Paperback, 436 pages
Català language
Published Sept. 9, 2019 by Editorial Descontrol.
“El 1930 John Maynard Keynes va predir que a finals de segle la tecnologia hauria avançat fins a tal punt que en països com el Regne Unit o els Estats Units la jornada laboral s’hauria pogut reduir fins a les quinze hores setmanals. […]
Per què la utopia que ens va prometre Keynes no s’ha acabat de materialitzar mai? […] És ben bé com si en algun lloc hi hagués algú que s’anés inventant feines inútils només per tenir-nos ocupats. […] Si algú hagués dissenyat un sistema laboral amb l’objectiu precís de mantenir el poder del capital financer, no se m’acut de quina manera ho hauria pogut fer millor.”
I was afraid that this was going to be a padded out version of his original essay, but I needn't have worried. Give Graeber 300 pages, and he'll give you ideas worth 600 of them. Coupled with his keen sense for observational comedy, and you get a book that's easy to read, keeps your attention, and highly entertaining.
This is an interesting read. It was interesting to me as someone aspiring to not have a job and close to making that happen. The look at "why have jobs?" and "why treat them as so sacred?" really hit home.
I have long said that this reverence for having a job is rooted in Puritanism. Recently I am wondering if it is more deeply internalized capitalist frames. Graeber's viewpoint is that it is some of both, which I found interesting.
This book was a good companion piece to Chokepoint Capitalism
