(20/06/22) I’ve read a few of Alain de Botton’s books and have always found them interesting, albeit with a somewhat flowery language and unique investigative/memoir/analytical style. This book tries to understand ‘why’ we work in the [post-] modern world by looking at a number of industries, professions, and individuals in some detail. For example the worldwide aviation industry, a large accountancy firm, logistics, entrepreneurs, and career guidance. By this route he exposes some more general themes, such as; the increasing specialism but also detachment from the means of production; what it means to be fulfilled or content in work (keeping busy); the futility of an individual’s time, effort, and career span; the inequities across different sectors and roles. This all sounds a bit heavy, but it is not in itself a depressing book … definitely thought-provoking. I quote, “If we could witness the eventual fate of every one of our projects, we would have no choice but to succumb to immediate paralysis.”(!)