NUTS TO THE JONESES

Re John Rothchild’s sensitive, stimulating review of “The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure” by Juliet S. Schor (Jan. 19):

Why are we so obsessed with competition? Not only economic, as both reviewer and author point out in the excerpt in the Opinion section, but also social competition, even in simple everyday transactions? What difference does it really make if we don’t keep up with the Joneses?

Why not make it a turnaround and sit back and enjoy our leisure--and let the Joneses keep up with us, if it matters that much.

SHERRY TERZIAN, LOS ANGELES