>At any rate, has anyone here read Ciulla's book and have any opinions he/she
>would like to share?
I haven't read the book, but that's not going to stop me from giving my opinion.
People simply get habituated to the working life after a while. Over time you have to warp your personality and character in order to not go insane. This allows you to cope with the 9 to 9 grind every day, but after a long time you may find that you come to depend on it. Your life becomes defined in many important ways by your work situation, and when you are faced with a life without work it can easily be an identity crisis.
This is probably overdramatic, but certainly there is more than just a kernel of truth to it. I've seen it happen to friends and family members - the effect is real. Modern work wears people down and eventually makes them more submissive, less creative, and less interesting.
Brett