Bullshit Jobs A Theory
Reviews
Every job is bullshit, but it turns out a lot of jobs are I guess double bullshit or something.
David Graeber thinking out loud. A few interesting points/observations. IMO, this book also shows his lack of understanding of microeconomics and certain technical fields. At least, this was the case for my domain of expertise. Much easier to digest compared to other books. Nice thought exercise.
This book contains a lot of good ideas but at the same time, the author assumes and suggests a lot of things that are backed by nothing other than "feelings" and testimonials of random people.
I enjoyed this book and agreed with the overall message, I personally don’t think It needed to be this long of a book to get that point across to readers.
It’s fine, but it feels like he was struggling to turn his original essay into a full length book. A bit repetitive.
Pretty good book about some jobs being useless, as judged by the people themselves. Apparently in the Netherlands 40% of people surveyed said their own job is useless. Not sure what I took from the book however. EDIT: wow the author died the same day I posted this review. Rest in peace
I have been going on for 10 years about bullshit jobs and the creation of unnecessary rules and regulations. What a pleasure to find a scholar who has taken up my pet peeves as his life work. Thank you David. Perhaps one day I can join you in helping eliminate these issues from our world.
I will read everything David Graeber has written
I’m usually not a fan of books that started out as an essay, but this one surprised me in a good way. It’s not just a here’s-a-thesis-and-a-thousand-examples kind of book, it actually picks some of those examples apart, questions itself and moves on to describe a better future. Cool.
It was good, but the second half got boring
4.5
Bullshit jobs exist and will continue to thrive because we value the wrong things. We’re species obsessed with gaining more shiny objects and showing off in front of others. The majority of the products that are available for purchase are useless or simply another version of something already existing. But that’s what people want – variety. We want novelty. We want attention. At least that’s what we think we want. In all of the interviews shared in the book, a common theme appears from the depressed people doing a worthless job: “I contribute nothing to the world!” Beneath our desire for attention and a fancy title is hidden our desire for purpose. For doing something that matters in the world and actually feeling that this thing you’re doing is somehow helping humanity. Key takeaway: You have two options. Option A: You can get a sexy high-paid job in an office and spend your whole life doing utterly meaningless tasks. Option B: You can engage in no so extravagant job that comes with a significantly lower paycheck but fills your body and soul with purpose. While the first option is the common path, the second option is the one that has the potential to make you not only widely successful but also incredibly satisfied with what you’re doing. Read full summary: https://durmonski.com/book-summaries/...
Highlights
Unionized autoworkers and teachers perform a vitally necessary function, yet have the temerity to demand middle-class lifestyles. They are objects of a special ire, I suspect, by those trapped in soul-destroying low- and middle-level bullshit jobs.
The idea that half the working class (those with bullshit jobs) hate autoworkers and teachers due to moral envy is just kind of assumed to be true here with no evidence because it's convenient to Graeber's thesis. I honestly feel like the reality is the exact opposite of what he's saying here.
In fact, if we are simply talking about teaching students about efficient work habits, the best thing would be to leave them to their studies [...] Schoolwork has real content. One must attend classes, do the readings, write exercises or papers, and be judged on the results. But in practical terms, this appears to be exactly what makes schoolwork appear inadequate to those authorities—parents, teachers, governments. administrators—who have all come to feel that they must also teach students about the real world. It’s too results-oriented. You can study any way you want to so long as you pass the test. A successful student has to learn self-discipline, but this is not the same as learning how to operate under orders.
so far a tedious read and not fully convincing, but he made points here