Books About Jobs

There seem to be no shortage of books about jobs – about how one hates their job, how one loves their job, and even how one is married to their job, and so on

Here are just some of the books about jobs and careers…

You Want Fries with That: A White-Collar Burnout Experiences Life at Minimum Wage

From the back cover: “Ever fantasize about quitting your successful job and starting over from the bottom up? Prioleau Alexander did just that”


The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed and Overworked

From the back cover: “The Joy of Not Working could change your view of the world forever. Ernie Zelinkski, “creatively unemployed” for 14 years, believes we work so hard — and overvalue work so much — that we have forgotten how to just live!”


Punching In: The Unauthorized Adventures of a Front-Line Employee

From the back cover: “Curious to know just what happens behind the “employees only” doors of big companies, journalist Alex Frankel embarked on an undercover reporting project to find out…”


Married to the Job

Why We Live to Work and What We Can Do About It – author and clinical psychologist Ilene Philipson has a self-quiz at the back of the book that asks the question “Are You Married to Your Job?”


Your Money Or Your Life

From the back cover: “Does making a living feel more like making a dying? Do you feel stuck in a job you can’t afford to leave? … They both gave up successful — and stressful — careers in order to live more deliberately and meaningfully.”


What Should I Do with My Life? The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question

Fascinating stories of real people who struggled to find their true calling in their work and life.


Working With You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work

A national best-seller, this book contain chapters with titles such as “Change Your Reaction, Change Your Life”, “Difficult and Extreme Bosses”, “Corporate Culture – Is This the Right Place for You?”, and more.


Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: No Schedules, No Meetings, No Joke–the Simple Change That Can Make Your Job Terrific

In this book, the authors Ressler and Thompson introduces us to the concept of ROWE, “Results-Only Work Environment”.


The Joy of Burnout: How the End of the World Can Be a New Beginning

Burnout is our soul trying to tell us something and to give us a warning that we should not continue on this path. If we listen, then we can change and have a new better beginning with joy. If we don’t listen, we risk our health and possibly more.


Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams

Author, Pamela Skillings, talked about how after 12 years of climbing the corporate ladder to VP, she was burned out and escaped from corporate America to start her own company. This book talks about both the bad side of corporate as in Chapter 2 “The Trouble with the Rat Race” as well as the good side of corporate as in Chapter 5 “Corporate Jobs that Don’t Suck”. But if you do decide to escape corporate, there are advice in the various directions that one can go. For example, chapter 6 “Take a Break” talks about part-time, telecommuting, and leaves of absensces. Chapter 7 “Swim in a Smaller Pond” talks about working in a start-up. Chapter 8 “Going Solo” talks about becoming self-employed and freelancing. Chapter 9 talks about building a business. And more other chapters. Interspersed throughout the book are inspirational stories of those who have escaped from corporate America. On page 209 is one such story of Marie Elena who says “Having your own business is probably the most secure thing that you can do because no one is going to watch out for your best interests better than you are.”