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Pleasures & Sorrows of Work

by Alain De Botton
Pleasures & Sorrows of Work

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ISBN13: 9780375424441
ISBN10: 037542444X
Condition: Standard
DustJacket: Standard

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

We spend most of our waking lives at work–in occupations often chosen by our unthinking younger selves. And yet we rarely ask ourselves how we got there or what our occupations mean to us.

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work is an exploration of the joys and perils of the modern workplace, beautifully evoking what other people wake up to do each day–and night–to make the frenzied contemporary world function. With a philosophical eye and his signature combination of wit and wisdom, Alain de Botton leads us on a journey around a deliberately eclectic range of occupations, from rocket science to biscuit manufacture, accountancy to art–in search of what make jobs either fulfilling or soul-destroying.

Along the way he tries to answer some of the most urgent questions we can ask about work: Why do we do it? What makes it pleasurable? What is its meaning? And why do we daily exhaust not only ourselves but also the planet? Characteristically lucid, witty and inventive, Alain de Bottons “song for occupations” is a celebration and exploration of an aspect of life which is all too often ignored and a book that shines a revealing light on the essential meaning of work in our lives.

Synopsis

We spend most of our waking lives at work-in occupations often chosen by our unthinking younger selves. And yet we rarely ask ourselves how we got there or what our occupations mean to us.

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work is an exploration of the joys and perils of the modern workplace, beautifully evoking what other people wake up to do each day-and night-to make the frenzied contemporary world function. With a philosophical eye and his signature combination of wit and wisdom, Alain de Botton leads us on a journey around a deliberately eclectic range of occupations, from rocket science to biscuit manufacture, accountancy to art-in search of what make jobs either fulfilling or soul-destroying.

Along the way he tries to answer some of the most urgent questions we can ask about work: Why do we do it? What makes it pleasurable? What is its meaning? And why do we daily exhaust not only ourselves but also the planet? Characteristically lucid, witty and inventive, Alain de Bottons “song for occupations” is a celebration and exploration of an aspect of life which is all too often ignored and a book that shines a revealing light on the essential meaning of work in our lives.

Synopsis

Peering closely at details of the workday and workplace, de Botton gets at the whys and wherefores of routine, practice, and process, focusing a new and unexpectedly revealing light on the essential meaning of work.

Exclusive Essay

Read an exclusive essay by Alain de Botton

5 1

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating 5 (1 comments)

`
Myra L , January 25, 2011
This book is a must-read if you live in the industrialized world and ever buy or eat anything. I love this book! I want to stay home from work today and just read it--except that I'm among those lucky people who find meaning in our work. With its many photographs, experience-based narrative, and astute observations, it reminds me of my other favorite book: John Berger's "A Seventh Man." Fortunately, de Botton has written other books too!

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780375424441
Binding:
Hardcover
Publication date:
06/01/2009
Publisher:
PANTHEON BOOKS
Pages:
326
Height:
8.24 in.
Width:
5.56 in.
Thickness:
.99 in.
Grade Range:
General/trade
Number of Units:
1
Copyright Year:
2009
UPC Code:
2800375424443
Author:
Alain de Botton
Subject:
Work

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