The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, Alain de Botton
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, Alain de Botton
List: $35.99 | Sale: $25.20
Club: $17.99

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

Author: Alain de Botton

Narrator: David Colacci

Unabridged: 5 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 06/02/2009


Synopsis

We spend most of our waking lives at work—in occupations most often chosen by our inexperienced younger selves. And yet we rarely ask ourselves how we got there or what our jobs mean to us. The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work is an exploration of the joys and perils of the modern workplace, beautifully exploring what other people wake up to do each day—and night—to make our frenzied world function. With a philosophical eye and his signature combination of wit and wisdom, Alain de Botton leads us on a journey around an eclectic range of occupations, from rocket scientist to biscuit manufacturer, from accountant to artist—in search of what makes jobs either soul-destroying or fulfilling.

About Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including On Love, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Consolations of Philosophy, The Art of Travel, and The Course of Love. He lives in London where he founded The School of Life, an organization devoted to fostering emotional health and intelligence. More can be found at AlainDeBotton.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by David on June 13, 2009

Damn! This book just confirms my desire to have Alain de Botton as a friend. What a smart, erudite, witty, unassuming mensch this guy is. With a quirky curiosity that helps him take an interesting perspective on almost any subject he tackles. His previous books shows his willingness to take on quite......more

Goodreads review by Ken-ichi on September 17, 2009

I picked this up because I heard the author speak on a couple public radio shows and he seemed interesting. I've also always struggled with the ideas of "work" and "vocation" (i.e. I imagine that if I had the latter, the former wouldn't be so frustrating), so I was actually very excited to read an e......more

Goodreads review by Tom on December 12, 2019

I spotted this book among a display at my local library, one of those monthly themed-topic selections the library staff picks out. What We're Reading This Month or If You Liked That, You'll Like This, or something similar. As I was going through a bit of an existential crisis career-wise at the time......more

Goodreads review by Kelly on May 25, 2013

De Botton applies his self-consciously philosophical style to exploring the how and why of a cross-section of professions across the Western world. Relying upon a mix of happenstance encounters and his own personal agenda , de Botton pursues his stated quest to attempt to create: "a hymn to the intel......more

Goodreads review by Jill on December 16, 2015

I found de Botton's voice condescending and arrogant. He refers to women as "symbols" one too many times for me--just because a woman is attractive doesn't mean that she can't be an effective salesperson independently of her looks. Beyond the misogyny, I doubt de Botton's ever had a "real job" in hi......more