Bullshit Jobs. A Theory

Bullshit Jobs: A Theory is a 2018 book by anthropologist David Graeber that argues the existence and societal harm of meaningless jobs. He contends that over half of societal work is pointless, which becomes psychologically destructive when paired with a work ethic that associates work with self-worth. Graeber describes five types of bullshit jobs, in which workers pretend their role isn't as pointless or harmful as they know it to be: flunkies, goons, duct tapers, box tickers, and taskmasters. He argues that the association of labor with virtuous suffering is recent in human history, and proposes universal basic income as a potential solution. The book is an extension of a popular essay Graeber had originally published in 2013, which was translated into 12 languages and whose premise was the subject of a YouGov poll. Graeber subsequently solicited hundreds of testimonials of bullshit jobs and revised his case into a book that was published by Simon & Schuster in May 2018.