The Good Enough Job

Reclaiming Life from Work

By: Simone Stolzoff

Narrated by: 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.

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.

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.

A must read!

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