From the latest issue of Bookforum, a special section on work: Andrew Ross reviews Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford and The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de Botton (and more); Gregory Sholette reviews Art Workers: Radical Practice in the Vietnam War Era by Julia Bryan-Wilson; and more. From Forbes, a special report on workland, including Tim Harford on why your boss is overpaid; why Europeans work less than Americans — could higher tax rates and more regulation in the workplace actually be a good thing?; and why do the rich keep working? From BBC, just what constitutes a "big" salary these days? Can you scan 800 barcodes an hour, say "thank you" 500 times each day? Then you could have what it takes to be a supermarket cashier — but you might regret it. A review of Steven Greenhouse's The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker. A review of A Working Stiff's Manifesto: A Memoir of Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember by Iain Levison. Inside the pre-Internet office: Ed Park recalls a time in the office when copy editors quietly read 17th-century treatises on human emotion. From work ethic to workaholicism: On John Calvin's five-hundredth birthday, Para Mullan traces how work has come to be seen as a Bad Thing (and more). Should Thursday be the new Friday? A look at the environmental and economic pluses of the 4-day workweek.
