The Good Enough Job

Reclaiming Life from Work

De: Simone Stolzoff

Narrado por: Simone Stolzoff

"Superb."—Oliver Burkeman

A challenge to the tyranny of work and a call to reclaim our lives from its clutches.

From the moment we ask children what they want to “be” when they grow up, we exalt the dream job as if it were life’s ultimate objective. Many entangle their identities with their jobs, with predictable damage to happiness, wellbeing, and even professional success.

In The Good Enough Job, journalist Simone Stolzoff traces how work has come to dominate Americans’ lives—and why we find it so difficult to let go. Based on groundbreaking reporting and interviews with Michelin star chefs, Wall Street bankers, overwhelmed teachers and other workers across the American economy, Stolzoff exposes what we lose when we expect work to be more than a job. Rather than treat work as a calling or a dream, he asks what it would take to reframe work as a part of life rather than the entirety of our lives. What does it mean for a job to be good enough?

Through provocative critique and deep reporting, Stolzoff punctures the myths that keep us chained to our jobs. By exposing the lies we—and our employers—tell about the value of our labor, The Good Enough Job makes the urgent case for reclaiming our lives in a world centered around work.

©2023 Simone Stolzoff (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"His straight-shooting style makes for a blistering takedown of American corporate culture. Workaholics would do well to check this out."—Publishers Weekly

“Superb. A fascinating and deeply reported challenge to the idea that our work should—or ever could—be the only center of meaning, self-worth, or community in our lives. The real-life stories fill the reader with the liberating sense that we absolutely could put work back in its place—and that the result would be both richer lives and more effective work.”—Oliver Burkeman, New York Times bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks

“The Good Enough Job is an incredibly propulsive read, filled with characters whose stories will be at once familiar and astonishing—and it will absolutely challenge you to change the way you think about work.”—Anne Helen Petersen, author of Can’t Even and coauthor of Out of Office

Captured This Concept So Well

An incredible book! For all of us who know you don’t want your job to be your identity, listen to this one. You won’t feel alone anymore.

Should be an essential read for all Americans

Before you even try the “no one wants to work these days” rhetoric, know that I am the exact demographic he is discussing. 100% full blown, high performing, burned out, tech workaholic. He is completely accurate that the obsessive “my economic productivity IS my worth epidemic” is definitely American and a narrative pushed by billionaires and politicians for their own gain at the detriment of the family unit. This should be a must read for all people, especially Americans. It doesn’t tell you to not work, it just reminds you that you are a human outside of your work title and the amount of money you make. If the idea of what I just said causes you to pull back, you need this book more than anyone else. Trust me, I was that person too and found my way out the hard way.

Pass it along

I have forwarded this book to my sons with a feeling my husband and I may have steered them in the wrong direction, sadly. Caught up in my own journey to learn what not to do through examples growing up, we have chained ourselves to the golden handcuffs. Just satisfied enough to not quit. So much of what is called out in this book is the underlying political sale of making our country great through the work we do and our identity being intrinsically tied to “what do to do for a living”. I’m changing my intro question to what do you like to do? Still letting this one settle in. Thank you for a thought provoking read.

Great read

So many people I know live to work. It creates a chaos that is unnecessary and whether you work to live or not, makes it harder for you to ignore. This book should be mainlined into everyone’s brain and we should all be tested. Not sure why society operates this way but we should all want to live more balanced lives. I’ll be sharing this with everyone in my circle.

A great reminder to slow down

While it lacks some key recommendations of how to get to “good enough” it does a good job diving into why we fall into the trap, mostly that work consumes our identity and it’s hard to cope with the person we may be outside of work. It gave me a lot to think about as I am struggling with the same thing as someone who loves their job but is prone to workaholism.

Surprisingly insightful

I was at first turned off by the initial assumptions of the book, that I thought negated peoples efforts who do really like their job (like me) and was going to be to theoretical to connect with.

However the author seamless weaved together stories from interesting people at different places in their careers and perspectives. It allowed me as the listener to connect with parts and pieces of each of their journey.

I really connected with the book when it got to Josh’s story. I’m guessing it’s the most similar to values that I look to emulate. I work remotely, and thus always have access to be doing something. This book has helped me set strong work and family time boundaries so my work isn’t always creeping in whenever there is a spare moment.
I have already recommend this book to 3 friends

Great book!

Great insights, stories and research. Exactly what I needed right now in my life. Glad I stumbled across it.

A version of life without “work” at the center.

Well done - doesn’t prescribe but reveal. Reader left to make decisions applicable to their station in life.

everyone should read this

awesome book. great format with individual stories woven in with data and author's personal perspective.

A must read!

If you work in the world, you need to read this. Story after story of reclaiming life from work. Thank you.