It’s really a great book, but if I were going to recommend Graeber to someone for the first time, I’d probably recommend Debt: The First Five Thousand Years. I think if you’re specifically after what Bullshit Jobs is offering, you’ll enjoy it well enough though. lol I just saw this was two years old.
this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2021
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Didn't even know Lemmy was two years old tbh, thought it was no more than eighteen months old
OP must not have ready the book then, seems capitalism is still in place.
I don’t exactly follow, but okay!
I haven't read the book, but based on the Wikipedia dissertation of which jobs are bullshit I kind of disagree. Take for instance this one, which isn't a strawman:
goons, who act to harm or deceive others on behalf of their employer, e.g., lobbyists, corporate lawyers, telemarketers, public relations specialists, community managers;
Good luck having a gaming company without community managers. The developers are usually so boggled down with bugs and infrastructure they don't have the time or are too burnt out to talk to the community. While you could then blame this on many other things, excellent community managers (I'm from the gaming industry and speak anecdotally) can nearly completely mitigate the problem.
These jobs might not seem too important, but without them, customers don't feel good, and if they're spending money they're spending it to have a good time. It's not about practicality, it's about giving them something that lets them live life in the moment.
I liked it.
I do not think his book is so much about which jobs are bullshit, but rather about the social/psychological effects of working in a job you yourself find to be bullshit.
People who have read this book might want to take a look at this Atlantic article detailing criticism of it—including that research data doesn't support its claims.
Lmao, that was a terrible critique. Thanks for sharing though, I always enjoy reading opposing viewpoints, even when they’ve no real constructed argument.
I thought the argument was pretty clear: his claims aren't backed up by the data.
It was less than a page of “critique” trying to address hundreds of pages of research. It doesn’t even pretend to examine his research thoroughly, and focuses on a single survey done, neglecting the entire argument the book makes, and nearly all data it presents.
People who have read this book might want to take a look at this Atlantic article detailing criticism of it—including that research data doesn't support its claims.
People who have read this book might want to take a look at this Atlantic article detailing criticism of it—including that research data doesn't support its claims.
People who have read this book might want to take a look at this Atlantic article detailing criticism of it—including that research data doesn't support its claims.
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