The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain De Botton

ISBN: 9780375424441

Pantheon Books | 02 June 2009

Hardcover | 326 pages

We spend most of our waking lives at work — in occupations often chosen by our inexperienced younger selves. And yet we rarely ask ourselves how we got there or what our jobs mean to us. The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work is an exploration of the joys and perils of the modern workplace, beautifully exploring what other people wake up to do each day — and night — to make our frenzied world function. With a philosophical eye and his signature combination of wit and wisdom, Alain de Botton leads us on a journey around an eclectic range of occupations — from rocket scientist to biscuit manufacturer, from accountant to artist — in search of what makes jobs either fulfilling or soul‑destroying, and asks urgent questions about why we work and what work means in our lives.