One of the things I enjoy is reading books about the world of work. I’m not sure why, but I have an interest in learning about the jobs people love and hate.
Of the top of my head, here are a few books I’ve enjoyed:
- Other People’s Dirt by Louise Rafkin
- Gig (an update of Studs Terkel’s Working which I’ve also read)
- Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip — Confessions of a Cynical Waiter by Steve Dublanica
More recently, I’ve read a Disney memoir, two books about working on cruise ships, an emergency nurse’s memoir and a whole bunch of chef stories.
Right now I’m in the middle of Retail Hell: How I Sold My Soul to the Store: Confessions of a Tortured Sales Associate by Freeman Hall. It’s a very funny (and deeply bitter) tale about his time as a Handbag Associate at a high-end department store in Los Angeles.
I just finished: Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail by Caitin Kelly. She’s a journalist who spent two years working at the North Face. Great book.
But I must say I was put off by the many references to the horrible flacks (yes she used that word) that she had to deal with as a writer. I don’t know, I’ve never yelled at any journalists myself. (Though one yelled at me once twenty years ago.)
Maybe I should write about my job. I’ll call it PR: Nice Girls Do It, Too..