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zeibeat's review
4.0
The starting point of this essay was a provocative article Graeber published 10 years ago about how about 40% of us is working on bullshit jobs that are useless or purposeless.
This book goes deep into the subject adding some data, philosophy and English humor into it. I enjoyed the read very much
This book goes deep into the subject adding some data, philosophy and English humor into it. I enjoyed the read very much
nickedkins's review
4.0
I think the central idea of this book is important and the conversation needed to be sparked. Graeber does a great job of describing what bullshit jobs are, how they came about, what it's like to work one, and why we should be unhappy about them.
The qualitative claims seem like a stretch. The self-reporting approach makes sense in terms of assessing the psychological damage of working a bullshit job, but is less convincing if we're talking about the overall prevalence of such jobs, and Graeber stresses the '40% of jobs are bullshit' stat more than I think is justified.
Still, 4 stars, because I share lots of Graeber's values, and therefore the sections on why bullshit jobs are incompatible with a just and desirable society resonated particularly well with me.
The qualitative claims seem like a stretch. The self-reporting approach makes sense in terms of assessing the psychological damage of working a bullshit job, but is less convincing if we're talking about the overall prevalence of such jobs, and Graeber stresses the '40% of jobs are bullshit' stat more than I think is justified.
Still, 4 stars, because I share lots of Graeber's values, and therefore the sections on why bullshit jobs are incompatible with a just and desirable society resonated particularly well with me.
grimja's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.75
itst's review
5.0
The observations, concepts, and conclusions this book contains, will at some point be seen as obvious. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
In a recent interview* in the newspaper ZEIT, chancellor Scholz said: »As a social democrat, I tend to take a Lutheran view: Ultimately, it is a moral duty to work.«
And here it is the notion of work as the fulfillment of a duty for god, alive and kicking in 21st century policy.
*25th January 2024, »Der Geist ist aus der Flasche.«
In a recent interview* in the newspaper ZEIT, chancellor Scholz said: »As a social democrat, I tend to take a Lutheran view: Ultimately, it is a moral duty to work.«
And here it is the notion of work as the fulfillment of a duty for god, alive and kicking in 21st century policy.
*25th January 2024, »Der Geist ist aus der Flasche.«
forestbiiird's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.75
The main idea and the stories are just so powerful, that I'm willing to overlook some unbacked claims (such as most of Hollywood stars being children of actors). The book should be read with a grain of salt, but it's very, very thought-provoking.
joekelly37's review
5.0
Pretty much ideal as a provocative analysis of the malaise of the modern economy. Playful, easy to read, and for the most part convincing but definitely never less than interesting.