James Livingston
Fuck work
Economists believe in full employment. Americans think that work builds character. But what if jobs aren’t working anymore?
Aeon, 2016
What's inside?
If work doesn’t define you anymore, what will?
Recommendation
American politicians across the political spectrum agree at least on one thing: the need to restore “full employment.” Economic historian James Livingston posits that this is both unrealistic and uncalled-for. Writing for the online magazine Aeon, he argues that the obsession with work prevents Americans from facing the realities of the 21st-century labor market and from finding a new purpose in life that doesn’t revolve around their jobs. getAbstract recommends this stirring critique of American work culture as an upper for the unemployed and food for thought for workaholics. And by the way, Livingston’s writing style is more refined than his essay’s title might suggest.
Summary
About the Author
James Livingston is history professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey. His latest book is No More Work: Why Full Employment is a Bad Idea.
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