Why We Work

  • Author: Barry Schwartz
  • Narrator: Barry Schwartz
  • Publisher: TED
  • Duration: 2:48:11
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Synopsis

An eye-opening, groundbreaking tour of the purpose of work in our lives, showing how work operates in our culture and how you can find your own path to happiness in the workplace.

Why do we work? The question seems so simple. But Professor Barry Schwartz proves that the answer is surprising, complex, and urgent.

We’ve long been taught that the reason we work is primarily for a paycheck. In fact, we’ve shaped much of the infrastructure of our society to accommodate this belief. Then why are so many people dissatisfied with their work, despite healthy compensation? And why do so many people find immense fulfillment and satisfaction through “menial” jobs? Schwartz explores why so many believe that the goal for working should be to earn money, how we arrived to believe that paying workers more leads to better work, and why this has made our society confused, unhappy, and has established a dangerously misguided system.

Through fascinating studies and compelling anecdotes, this book dispels this myth. Schwartz takes us through hospitals and hair salons, auto plants and boardrooms, showing workers in all walks of life, showcasing the trends and patterns that lead to happiness in the workplace. Ultimately, Schwartz proves that the root of what drives us to do good work can rarely be incentivized, and that the cause of bad work is often an attempt to do just that.

How did we get to this tangled place? How do we change the way we work? With great insight and wisdom, Schwartz shows us how to take our first steps toward understanding, and empowering us all to find great work.

Chapters

  • WhyWeWork 01 Title

    Duration: 31s
  • WhyWeWork 02 TheIdeas

    Duration: 26s
  • WhyWeWork 03 Introduction

    Duration: 05min
  • WhyWeWork 04 Ch1

    Duration: 10min
  • WhyWeWork 05 Ch2

    Duration: 44min
  • WhyWeWork 06 Ch3

    Duration: 46min
  • WhyWeWork 07 Ch4

    Duration: 46min
  • WhyWeWork 08 Ch5

    Duration: 09min
  • WhyWeWork 09 Acknowledgements

    Duration: 02min
  • WhyWeWork 10 Credits

    Duration: 01min