This is a striking narrative history of work and the individuals and events that have been responsible for its evolution. Work - a process familiar to almost everyone - has radically changed over the centuries. Most of these changes have involved revolutionary steps, significantly influencing the way people live and behave. Two of these - the agrarian revolution and the industrial revolution - were watersheds in the evolution of work. A third revolution is occurring now in the way we work and live, driven this time by new technology.
This is a popular history of work, from prehistoric times to the present day. It offers fascinating and intelligent analyses of the individuals, assumptions, theories, developments and events that have changed work. The author examines early societies, slavery, the guilds, the creation of trade secrets, and the influence of religion on work. He also investigates the ideas of several theorists, including F W Taylor, Max Weber, Mary Parker Follett and W Edwards Demming, and the impact they have on our lives.
This book challenges the work ethic on behalf of all those whose lives have increasingly become subsumed by the demands of employers, asking the question: Why do we do it?
