Staff Picks
Labor and Its Discontents
- Bland L.
- Thursday, September 03, 2020
Collection
The world of work was being upended even before the coronavirus pandemic drove the US unemployment rate to record highs. The “gig economy,” robotics, and offshoring, to name but a few factors, have reshaped traditional employment in ways that are not yet fully understood. As we observe Labor Day, this is a good time to take a look at how we got here and what may be in store for us in the labor market. The books listed below offer a range of views on the subject, from critiques of Silicon Valley’s role in degrading work life to constructive advice on finding meaning and fulfillment in your job.
The Globotics Upheaval
Globalization, Robotics, and the Future of Work
Published in 2019
"Digital technology will bring globalisation and robotics (globotics) to previously shielded professional and service sectors. Jobs will be displaced at the eruptive pace of digital technology while they will be replaced at a normal historical pace. The mismatch will produce a backlash - the globotics upheaval"-- Provided by publisher.
Your Rights in the Workplace
An Employee's Guide to Fair Treatment
Published in 2019
"Get paid fairly and on time; protect yourself from harassment and discrimination; fight a wrongful termination; includes workplace laws for all 50 states"--Cover.
Designing Your Work Life
How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work
Published in 2020
"A book that shows how to find meaning and satisfaction in your work life"-- Provided by publisher.
A Great Place to Work for All
Better for Business, Better for People, Better for the World
Published in 2018
"What was good enough to be "great" in business 10 or 20 years ago is not good enough now. Even the Best Workplaces can--and must--do better. In the emerging economy, all organizations must create a Great Place to Work For All"-- Provided by publisher.
The Once and Future Worker
A Vision for the Renewal of Work in America
Published in 2018
With Donald Trump's rise to the presidency has come widespread awareness of the economic and social crisis facing much of the nation. Yet while everyone now cares, no one understands what happened or knows what to do. Most recommendations presume that we should proceed down our present path while somehow creating better government programs to drag along everyone falling behind. "I'm for globalization and a strong safety net" seems likely to become for the next generation of insulated but determinedly respectable professionals what "I'm socially liberal and fiscally conservative" was for the last. How this differs from what we have been trying, or why it should work better, is anyone's guess. The Once and Future Worker steps into this gaping void. It explains how decades of bad public policy, not irresistible and uncontrollable forces, have pushed America to the brink. The 1960s are known for their social upheaval, but the decade also marked the bipartisan transition to a national economic policy that sacrificed the needs and interests of workers in pursuit of faster growth and rising consumption. That mistake has eroded the foundation of productive work and destabilized the structures of family and community on which long-term prosperity depends. Looking through the lens of work flips the national debate on its head-or, rather, returns it to its feet. New approaches to reform emerge for the environment and organized labor, trade and immigration, education and the safety net. "Growing the economic pie" transforms from a pleasant platitude to the most insidious phrase in politics. The result is dismay at what we have done to ourselves, but also optimism that a thriving society remains within reach.
The Proximity Principle
The Proven Strategy That Will Lead to the Career You Love
Published in 2019
Right now, 70% of Americans aren't passionate about their work and are desperately longing for meaning and purpose. They're sick of "average" and know there's something better out there, but they just don't know how to reach it. One basic principle--The Proximity Principle--can change everything you thought you knew about pursuing a career you love. In his latest book, The Proximity Principle, national radio host and career expert Ken Coleman provides a simple plan of how positioning yourself near the right people and places can help you land the job you love. Forget the traditional career advice you've heard! Networking, handing out business cards, and updating your online profile do nothing to set you apart from other candidates. Ken will show you how to be intentional and genuine about the connections you make with a fresh, unexpected take on resumes and the job interview process. You'll discover the five people you should look for and the four best places to grow, learn, practice, and perform so you can step into the role you were created to fill. After reading The Proximity Principle, you'll know how to connect with the right people and put yourself in the right places, so opportunities will come--and you'll be prepared to take them.
Rise of the Robots
Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future
Published in 2015
"In Silicon Valley the phrase "disruptive technology" is tossed around on a casual basis. No one doubts that technology has the power to devastate entire industries and upend various sectors of the job market. But Rise of the Robots asks a bigger question: Can accelerating technology disrupt our entire economic system to the point where a fundamental restructuring is required? Companies like Facebook and YouTube may only need a handful of employees to achieve enormous valuations, but what will be the fate of those of us not lucky or smart enough to have gotten into the great shift from human labor to computation?"-- Provided by publisher.
No Hard Feelings
The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work
Published in 2019
"A visual exploration of how to embrace emotion at work and become more authentic and fulfilled while staying professional. When it comes to emotions at work, there's rarely a happy medium. In some offices, your boss might send snaps of her weekend getaway in Vegas, or your coworker might send twenty texts about how Susan ate his clearly labeled lunch...again. Other offices are buttoned-up emotional deserts, where crying is only allowed in the bathroom and you suspect your coworkers might be robots. Either extreme hurts employee health and productivity. Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy take a charming and deeply researched look at how emotions affect our professional lives and how we can navigate emotions at work. The modern workplace can be an emotional minefield (Do I shake my boss's hand or give her a hug? Did I forget to mute my phone on the conference call?) filled with unwritten rules. As our jobs become more collaborative, complex, and stressful, effectively embracing emotion is more important than ever"-- Provided by publisher.
Bullshit Jobs
Published in 2018
"'Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world?' David Graeber asked this question in a playful, provocative online essay titled On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs. He defined a bullshit job as 'a form of paid employment that is so completely pointless, unnecessary, or pernicious that even the employee cannot justify its existence, even though as part of the conditions of employment, the employee feels obliged to pretend that this is not the case.' After a million views in seventeen different languages, people all over the world are still debating the answer. ... Graeber, in his singularly searing and illuminating style, identifies the five types of bullshit jobs and argues that when 1 percent of the population controls most of a society's wealth, they control what jobs are 'useful' and 'important.' ... Graeber illustrates how nurses, bus drivers, musicians, and landscape gardeners provide true value, and what it says about us as a society when we look down upon them. Using arguments from some of the most revered political thinkers, philosophers, and scientists of our time, Graeber articulates the societal and political consequences of these bullshit jobs. Depression, anxiety, and a warped sense of our values are all dire concerns. He provides a blueprint to undergo a shift in values, placing creative and caring work at the center of our culture, providing the meaning and satisfaction we all crave."--Jacket.
Ask a Manager
How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work
Published in 2018
From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York magazine's work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to navigating 200 difficult professional conversations--featuring all-new advice! There's a reason Alison Green has been called "the Dear Abby of the work world." Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don't know what to say. Thankfully, Green does--and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career.
Beaten Down, Worked Up
The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor
Published in 2019
Examines the income inequality and declining social mobility endured by today's workers, along with the decades of worker power reductions and the increasing political and economic control of the wealthy.
Temp
How American Work, American Business, and the American Dream Became Temporary
Published in 2018
Work
The Last 1,000 Years
Published in 2018
Presents the history of labor from the thirteenth century up to the present, discussing how the definition and economic structures surrounding work have changed over time and how unpaid and exploited work is an ignored but vital part of the modern economy. -- Publisher's description.
Joy at Work
Organizing Your Professional Life
Published in 2020
"The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn't felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being. There is another way. In Joy at Work, bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters. Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind."--Amazon.
That's What She Said
What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together
Published in 2018
Outlines anecdotal solutions for harmonious working relationships between the sexes, citing the unique contributions of professional women and how their male counterparts can implement a healthier business culture that bridges gender gaps.
A Collective Bargain
Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy
Published in 2019
"From longtime labor organizer Jane McAlevey, a vital call-to-arms in favor of unions, the only force capable of defending our democracy"-- Provided by publisher.
Dying for a Paycheck
How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Perfomance--and What We Can Do About It
Published in 2018
Productivity Hacks
500+ Easy Ways to Accomplish More at Work--that Actually Work!
Published in 2018
"Improve your productivity, increase focus, and enhance your organizational and time management skills with these 500+ easy tips and tricks for getting more stuff done. We all know about Post-It notes and to-do lists--and now, with this handy guide you can take productivity to the next level! Learn to use technology to your advantage, schedule your time wisely, and organize your materials for maximum efficiency. Some of Productivity Hacks's easy-to-implement tips include utilizing "do not disturb" features on your phone and computer to avoid distractions, scheduling a specific time to check your email instead of shifting focus again and again, and creating templates for your most-used email responses so you don't need to do the same work twice--and many more! From accomplishing more in the workplace to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, these tips will help hone your focus and time management skills in simple, manageable steps. You'll be amazed how much more you can achieve over the course of a day!"-- Provided by publisher.
Reprogramming the American Dream
From Rural America to Silicon Valley--making AI Serve Us All
Published in 2020
"Native rural Virginian and now Chief technology officer at Microsoft, Kevin Scott, discusses the future of AI and how it can be realistically used to promote growth even as the job landscape shifts"-- Provided by publisher.
The Job
Work and Its Future in a Time of Radical Change
Published in 2018
"In a brilliant but sobering work of journalism, Ellen Ruppel Shell takes a hard look at the forces that are reshaping the nature of work in America, overturning the often espoused mythology that retraining workers in software, engineering, and the sciences is the key to job security and career success, and achieving the middle-class dream in the future. In a wide-ranging narrative that takes us from a downsized marketing executive in Massachusetts, to a father of three in Appalachia finding purpose and meaning working in a convenience store chain, to an unemployed autoworker retraining in "advanced manufacturing," Shell reveals how work is essential to our flourishing and pyschological well-being--and how so many of the avenues to well-paid and meaningful work will be challenged in the years ahead. The future of work is not being faced openly. We live in a world where the rewards of employment are concentrated in the hands of the few. Today, the top 10 percent of wage earners in the U.S. bring home 9 times the income of the other 90 percent, and the top.01 percent earn 184 times as much. The economic gap between the few and the many is so vast, Shell says, that we might as well be members of a different species. Moreover, since the 1970s, real wages for most of us have stagnated, and with it our purchasing power. Half of all Americans earn less than $30,000 a year. And the paths to landing those good-paying jobs that secure our financial future are disappearing in the wake of automation and the rise of AI"-- Provided by publisher.
The Employer's Legal Handbook
How to Manage Your Employees' Workplace
Published in 2019
A comprehensive guide to the major legal issues facing employers, from hiring to firing (and everything in between). In Nolo's plain-English style, this bestseller cuts through the legalese to provide all the information business owners and managers need to know to avoid legal problems and treat employees fairly.
Career Rookie
A Get-it-together Guide for Grads, Students and Career Newbies
Published in 2019
"A shot of encouragement, a kick in the ass, and a loving push for young people who have no idea what they want or how to get it Career Rookie is a book for every grad, student, and 20-something who feels lost, overwhelmed, and anxious. It tackles the emotional and logistical WTF-ness of starting your career, answering questions like, What if I don't have any experience? What if I went to school for something I hated? What if I have NO IDEA what I actually want? Should I just suck it up and settle? Because, honestly, this career thing is starting to give me an ulcer. This fresh, fun guide gives even the most lost and overwhelmed a way forward. It explores passion, curiosity, uncertainty, self-sabotage, and more on the quest to shake off post-graduation paralysis. Finding the right career can seem impossible, but Sarah Vermunt is the fun-loving, straight-talking coach we all need to make feel-good work a reality."-- Provided by publisher.
The End of Loyalty
The Rise and Fall of Good Jobs in America
Published in 2017
In this richly detailed and eye-opening book, Rick Wartzman chronicles the erosion of the relationship between American companies and their workers. Through the stories of four major employers--General Motors, General Electric, Kodak, and Coca-Cola--he shows how big businesses once took responsibility for providing their workers and retirees with an array of social benefits. At the height of the post-World War II economy, these companies also believed that worker pay needed to be kept high in order to preserve morale and keep the economy humming. Productivity boomed. But the corporate social contract didn't last. By tracing the ups and downs of these four corporate icons over seventy years, Wartzman illustrates just how much has been lost: job security and steadily rising pay, guaranteed pensions, robust health benefits, and much more. Charting the Golden Age of the '50s and '60s; the turbulent years of the '70s and '80s; and the growth of downsizing, outsourcing, and instability in the modern era, Wartzman's narrative is a biography of the American Dream gone sideways. Deeply researched and compelling, The End of Loyalty will make you rethink how Americans can begin to resurrect the middle class.
The Power of WOW
How to Electrify Your Work and Your Life by Putting Service First
Published in 2019
"In The Power of WOW, Zapponians from every part of the business share powerful stories and lessons that they have learned in business and life -- from delivering empathetic customer service in the face of devasting circumstances to creating a self-organized organizational structure using Market Based Dynamics and everything in between"-- Provided by publisher.
Bored and Brilliant
How Spacing out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self
Published in 2017
"Explains the connection between boredom and original thinking, exploring how we can harness boredom's hidden benefits to become our most productive and creative selves without totally abandoning our gadgets in the process. Grounding the book in the neuroscience and cognitive psychology of 'mind wandering' - what our brains do when we're doing nothing at all - Manoush includes practical steps you can take to ease the nonstop busyness and enhance your ability to dream wonder, and gain clarity in your work and life."--Dust jacket flap.