Mike Carruthers

We have a seven-day week for no practical reason whatsoever. Yet imagine what life would be like without the week. If you go to the grocery store every week, but we had no week, how would you express that or understand that? Without the week, we would have to have some other way to schedule our lives. We love the week. So where did it come from and why does it seem to work so well?

Here to explain it is David Henkin. He is a professor of history at the University of California at Berkeley and author of the book, The Week, a history of the unnatural rhythms that made us who we are. Hey, David, welcome to Something You Should Know.

Here to explain it is David Henkin. He is a professor of history at the University of California at Berkeley and author of the book, The Week, a history of the unnatural rhythms that made us who we are. Hey, David, welcome to Something You Should Know.

Here to explain it is David Henkin. He is a professor of history at the University of California at Berkeley and author of the book, The Week, a history of the unnatural rhythms that made us who we are. Hey, David, welcome to Something You Should Know.

Great. Thanks. So I have to admit, I've never really thought much about the week or talked about it as a topic of conversation. What is it about the week that makes it so interesting and made you write a book? And why are we talking about this?

Great. Thanks. So I have to admit, I've never really thought much about the week or talked about it as a topic of conversation. What is it about the week that makes it so interesting and made you write a book? And why are we talking about this?

Great. Thanks. So I have to admit, I've never really thought much about the week or talked about it as a topic of conversation. What is it about the week that makes it so interesting and made you write a book? And why are we talking about this?

Does everyone have a week? Is pretty much the whole world A weak centric.

Does everyone have a week? Is pretty much the whole world A weak centric.

Does everyone have a week? Is pretty much the whole world A weak centric.

So who came up with this? Where did it come from?

So who came up with this? Where did it come from?

So who came up with this? Where did it come from?

And as clearly as arbitrary as the seven-day week seems to be, it has stuck. It works. And it makes you wonder why. I mean, it's been universally adopted, even though it's so arbitrary. I wonder why.

And as clearly as arbitrary as the seven-day week seems to be, it has stuck. It works. And it makes you wonder why. I mean, it's been universally adopted, even though it's so arbitrary. I wonder why.

And as clearly as arbitrary as the seven-day week seems to be, it has stuck. It works. And it makes you wonder why. I mean, it's been universally adopted, even though it's so arbitrary. I wonder why.

Well, I'm no biblical scholar, but in the Bible, there is talk of God creating earth and then resting on the seventh day. So doesn't that mean there was a seven-day week in the Bible?

Well, I'm no biblical scholar, but in the Bible, there is talk of God creating earth and then resting on the seventh day. So doesn't that mean there was a seven-day week in the Bible?

Well, I'm no biblical scholar, but in the Bible, there is talk of God creating earth and then resting on the seventh day. So doesn't that mean there was a seven-day week in the Bible?

um began observing weeks and in fact there is no evidence uh that people used the seven day week as a calendar system for a society from many centuries after after the bible was written but since it has lasted so long it has become part of everything what does it do for us and and does it get in the way of things or is it just i mean why does it can it continues on so it must fill some need or some purpose