Brigid Schulte opens by examining contemporary time pressure and overwhelm as particularly affecting working parents, especially mothers, drawing on extensive research and personal experience documenting this significant contemporary challenge.

Why this particular focus matters:

• Contemporary time pressure and overwhelm disproportionately affect working parents, particularly mothers, given persistent unequal household and childcare responsibility distribution patterns despite increased workforce participation
• Schulte's combined personal experience and extensive research grounding provides credible foundation for the book's subsequent detailed examination
• This opening establishes the book's foundational focus, motivating its subsequent detailed examination of underlying causes and potential solutions

This opening establishes the book's foundational focus on contemporary time pressure and overwhelm particularly affecting working parents, especially mothers, given persistent structural patterns.