I think that was in there, Zen. And I second his endorsement of the book. Also, the 3rd ape if you're into more anthropology stuff.
However, I do think it's purely a cultural development stemming from our obsession with material gains. You could attribute it to a thousand things, but it all boils down to that urge to succeed financially that seems to pervade the western world (and yeah, Japan). It's even today cheered as an important part of humanity, but I for one think it's spun wildly out of control and people lose sight of what's more important (having a good time
)