Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do
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Product: Book
ISBN-10: 1-56584-342-8
ISBN-13: 9781565843424
Publisher: New Press
Country:
Year: February 28, 1997
Edition: Later printing
Size: 13.72 x 20.07 x 4.57cm
Number of pages: 640
Weight: 703gr
Binding: Paperback
ISBN-10: 1-56584-342-8
ISBN-13: 9781565843424
Publisher: New Press
Country:
Year: February 28, 1997
Edition: Later printing
Size: 13.72 x 20.07 x 4.57cm
Number of pages: 640
Weight: 703gr
Binding: Paperback
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Product Description
Studs Terkel records the voices of America. Men and women from every walk of life talk to him, telling him of their likes and dislikes, fears, problems, and happinesses on the job. Once again, Terkel has created a rich and unique document that is as simple as conversation, but as subtle and heartfelt as the meaning of our lives … In the first trade paperback edition of his national bestseller, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel presents »the real American experience« (Chicago Daily News)--»a magnificent book … A work of art. To read it is to hear America talking.« (Boston Globe).
Studs Terkel records the voices of America. Men and women from every walk of life talk to him, telling him of their likes and dislikes, fears, problems, and happinesses on the job. Once again, Terkel has created a rich and unique document that is as simple as conversation, but as subtle and heartfelt as the meaning of our lives … In the first trade paperback edition of his national bestseller, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel presents »the real American experience« (Chicago Daily News)--»a magnificent book … A work of art. To read it is to hear America talking.« (Boston Globe).
reviews
A time capsule of American labor and culture 
This culturally significant novel is a must for anyone interested in American studies, labor issues, oral history, etc … The author, Studs Turkel is a prominent Chicago figure that has interview 9,000+ people about their jobs. This is well worth the read. Turkel interviews a variety of interesting people ranging from actors, flight attendants, CEO's, and even a call girl.
This culturally significant novel is a must for anyone interested in American studies, labor issues, oral history, etc … The author, Studs Turkel is a prominent Chicago figure that has interview 9,000+ people about their jobs. This is well worth the read. Turkel interviews a variety of interesting people ranging from actors, flight attendants, CEO's, and even a call girl.
Actors note: Character studies abound! 
I was actually recommended this book by my advanced acting teacher as a senior in college. We had been talking about different places to find monologues for auditions other than plays. I had heard of the musical »Working« that had been inspired by this book, but had never looked into the literary reference. The second I opened this book, I was hooked. Not only did I find a countless number of potential monologues (sometimes three or four within one interview) but it also completely opened my mind to the people around me I often look past. I never took the time to consider the woman at the grocery register, like B. Secoli. Reading this book was ultimately life changing. Of course, after time one sinks back into their own self-absorbed existence, but every now and then, when I need a little perspective, I return to Studs Terkel's »Working« and rediscover the rest of humanity.
I was actually recommended this book by my advanced acting teacher as a senior in college. We had been talking about different places to find monologues for auditions other than plays. I had heard of the musical »Working« that had been inspired by this book, but had never looked into the literary reference. The second I opened this book, I was hooked. Not only did I find a countless number of potential monologues (sometimes three or four within one interview) but it also completely opened my mind to the people around me I often look past. I never took the time to consider the woman at the grocery register, like B. Secoli. Reading this book was ultimately life changing. Of course, after time one sinks back into their own self-absorbed existence, but every now and then, when I need a little perspective, I return to Studs Terkel's »Working« and rediscover the rest of humanity.
Studs Terkel's Working People
As I have done on other occasions when I am reviewing more than one work by an author I am using some of the same comments, where they are pertinent, here as I did in earlier reviews. In this series the first Studs Terkel book reviewed was that of his »The Good War«: an Oral History of World War II». Strangely, as I found out about the recent death of long time pro-working class journalist and general truth-teller «Studs» Terkel I was just beginning to read his «The Good War», about the lives and experiences of, mainly, ordinary people during World War II in America and elsewhere, for review in this space. As with other authors once I get started I tend to like to review several works that are relevant to see where their work goes. In the present case the review of Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day And How They Feel About What They Do serves to reflect on a time a couple of decades ago when people may have been resigned about their working career but had a feeling that it did not express all of what they were. Given today's uncertain economic climate and the wider fears about the effects of the long term trend «globalization» which particularly threatens many lower- skilled or easily transferable jobs I am not sure that such interesting reflections on their work experiences would be forthcoming from today's working population. Although Terkel has cast a wide net on the range of occupations and types of work that he presents here it is weighted toward blue collar working people: the waitresses, bartenders, service personnel and the like with whom he had such affinity. The most interesting aspect of this effort is that almost universally the work that people do does not reflect on their capacities. In short, the job is not the measure of the person. That said, I believe, intentionally or not, this little treasure trove of interviews is one of the great arguments for socialism: the creation of a society where an energetic waitress or a well-read steelworker, for example, could break out and become a leader of society. A place where every cook can take a turn at governing. That is the real message that these interviewees are trying, unsuccessfully for the most part, to articulate. How to successfully do that, however, is a separate and frustratingly hard politcal and organizational question that I have argues about elsewhere. One thing that I noticed immediately after reading this book, and as is true of the majority of Terkel's interview books, is that he is not the dominant presence but is a rather light, if intensely interested, interloper in these stories. For better or worse the interviewees get to tell their stories, unchained. In this age of 24/7 media coverage with every half-baked journalist or wannabe interjecting his or her personality into somebody else's story this was, and is, rather refreshing. Of course this journalistic virtue does not mean that Studs did not have control over who got to tell their stories and who didn't to fit his preoccupations and sense of order. He has a point he wants to make and that is that although most «ordinary" people do not make the history books they certainly make history, if not always of their own accord or to their own liking. Again, kudos and adieu Studs.
As I have done on other occasions when I am reviewing more than one work by an author I am using some of the same comments, where they are pertinent, here as I did in earlier reviews. In this series the first Studs Terkel book reviewed was that of his »The Good War«: an Oral History of World War II». Strangely, as I found out about the recent death of long time pro-working class journalist and general truth-teller «Studs» Terkel I was just beginning to read his «The Good War», about the lives and experiences of, mainly, ordinary people during World War II in America and elsewhere, for review in this space. As with other authors once I get started I tend to like to review several works that are relevant to see where their work goes. In the present case the review of Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day And How They Feel About What They Do serves to reflect on a time a couple of decades ago when people may have been resigned about their working career but had a feeling that it did not express all of what they were. Given today's uncertain economic climate and the wider fears about the effects of the long term trend «globalization» which particularly threatens many lower- skilled or easily transferable jobs I am not sure that such interesting reflections on their work experiences would be forthcoming from today's working population. Although Terkel has cast a wide net on the range of occupations and types of work that he presents here it is weighted toward blue collar working people: the waitresses, bartenders, service personnel and the like with whom he had such affinity. The most interesting aspect of this effort is that almost universally the work that people do does not reflect on their capacities. In short, the job is not the measure of the person. That said, I believe, intentionally or not, this little treasure trove of interviews is one of the great arguments for socialism: the creation of a society where an energetic waitress or a well-read steelworker, for example, could break out and become a leader of society. A place where every cook can take a turn at governing. That is the real message that these interviewees are trying, unsuccessfully for the most part, to articulate. How to successfully do that, however, is a separate and frustratingly hard politcal and organizational question that I have argues about elsewhere. One thing that I noticed immediately after reading this book, and as is true of the majority of Terkel's interview books, is that he is not the dominant presence but is a rather light, if intensely interested, interloper in these stories. For better or worse the interviewees get to tell their stories, unchained. In this age of 24/7 media coverage with every half-baked journalist or wannabe interjecting his or her personality into somebody else's story this was, and is, rather refreshing. Of course this journalistic virtue does not mean that Studs did not have control over who got to tell their stories and who didn't to fit his preoccupations and sense of order. He has a point he wants to make and that is that although most «ordinary" people do not make the history books they certainly make history, if not always of their own accord or to their own liking. Again, kudos and adieu Studs.
Life-altering perspectives
This book changed my life. I read it when it was new, at a time when I was becoming incredibly discontent in my first real career position job. What struck me about the people in this book was that almost all of them are busy doing work they don't really care for, and which many of them downright hate. They feel trapped and are unhappy, but they stick at it because they have bills to pay. The people who in contrast were doing work that they *loved* had a magical time of it. They were also few and far between. After I read this I questioned why people choose to make themselves unhappy at work they hate, when they could (as we say these days but didn't, then) »follow their bliss« and find what gives them joy. I have never looked at work the same way since, and the insights I gained from this book gave me the courage to leave a bad situation in order to find a better path to fulfillment. This is an amazing work of oral history, and the love work/hate work issue is just as relevant today.
This book changed my life. I read it when it was new, at a time when I was becoming incredibly discontent in my first real career position job. What struck me about the people in this book was that almost all of them are busy doing work they don't really care for, and which many of them downright hate. They feel trapped and are unhappy, but they stick at it because they have bills to pay. The people who in contrast were doing work that they *loved* had a magical time of it. They were also few and far between. After I read this I questioned why people choose to make themselves unhappy at work they hate, when they could (as we say these days but didn't, then) »follow their bliss« and find what gives them joy. I have never looked at work the same way since, and the insights I gained from this book gave me the courage to leave a bad situation in order to find a better path to fulfillment. This is an amazing work of oral history, and the love work/hate work issue is just as relevant today.
This book changed my life
I read Working in 1986, when I was 23, and chose my profession based on one of the interviews (I'm a piano tuner/repairman). I am so grateful to Mr. Terkel and his subjects; without them I may have floundered in life, but because of their inspiration, I found work which I have enjoyed and learned from for more than two decades.
I read Working in 1986, when I was 23, and chose my profession based on one of the interviews (I'm a piano tuner/repairman). I am so grateful to Mr. Terkel and his subjects; without them I may have floundered in life, but because of their inspiration, I found work which I have enjoyed and learned from for more than two decades.
keywords
- Attitudes
- Business & Economics – Labor
- History
- History – World
- Industrial relations
- Interviews
- Labor
- Labor & Industrial Relations – General
- Local History, Names & Genealogy
- Oral History
- POLITICAL SCIENCE – Labor & Industrial Relations
- Social Conditions Of Labor
- Sociology
- Sociology – General
- United States
- Work
- Work & labour
- Working class
- World history
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© 1994–2010 Sascha Hendel
last update: 3/18/2010
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