What’s it about?
In Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?, labor lawyer and writer Thomas Geoghegan explores what makes the European social model—especially Germany’s—so different from the United States. While many Americans think Europe is rigid or bureaucratic, Geoghegan shows how Europeans actually enjoy more vacation time, shorter workweeks, universal health care, stronger worker protections, and higher quality of life. The book asks us to reflect on what really makes a society prosperous: is it long hours and high GDP, or security, balance, and dignity?
Book Review: Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?
by Thomas Geoghegan
Published: 2010
Review published: September 2025
What I Learned / My Take
1. Work-life balance is not a luxury but a foundation of well-being. In Germany, shorter workweeks and guaranteed vacations allow people to rest, spend time with family, and engage in civic life. Americans often think of this as laziness, but Geoghegan frames it as wisdom.
2. Strong social systems—like universal health care, affordable education, and labor protections—don’t just help individuals, they strengthen entire societies. People are freer to pursue meaningful work when their survival isn’t tied to fear of losing health insurance or drowning in debt.
3. The American obsession with “flexibility” in the labor market often just means insecurity. By contrast, Germany’s system gives workers both stability and a voice in how companies are run through co-determination. It made me rethink what “freedom” at work really means.
4. One of the most striking ideas is that Europe’s “slow growth” model may actually be more sustainable for human beings and the planet. More time for leisure and less obsession with consumption could mean a higher quality of life that GDP numbers alone can’t capture.
Scenes and Images that Stuck with Me:
- German workers leaving the office at 4 or 5 pm, while Americans brag about 60-hour weeks. The contrast is both startling and liberating.
- The image of long, paid vacations built into the system—families traveling, resting, living fully, without guilt or fear of losing their jobs.
- Geoghegan’s personal encounters with German friends who enjoy more security, less stress, and yet still live in strong economies.
- The thought of universities in Europe that charge little or nothing, compared to the crushing debt faced by American students.