“Amazing . . . a gem of a book that uses only the strength of the human voice to tell an American story -- sometimes dark, always fascinating...
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May 22, 2007
Dan
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People talking candidly about their jobs, that's what this book is all about. Some of the interviews are a bit dated (copyright 2001), like all the people in the tech sector talking about how their businesses are taking off, but overall, the people interviewed are interesting and you get a good survey of the fundamental questions about other people's jobs--how they got into it, why they're doing it, how they feel about it, etc. The book is especially good because it covers a diverse array of c
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Nov 29, 2010
Christopher
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This book is interesting to me on a lot of levels. It is essentially a series of interviews about what people do for a living. It may very well be the first book developed from a website; I'd be curious if anyone is aware of an earlier one. Unlike the current craze of personal memoir (blog) books, or coffee table LOLz books, this is actually very journalistic in nature. These stories seem like they were collected by audio interviews, and it's hard to imagine any website doing that today. The
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Feb 21, 2011
Brian
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Interesting snapshot into the lives of people doing a variety of jobs. I found it fascinating to hear the insider view of so many professions.
However, I wish the interviewees were people that interested in doing their job long-term---so that you could get a feel for how it might be to do that job for a living. No such luck. Many of the interviewees complained about their job, and wanted to leave it as soon as possible. The interviewer could also have focused the interviews on the More...
However, I wish the interviewees were people that interested in doing their job long-term---so that you could get a feel for how it might be to do that job for a living. No such luck. Many of the interviewees complained about their job, and wanted to leave it as soon as possible. The interviewer could also have focused the interviews on the More...
Jun 10, 2008
Lauren
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Awesome, revolting, sad and totally humbling. This is what the early years of reality TV would be if they had been in written form. Totally intriguing and something you cannot look away from.
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Feb 01, 2010
Katie
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Interesting set of interviews about what people think about their wide variety of jobs. Some ho-hum, some really interesting, and some startling (like the UPS guy who gives better service to places with the best porn magazines in their bathrooms). Not surprisingly, I found the most interesting ones to be the ones surrounding the entertainment industry... being an assistant to a movie producer seems just like what you'd imagine it to be--working 24x7 for a complete maniac, and accepting constant
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Aug 23, 2009
Morgan
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This book was fascinating to me; it illustrated that the reasons why people choose the kind of work they do and how they feel towards it are as numerous and unique as the people themselves. The book covers the occupations you'd expect, but also sheds light on lesser-known occupations like moving huge pieces of art, or supervising workers at a chicken slaughtering facility, to give two examples.
After I read this book, I felt I had learned more about the US's economy, demography, re More...
After I read this book, I felt I had learned more about the US's economy, demography, re More...
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Aug 05, 2011
A fascinating read that I would recommend to nearly anyone. On the other hand, it's not the original in its genre and style: Studs Terkel came out with "Working" quite a long time ago, and this book borrows heavily from the prior work. On the whole, I find Terkel to be a better chronicler, but this book has a couple of significant advantages. One, it's more recent, and readers may find the material fresher. Two, it includes professions that weren't even around when Terkel wrote his boo
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Jun 05, 2008
Marissa
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I found this book really fascinating for reasons I did not expect. It is a book composed of condensed 3 or 4 page interviews with people in a fairly comprehensive range of jobs. I checked it out because I thought it might give me some guidance about types of jobs or careers that might be interesting to me. What I took away from it was more of a nuanced insight into how different people think of their work, what they like and don't like about the jobs they do, the casual, sociological knowledge t
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Jan 23, 2008
David
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This book follows a very simple formula. People across a wide variety of jobs were asked to talk about their work and the interviews are presented, with minimal editing. Thus, the structure mimics that of Studs Terkel's 1972 classic "Working" Although there are a couple of famous names (Jerry Bruckheimer, Heidi Klum), the great majority of the contributions are from 'ordinary people'.
It’s remarkable how well things turned out. The book is wide-ranging, consistently inter More...
It’s remarkable how well things turned out. The book is wide-ranging, consistently inter More...
Apr 25, 2009
Jennifer
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This is a book I read every few years or so. The book basically consists of people from all walks of life talking about their jobs. The jobs run the full gamut -- from Kinko's employee to actress (Debra Messing) to crime scene cleaners. Each interview has a unique voice depending on who is telling the story. You really get a glimpse inside each person's working world and their life. In my view, it is a more modern version of Studs Terkel's Working, which I just found too dated for my tastes.
May 19, 2008
Rachel
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Imagine that you're reading transcript after transcript from Ira Glass' This American Life. This will give you a little bit of an idea what's in store for you as you curl up with Gig.
My sis gave me this book for Christmas, and it got me through some cold, dark, lonely winter days. These were my friends: the Wal-Mart Greeter, the Slaughterhouse HR Rep, the Hat-Store Owner, the Film Director. The most fascinating tales often came from the people with the most dull-sounding jobs, li More...
My sis gave me this book for Christmas, and it got me through some cold, dark, lonely winter days. These were my friends: the Wal-Mart Greeter, the Slaughterhouse HR Rep, the Hat-Store Owner, the Film Director. The most fascinating tales often came from the people with the most dull-sounding jobs, li More...
Jun 04, 2011
Sarah
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Like a series of incredibly vivid short stories, but real. Worth reading for the crime-scene cleanup impresario alone. Oh, and if you need an idea for your next screenplay, check out the homicide detective! Plus: interviews with Barney Frank, Heidi Klum, and Jerry Bruckheimer (who sounds just exactly how you would expect. Exactly.).
May 14, 2007
This book provides short essays, roughly 3-5 pages from various people across the country. Each of them writes about their jobs. Each essay is not only different in its author and their profession, but also in what they choose to write on. Some focus on what they do day to day while others focus on the strengths and weaknesses of their job, how they got there, etc.
Some of the people hold positions of people that we have interacted with a lot in our lives but probably didn't stop t More...
Some of the people hold positions of people that we have interacted with a lot in our lives but probably didn't stop t More...
Aug 10, 2011
Rachel
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Despite being ~10 years old (about as old as Nickel and Dimed, if you really think about it) - this is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. 100 people, interviewed on what they do in their everyday lives - what their jobs are. From UPS deliverymen, to CEO's, to truck drivers, to strippers.
Aug 10, 2009
Flip through this book to read a first person account of what it's like to be a wall-mart greeter, a drug dealer, an account executive, a trash collector, a plumber, a banker... Very interesting for understanding how people get to where they are and the ins and outs of that business.
Oct 09, 2011
Mark
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REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING! An excellent compliaation of interviews and perspectives from people, by people, on their jobs, ranging from the exotic to the ordinary to the illegal. Any easy read, and taken at one sitting, or in small bites a few pages at a time.
Mar 15, 2007
Pablo
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Absolutely fascinating; a side swath of people describe their jobs in just a few pages. Appropriately, it begins with a Wal-Mart Greeter and then proceeds to careen through a universe of varied employments. If I was a teacher I'd force every student to read this to open their eyes to the highs and lows of the world - from film director to poultry factory worker. On a side note: a few years ago I saw a tv report that gave me the update on one of the characters in this book - The Crime Scene Clean
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Jan 17, 2011
this book is great because you can skip around and read chapters, and all of them are interesting throughout. it's a great book to read when you are waiting to get something else out of the library, or otherwise don't want to embark on a full book.
Jan 08, 2011
Vince
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Fascinating insights on what folks do in so many jobs, how they got there, why they love and hate what they do and sometimes why they're leaving if they can. Makes you appreciate the challenges all of us face every day.
Dec 17, 2009
Will
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Large (near 700 pgs) book focusing on, well, Americans and their jobs, made up of a huge amount of various jobs (everything froom carnival workers to congressmen), most with section running about half a dozen or so pages. This is a blessing as someone of the folks here are pretty bland but it's easy to get through them due to length. But those are few and far between and most of the stuff is fairly interesting; occasionaly hilarious (the UPS worker who does everything BUT work and strangely enou
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Jan 05, 2011
Kim
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loved the crime scene cleaners. overall, very interesting snapshots of the life in different jobs. important to remember they are also individual experiences.
Sep 14, 2009
Natalia
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I could read this all day. I used to look into people's houses when we drove through suburbs and imagine what kind of life each person had. This book pretty much scratches that itch.
Dec 13, 2007
Jenny
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A series of short essays by Americans working in a number of different professions. This book has been interesting and informative, especially in reading about people with uncommon professions, such as strippers, UPS drivers, slaughterhouse human resources manager, etc.
Having just finished the book, I think that overall it's ok. There are some really interesting essays on some professions that I wouldn't have necessarily thought to be interesting. But then there are also some essa More...
Having just finished the book, I think that overall it's ok. There are some really interesting essays on some professions that I wouldn't have necessarily thought to be interesting. But then there are also some essa More...
Mar 21, 2011
Wendy
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Fun book. People talking about their jobs in short chapters, there are a wide variety of jobs represented (over 100).
Apr 18, 2011
Kristi
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It's fascinating to hear people talking about "their take" on their work, regardless of what they do.
Sep 10, 2011
Melia
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A bit outdated, since it was written in the glory days of 2001 when unemployment was not an issue.
Jun 18, 2011
Blue Weasel
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Interesting stories, good book for the bathroom or a car trip or something...
Jan 17, 2011
Denae
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Overall, a fascinating book. It is very interesting to read all the different ways people feel about the jobs they do or have done. Did lack cohesion, but that is kind of to be expected.
Jan 28, 2010
Eric
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Read this as a follow-up to 'Work' from the 70s. Wow, have jobs changed!
Mar 29, 2010
Ryan
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I guess it isn't fair to ask anybody to be as good as Studs Terkel was at coaxing out the important matters when interviewing people, but I was disappointed in this collection.
First, it is ten years old, so the interviews took place in the go-go nineties--outdated.
Second, the interviewers just let the people ramble on about their jobs (this is lack of editing) and rarely does an important point get made (this is lack of good interview skills, or maybe people aren't as int More...
First, it is ten years old, so the interviews took place in the go-go nineties--outdated.
Second, the interviewers just let the people ramble on about their jobs (this is lack of editing) and rarely does an important point get made (this is lack of good interview skills, or maybe people aren't as int More...
