Synopses & Reviews
James S. Kunen—author of The Strawberry
Statement, which inspired the 1970 cult film
by the same title, concerning student protests
in New York City—chronicles his adventures
on the road to finding meaning in work and
life. He traces his evolution from a rebellious
youth who sees working as a kind of death,
to a laid-off corporate executive who experiences
not working as a kind of death, to a
reinvented individual who finds something
modest but meaningful to do: teaching
English to immigrants.
The experience of falling victim to Americas
recession-ravaged economy, and his subsequent
discovery of a much different career
path than he had originally intended, teach
this man that the fruits of labor do not just
have to be financial stability. After years of
making a living, Kunen finally learns how to
make a life. Diary of a Company Man speaks
not only to aging baby boomers who have lost
their jobs but also to young people starting
out on their career paths who want to find
their lives.James S. Kunen—author of The Strawberry
Statement, which inspired the 1970 cult film
by the same title, concerning student protests
in New York City—chronicles his adventures
on the road to finding meaning in work and
life. He traces his evolution from a rebellious
youth who sees working as a kind of death,
to a laid-off corporate executive who experiences
not working as a kind of death, to a
reinvented individual who finds something
modest but meaningful to do: teaching
English to immigrants.
The experience of falling victim to Americas
recession-ravaged economy, and his subsequent
discovery of a much different career
path than he had originally intended, teach
this man that the fruits of labor do not just
have to be financial stability. After years of
making a living, Kunen finally learns how to
make a life. Diary of a Company Man speaks
not only to aging baby boomers who have lost
their jobs but also to young people starting
out on their career paths who want to find
their lives.
Review
“When I was a teenager, The Strawberry Statement shaped my view of
the world and my place in it. Now James Kunen has done it again, with his
acute, observant, funny and moving story of what's truly important in life.
Diary of a Company Man is timely and timeless—a beautiful piece
of writing and enduring source of inspiration.”
—Jonathan Alter, author of The Promise: President Obama, Year One
Synopsis
The funny, insightful, and inspiring story of a 1960s campus radical turned corporate PR man who finds himself, along with his fellow baby boomers, in a place called "Too Young to Retire and Too Old to Hire" James S. Kunen--author of The Strawberry Statement, an account of the 1968 student uprising at Columbia University--chronicles his adventures on the road to finding meaning in work and life. He traces his evolution from a rebellious youth who sees working as a kind of death, to a laid-off corporate executive who experiences not working as a kind of death, to a reinvented and reinvigorated individual who discovers something important and meaningful to do.The experience of falling victim to America's recession-ravaged economy (and the people who run it) leads him along a career path far different from anything he had planned. After years of making a living, Kunen finally learns how to make a life. Diary of a Company Man will be a revelation not only to baby boomers but to young people trying to figure out what to do with their lives.
Synopsis
James S. Kunen—author of
The Strawberry Statement, an account of the 1968 student uprising at Columbia University—chronicles his adventures on the road to finding meaning in work and life. He traces his evolution from a rebellious youth who sees working as a kind of death, to a laid-off corporate executive who experiences not working as a kind of death, to a reinvented and reinvigorated individual
who discovers something important and meaningful to do.
The experience of falling victim to Americas recession-ravaged economy (and the people who run it) leads him along a career path far different from anything he had planned. After years of making a living, Kunen finally learns how to make a life. Diary of a Company Man will be a revelation not only to baby boomers but to young people trying to figure out what to do with their lives.
About the Author
James S. Kunen is the author of The Strawberry Statement, Standard Operating Procedure, and How Can You Defend Those People?. He worked as a public defender in Washington, D.C., and later as a journalist/executive with Time Warner. His articles have appeared in the New Yorker, People, Newsday, and New York Times Magazine. He is currently a teacher of English as a second language for immigrants. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.