Work cover art

Work

A History of How We Spend Our Time

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Work

By: James Suzman
Narrated by: Matt Jamie
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About this listen

A revolutionary new history of humankind through the prism of work, from the origins of life on Earth to our ever-more automated present.

The work we do brings us meaning, moulds our values, determines our social status and dictates how we spend most of our time. But this wasn't always the case: for 95 percent of our species' history, work held a radically different importance.

How, then, did work become the central organisational principle of our societies? How did it transform our bodies, our environments, our views on equality and our sense of time? And why, in a time of material abundance, are we working more than ever before?

©2020 James Suzman (P)2020 Audible, Ltd Civilisation Economic History Economics Labor & Industrial Relations Politics & Government Sociology World Capitalism Taxation Socialism Africa
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A great book, but the audio recording was littered with mistakes and repeated sentences. A shame given how interesting the content is.

Interesting content but disappointing production

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A good book which is narrated clearly and with enthusiasm. I enjoyed the new way of thinking about work from the perspective of hunters and gatherers moving on to agriculture. Some interesting ideas a good interaction between anthropology, economics and history.

Interesting ideas

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Suzman has researched his subject well. The story is a mix of anthropology, sociology, biology, history, science & politics. There are no easy concusions, but plenty of food for thought.

Thoughtful enquiry into the history of work

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Chaps/Comrades: This is, without any doubt in my mind, the best book I have ever listened to, and Read: on this fascinating topic. Throughout the history of the Human Species. ... WORK .... Energy, Entropy/Negative entropy, Civilisation, in it's myriad forms. And the Eras/Generations dominated by innovation but also human destructiveness.

Even though it deserves - the very widest of readership - this Work will probably receive the same fate: as all the other Books on my shelves that consider 'Work' in it's broadest sense - And Humanities Future. My 3 Grandchildren's futures!

One has James's Susman's and Toby Ord's many predecessors - Socrates, Chuang Tzu, Erich Fromm, David Smail, James Lovelock, Jung, James Hillman, R H Tawney, Galbraith, Rivkin, David Attenborough and (also) a myriad of others. I exclude persons such as Steve Pinker and Yuval Noah Harari even though they are brilliant writers on 'human work' themselves.

That is, I fear that, James's Susman's amazing book will suffer the same fate - Of the MAD Ruling Elite - largely ignoring him. As they have all the others.

Too late now?

Dr M E (Mel) Henderson
Existential/Work/& Survival Psychologist
British Trained Ergonomist

From werk to Work to werk - Again

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Overall the book is OK but the title is a bit misleading. It is more like a Deep History like 'Selfish Gene' or Sapiens

Good Book but not really about Work

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