nferraro90's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to give this a 5 because I do agree with the central thesis, in that capitalism and the financialization of everything has created a whole sector of bullshit jobs (jobs that if they were to disappear tomorrow, nobody would notice). I have felt for some time that most of the jobs in finance, banking, and administration are largely worthless or in some cases outright harmful, and this book articulated my thoughts in a much more thought out manner. However, I found some of the arguments a bit too reliant on the YouGov poll cited earlier I the chapter, and a bit light on empirical data overall. Granted, the the subtitle of this book is “a theory”, and this isn’t an academic article, so Perhaps I’m being harsh. 4 or 5, this is worth reading, unless you already know your job is bullshit and don’t want to be reminded of that.
alicedroni's review against another edition
4.75
I put off reading this book for a while since I was struggling through burnout at my job and finally picked it up when i finally decided to quit and it was the perfect read.
Even if you don't work a specifically "bullshit job" yourself, there are a lot of great observations about work culture as a whole that can benefit most readers. It also has a ton of personal stories that are both eye opening, entertaining, and relatable.
Even if you don't work a specifically "bullshit job" yourself, there are a lot of great observations about work culture as a whole that can benefit most readers. It also has a ton of personal stories that are both eye opening, entertaining, and relatable.
smuds2's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
There are a few things Graeber does better than anyone else I have read (although, I am not that well read in cultural anthopology books...)
(1) Introduce a topic that is felt in the gut (in this case, bullshit jobs, in debt, that money isn't exactly what we have been led to be); expand on it to give the reader a nomeclature, such that they can, if nothing else, have a better internal dialogue with themselves on the topic; and finally, go absolutely H.A.M on the historical references, theory, and context to build up his case for the dis-believers.
(2) leave me with a sense of righteous anger and hope for a better future. Anger that all of us were robbed blind of the beautiful present we could have had, while not losing sight of the fact that we can make an impact on a better future starting now.
I would say this is my third favorite Graeber book behind The Dawn of Everything and Debt. There are a few arguments that, while I'm not unconvinced of, seem a bit off (his reference to the moralist argument for paying everyone the same amount for example). None of them were foundational, I don't think, and they weren't egregious or anything - it was more like "I don't think I can bring this book to my dad as an explanation of all of this stuff without imagining him putting the book down when he reads part xyz".
Still, on the whole, something that I think everyone should read as they enter the workforce (at least - the first four or so chapters.)
(1) Introduce a topic that is felt in the gut (in this case, bullshit jobs, in debt, that money isn't exactly what we have been led to be); expand on it to give the reader a nomeclature, such that they can, if nothing else, have a better internal dialogue with themselves on the topic; and finally, go absolutely H.A.M on the historical references, theory, and context to build up his case for the dis-believers.
(2) leave me with a sense of righteous anger and hope for a better future. Anger that all of us were robbed blind of the beautiful present we could have had, while not losing sight of the fact that we can make an impact on a better future starting now.
I would say this is my third favorite Graeber book behind The Dawn of Everything and Debt. There are a few arguments that, while I'm not unconvinced of, seem a bit off (his reference to the moralist argument for paying everyone the same amount for example). None of them were foundational, I don't think, and they weren't egregious or anything - it was more like "I don't think I can bring this book to my dad as an explanation of all of this stuff without imagining him putting the book down when he reads part xyz".
Still, on the whole, something that I think everyone should read as they enter the workforce (at least - the first four or so chapters.)
breyramirez's review against another edition
Boring, predictable, didn't really make a point.
mtag's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
megabyte117's review against another edition
4.0
A sobering and honest dive into those jobs everyone knows are “bullshit” but remain within companies. Perhaps a little overlong by the end, though the pacing is mostly quite sharp and moved very well between key points.