Bullshit Jobs
A Theory
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Bullshit Jobs
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Narrated by:
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Christopher Ragland
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By:
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David Graeber
About this listen
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber, read by Christopher Ragland.
Be honest: if your job didn't exist, would anybody miss it? Have you ever wondered why not? Up to 40% of us secretly believe our jobs probably aren't necessary. In other words: they are bullshit jobs. This book shows why, and what we can do about it.
In the early twentieth century, people prophesied that technology would see us all working fifteen-hour weeks and driving flying cars. Instead, something curious happened. Not only have the flying cars not materialised, but average working hours have increased rather than decreased. And now, across the developed world, three-quarters of all jobs are in services, finance or admin: jobs that don't seem to contribute anything to society. In Bullshit Jobs, David Graeber explores how this phenomenon - one more associated with the Soviet Union, but which capitalism was supposed to eliminate - has happened. In doing so, he looks at how, rather than producing anything, work has become an end in itself; the way such work maintains the current broken system of finance capital; and, finally, how we can get out of it.
This book is for anyone whose heart has sunk at the sight of a whiteboard, who believes 'workshops' should only be for making things, or who just suspects that there might be a better way to run our world.
'Spectacular and terrifyingly true' Owen Jones
'Explosive' John McDonnell, New Statesman, Books of the Year
'Thought-provoking and funny' The Times
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Critic reviews
"Spectacular and terrifyingly true." (Owen Jones)
"Explosive." (John McDonnell, New Statesman, Books of the Year)
"Thought-provoking and funny." (The Times)
What listeners say about Bullshit Jobs
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Zara
- 05-01-19
Entertaining, Insightful, and a damn good read
Really amazing. Delves into so many different fields. While still managing to remain grounded in the human experience.
First few chapters can be a little slow at times. While Graeber lays down the framework of bullshit jobs. But overall the whole book is really riveting. The last few chapters especially are mind blowing.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jamie
- 13-05-23
Much more than the title suggests
While this book is fairly slow in some of the early chapters, the final act expands its commentary and scope far beyond just the idea of a "bullshit" job. It takes on grand philosophical ideas around work and the organisation of labour and capital in our societies. Overall, an enjoyable listen.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- papapownall
- 18-03-20
The working man is a happy man, but not always
It is often said that the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. And it is the last three words of this sagely advice that many people crave for. This book, apparently, started as an essay on the meaningless of many types of jobs that people do in the 21st century and was then expanded into a full blown book. At first I thought this might be stretching things a tad, especially when the first few chapters were effectively riffing on the same basic theme of examples of people who consider that the way they earn their living is not worthwhile or something they can be proud of.
Futurologists of the past predicted that by now most work would be mechanised and we would all be replaced by robots leaving humans to bask in a life of luxury and leisure. They were only partly right. it is correct that many manual tasks are conducted by machines but this has lead to a growth in the "service sector" and paradoxically we all now work longer and harder at jobs that have little social benefit. It is this theme that author David Graeber explores later in the book which evolves from a tirade of the meaningless of most forms of paid employment to a more broad ranging assessment of society and the way the workplace meets our wants and needs. Interesting stuff and well structured arguments.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MR K Hayes
- 23-05-18
really enjoyed this book
some great incites and ideas from this book. a great debunking of the efficiency of markets.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- JonnieBoy
- 25-12-23
Enlightening
I was pulled in by the fascinating, funny and sometimes sad stories offered by people regarding their BS jobs. This develops into so much more and completely transformed my views on the world of work and the current economy. A really compelling, interesting and thought provoking book
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Wootton, J
- 15-02-24
An argument for freedom from bs jobs
Coherent and convincing and very interesting peering into the working lives of others. Very good
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- blackheathnick
- 09-09-21
Brilliant
As always, Graeber cuts through the paradigm, exposing the game we are made to play.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Filip Malinowski
- 19-09-23
A bit exaggerated, but compelling in several ways
For my taste the author jumps too quickly to the conclusion about how much bullshit jobs there are. Nonetheless, it describes very well my experience with my internal motivation for job, and correctly, I think, points to problems with unnecessary, soul-destroying bureaucracy.
I found it very insightful, the discussion of the need to account in economic theory for human natural desire to help each other, driving down the financial compensation for many essential jobs, and connecting that to UBI.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 23-07-23
Great insight into the modern workplace
Really interesting. Well researched insight into why so many jobs are meaningless these days. I understand now why programs where people are engaged in productive work are so popular, because so many aren't
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Hj
- 15-07-19
Excellent listen, but can't sort by chapter
Well-written and reasoned argument, but the audiobook isn't divided into chapters, and that's real bull***t!
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8 people found this helpful