We spend most of our waking lives at work -- in occupations often chosen by our unthinking younger selves. And yet we rarely ask ourselves how we got there or what our occupations mean to us. The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work is an exploration of the joys and perils of the modern workplace, beautifully evoking what other people wake up to do each day -- and night -- to make the frenzied contemporary world function. With a philosophical eye and his signature combination of wit and wisdom, Alain de Botton leads us on a ...
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We spend most of our waking lives at work -- in occupations often chosen by our unthinking younger selves. And yet we rarely ask ourselves how we got there or what our occupations mean to us. The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work is an exploration of the joys and perils of the modern workplace, beautifully evoking what other people wake up to do each day -- and night -- to make the frenzied contemporary world function. With a philosophical eye and his signature combination of wit and wisdom, Alain de Botton leads us on a journey around a deliberately eclectic range of occupations, from rocket science to biscuit manufacture, accountancy to art -- in search of what makes jobs either fulfilling or soul-destroying. Along the way he tries to answer some of the most urgent questions we can ask about work: Why do we do it? What makes it pleasurable? What is its meaning? And why do we daily exhaust not only ourselves but also the planet? Characteristically lucid, clever and inventive, de Botton's "song for occupations" is a celebration and exploration of an aspect of life that is all too often ignored and a book that shines a revealing light on the essential meaning of work in our lives.
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Add this copy of The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work: Library Edition to cart. $9.99, good condition, Sold by The Yard Sale Store rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Narrowsburg, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Brilliance Audio Lib Edn.
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Seller's Description:
Good. 6 AUDIO CDs, polished for your satisfaction for a worthwhile set, in the clamshell case withdrawn from the library collection. Library markings and stickers to the CDs. Some shelf wear to the box. Each audio cd is in an individual slot, protected and clear sounding. Enjoy this audio performance!
Add this copy of The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work to cart. $57.07, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Brilliance Audio.
A very timely book, and as is DeB's way, written from first hand knowledge, experience and interviews. Very well put together overall, with DeB's own musings and navel gazing sounding genuine.
The writing in Pleasures may strike some as a bit flowery at times, but in the end he doesn't overdo it, and it works.
