Time Out for Happiness

Time Out for Happiness is a warm and informal portrait of a remarkable woman who faced with joy and serenity all the problems of marriage, family,and career, and achieved outstanding success.

Writing with humor and affection, Frank Gilbreth chronicles the extraordinary partnership of his parents, which produced not only a dozen children but landmark contributions in the field of scientific management. His story follows Lillie Gilbreth from her childhood in Oakland, California, through her Commencement Day speech at Berkeley (at a time when few women attended college) to the day in Boston where the slim, shy girl from the West met the big, brash, and blustery Easterner who ran a successful contracting business and dabbled in time and motion studies.

At a time when women engineers were unheard of, Frank Gilbreth not only wanted his wife in his business, but actually moved his office right into their home. So began the unique partnership in which the Gilbreths pioneered as management consultants for industry, made early use of motion pictures to develop their time and motion studies, and published numerous technical books and papers. And Lillie’s goal, which became their goal, was not efficiency for efficiency’s sake. The minutes they saved were minutes that could be used for pleasure–time out for happiness. After Frank's death, Lillie continued the business and became one of the nation's leading authorities on home management and aid to the handicapped.

The book is a proud and triumphant climax to the Gilbreth saga. Just as Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes are "must reading" for everyone with children, so Time Out for Happiness is for everyone who has had parents.