Episode 44: The Working Life

Episode 44 begins with the classic strains of Bruce Springsteen's "Factory"... why? Because this time out, we are exploring books that are all about "the work, the work, the working life." For the vast majority of adults, work takes up much of our waking hours and in some ways (for better or worse) defines who we are. So it makes sense that innumerable books, both fiction and non-fiction, delve into how it shapes and impacts our lives. From office drones gutting through the tedium of their daily tasks, to African-Americans migrating north in search of work to provide independence and a better life, to writers grappling to express their ideas, to elite chefs managing the chaos of hellish Manhattan kitchens - we take a look at both the drudgery, and the dignity, of labor as manifested through great books.

MUSIC BY YOUNG WOLF, VOIDZ PANDA

BOOKS DISCUSSED/MENTIONED/RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE

What John is currently reading/plans to read next:

'What Are We Doing Here?: Essays,' Marilynne Robinson -

TBD -

What Jude is currently reading/plans to read next:

'A Month in the Country,' J. L. Carr -

'The Shipping News,' Annie Proulx -

Books/Writers discussed in this episode:

'Bartleby, the Scrivener,' short story by Herman Melville -

'Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs,' Ed. John Bowe, Marisa Bowe & Sabin C. Streeter -

'Independent People,' Halldór Laxness -

'Blood on the Forge,' William Attaway -

'Working Days,' 'Journal of a Novel' and 'In Dubious Battle,' John Steinbeck -

'Laborem Exercens (On Human Work),' Pope John Paul II -

'Moby-,' 'White Jacket' and 'Redburn,' Herman Melville -

'Microserfs,' Douglas Coupland -

'The Circle,' Dave Eggers -

'The Soul of a New Machine,' Tracy Kidder -

'The Jungle,' Upton Sinclair -

'Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly,' Anthony Bourdain -

Planned next episode of the Book XChange podcast:

Episode 45 can be summed in one word: MONSTERS! Come on back in about two weeks' time to find out more...