A Working Stiff's Manifesto: A Memoir of Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember
by Iain Levison
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Description
A "bracing, hilarious and dead on" account of a college graduate's chronic underemployment (The New York Times Book Review). In ten years, Iain Levison has lived in six states and worked at forty-two jobs, from fish cutter in Alaska to furniture mover in North Carolina, film-set gopher, oil deliveryman, truck driver, and crab fisherman. He quit thirty of them, got fired from nine, and has difficulty remembering the other three. Whatever could go wrong often did, hilariously. A Working show more Stiff's Manifesto is a funny book about the not-so-funny experience of dead-end jobs--the real thing, written not by a high-priced journalist disguised as a counter clerk, but by a genuine wage-dependent, hand-to-mouth working stiff, too well-off for welfare yet too broke to fit a consumer demographic. He works to keep his car running to get back and forth from work. He works to get by and get back to square one for the next day's labors. And in this book, he finally gets some use out of the forty thousand he blew on his English degree--providing an "entertaining, unusual mix of autobiography and social commentary [from] a sharp-eyed, impassioned critic of the American workplace" (Publishers Weekly). show lessTags
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Member Reviews
The subtitle to this book is "A Memoir of Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember." That pretty much sums it up. The author recounts his misadventures of a variety of jobs that are either low paying, extremely difficult or both. The author has a good sense of humor and sarcasm that make the book a good, fast read, but you also get the taste of what it is like to work some of these jobs -- including working a fishing boat in Alaska. I really enjoyed this book, and I know the author wrote a novel after this one so I hope he has finally broken out of his cycle of dead-end jobs and is making a living as a writer. One can only hope!
This was a fun, quick read. Exactly what I was looking for to counter-balance the dense, serious books I've been reading.
Although, I believe the job to be mis-named. I certainly do not recall him actually mentioning 42 different jobs...and I guess it kind of bothers me that it is in the title. He could have just as simply titled it, "A Memior of Jobs I've Quit, Been Fired From, and Some I Can't Remember" No need for numbers that will become inconsequential, right?
There's not much I can say about the book except that it was a fun read about a guy talking about all of the crappy jobs that are out there.
Although, I believe the job to be mis-named. I certainly do not recall him actually mentioning 42 different jobs...and I guess it kind of bothers me that it is in the title. He could have just as simply titled it, "A Memior of Jobs I've Quit, Been Fired From, and Some I Can't Remember" No need for numbers that will become inconsequential, right?
There's not much I can say about the book except that it was a fun read about a guy talking about all of the crappy jobs that are out there.
This was a fun, quick read. Exactly what I was looking for to counter-balance the dense, serious books I've been reading.
Although, I believe the job to be mis-named. I certainly do not recall him actually mentioning 42 different jobs...and I guess it kind of bothers me that it is in the title. He could have just as simply titled it, "A Memior of Jobs I've Quit, Been Fired From, and Some I Can't Remember" No need for numbers that will become inconsequential, right?
There's not much I can say about the book except that it was a fun read about a guy talking about all of the crappy jobs that are out there.
Although, I believe the job to be mis-named. I certainly do not recall him actually mentioning 42 different jobs...and I guess it kind of bothers me that it is in the title. He could have just as simply titled it, "A Memior of Jobs I've Quit, Been Fired From, and Some I Can't Remember" No need for numbers that will become inconsequential, right?
There's not much I can say about the book except that it was a fun read about a guy talking about all of the crappy jobs that are out there.
My favourite book ever : for all those who've been through rough years, workwise and financially, this book will make you feel better. It proves that having a stupid job doesn't mean you're stupid, and will make you laugh, highlighting the stupidity of some aspects of our society...
awesome. i loved this book. it is funny and really thought-provoking. it's about the author's struggle to support himself financially by holding various unappealing jobs. highly recommended!
Yes, Levison has had lots of yucky jobs, but at least part of his problem is himself. I wouldn't hire him.
Essentially Charles Bukowski's Factotum without the alcoholism.
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Tribulations d'un précaire
- Original title
- A working stiff's manifesto
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 305.562092 — Society, government, & culture Social sciences, sociology & anthropology Social group - Age, Gender, Ethnicity People by social and economic levels Lower, alienated, excluded classes Working class History, geographic treatment, biography Biography
- LCC
- HD8073 .L39 .A3 — Social sciences Industries. Land use. Labor Industries. Land use. Labor Labor. Work. Working class By region or country
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 203
- Popularity
- 161,027
- Reviews
- 10
- Rating
- (3.64)
- Languages
- English, French, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 3
