“Bullshit Jobs: A Theory” is a book by David Graeber that was published in 2018. It argues that many modern jobs are meaningless and serve no real purpose, and that this phenomenon is a byproduct of the current economic system. The book has sparked discussions about the nature of work and the purpose of jobs in modern society.
It’s a legit read. Get a copy here (and, you know, I’ll get a bit of a “commish” of your purchase):
In the modern workforce, many of us have experienced jobs that seem pointless, frustrating, and ultimately meaningless. In his 2018 book “Bullshit Jobs: A Theory,” anthropologist and activist David Graeber explores this phenomenon and argues that these “bullshit jobs” are a growing problem in our society.
Graeber defines 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.”
Examples of bullshit jobs include administrative assistants who spend all day sorting through meaningless paperwork, corporate lawyers who write contracts that never get used, and telemarketers who call people to sell them products they don’t need or want. These jobs not only waste workers’ time and talents, but also contribute to a culture of overwork and stress.
Graeber argues that the proliferation of bullshit jobs is a symptom of a larger problem in our society, where we place a higher value on certain types of work (such as corporate jobs) than on others (such as care work or manual labor). He suggests that by eliminating bullshit jobs and redistributing work more fairly, we could create a more equitable and fulfilling society for everyone.
Overall, “Bullshit Jobs: A Theory” is a thought-provoking book that challenges our assumptions about the value of work and raises important questions about how we can create a more just and meaningful society.