefs, including atheism, can find very useful ideas in this book. Dr. Swenson’s introduction of margin as the remedy for our epidemic of stress is needed more each year as progress marches forward while our schedules increasingly overflow. Topics covered in this book include:
Concepts of the Overload Syndrome and Margin
The 6 Axioms of progress that help explain the overload syndrome and the pain it causes
Areas of life where the overload syndrome manifests
Ways to restore the Four Margins:
Emotional energy
Physical energy
Time
Finances
Unique and most important aspects
Margin is a book that really makes you think about life and your place in it. I’ve read Margin cover-to-cover four times and each time I come away with something new and important. I’ve given away this book as a gift over a dozen times. Even though Margin is well-written and organized, I have a hard time staying focused when reading it because it gets me thinking about many aspects of my past, present and future. Dr. Swenson shows a great deal of empathy for everyone experiencing overload but he also engages in infrequent mild moralizing. Important features of this book include:
Differentiating eustress, distress and hyperstress
Finding contentment, no matter where you find yourself on the Prosperity Ladder
Implementing steps to start finding contentment
Developing simplicity in life
Apportioning time rather than rank-ordering priorities to be realistic in dealing with overload
Best quotes
“Marginless is not having time to finish the book you’re reading on stress; margin is having the time to read it twice.”
“Margin, however, knows how to nurture relationship. In fact, margin exists for relationship. Progress, on the other hand, has little to say about the relational life. Even our language gives us away. When we talk of progress, we do not mean social, emotional, and spiritual advancement.”
“The overload syndrome is often inaccurately labeled weakness, apathy, or a lack of commitment.”
“Margin is the space between our load and our limits. It is the amount allowed beyond that which is needed. It is something held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipated situations. Margin is the gap between rest and exhaustion, the space between breathing freely and suffocating.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for an excellent book that describes the causes of becoming overcommitted and experiencing burnout and what to do about it would likely enjoy Margin.
Who would not enjoy this book?
People who would be bothered by mild moralizing or references to God, spirituality and Christianity might not enjoy Margin.
Conclusion
Margin is an excellent book that describes the causes of and solutions for overcommitment and burnout.