Synopsis
"[A] memorable portrait of the mad hunger of corporate toil...superbly committed to its own beliefs ― truthful, dryly funny and often subtly moving." – Charles Finch, The New York Times
In this genre-bending memoir, Leigh Claire La Berge reflects on her stint at one of the most prestigious management consulting firms in the country and what it teaches us about the absurdity of work―for readers of Bullshit Jobs and fans of Office Space and Sorry to Bother You
While headlines blazed with doomsaying prophecies about the looming Y2K apocalypse, Leigh Claire was quickly introduced to the mysterious workings of The Process―a mythical and ever-changing corporate ethos The Andersen People (her fellow consultants) believed held world-saving powers. Her heroic task: printing physical copies of spreadsheets and sending them to a secure storage facility somewhere in the bowels of New Jersey.
After performing a series of equally mundane tasks, one well-timed deployment of an anecdote about a legendary quarterback catapulted her into the ranks of middle management. It wasn’t long before she found herself jet-setting on the firm’s dime to thirty-minute lunch meetings in Johannesburg, and giving impromptu lectures to Japanese executives about limiting liability at the end of the world.
By the end of her brief time as a businessman at a fake firm, in a fake industry, dedicated to solving a fake crisis, Leigh Claire had accumulated a lifetime’s worth of lessons about the absurdity of work and the nature of financialized capitalism. Fake Work blends memoir with post-facto theoretical interjections on the philosophical problems posed by contemporary corporate culture―from the inadequacy of poststructuralist inquiry to the alienation of office jobs―to tell the story of the techno-armageddon that wasn’t.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Leigh Claire La Berge is Professor of English at Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York, and author of Wages Against Artwork: Decommodified Labor and the Claims of Socially Engaged Art and Marx for Cats: A Radical Bestiary. Her writing has appeared in Texte zur Kunst, n+1, and The Los Angeles Review of Books.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Search results for Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism is a Joke
Stock Image
Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism is a Joke
Seller: HPB-Red, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_467786745
Stock Image
Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism is a Joke
Seller: HPB-Ruby, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_469323731
Seller Image
Fake Work : How I Began to Suspect Capitalism Is a Joke
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. May show signs of wear, highlighting, writing, and previous use. This item may be a former library book with typical markings. No guarantee on products that contain supplements Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Twenty-five year bookseller with shipments to over fifty million happy customers. Seller Inventory # 49382432-5
Stock Image
Fake Work : How I Began to Suspect Capitalism Is a Joke
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 56387673-6
Stock Image
Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism Is a Joke
Seller: Books End Bookshop, Syracuse, NY, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Seller Inventory # 1055474
Stock Image
Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism is a Joke
Seller: Left-Wing Books, Cary, NC, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
From the publisher: In this genre-bending memoir, Leigh Claire La Berge reflects on her stint at one of the most prestigious management consulting firms in the country and what it teaches us about the absurdity of work?for readers of "Bullshit Jobs" and fans of "Office Space" and "Sorry to Bother You." While headlines blazed with doomsaying prophecies about the looming Y2K apocalypse, Leigh Claire was quickly introduced to the mysterious workings of The Process?a mythical and ever-changing corporate ethos The Andersen People (her fellow consultants) believed held world-saving powers. Her heroic task: printing physical copies of spreadsheets and sending them to a secure storage facility somewhere in the bowels of New Jersey. After performing a series of equally mundane tasks, one well-timed deployment of an anecdote about a legendary quarterback catapulted her into the ranks of middle management. It wasn't long before she found herself jet-setting on the firm's dime to thirty-minute lunch meetings in Johannesburg, and giving impromptu lectures to Japanese executives about limiting liability at the end of the world. By the end of her brief time as a businessman at a fake firm, in a fake industry, dedicated to solving a fake crisis, Leigh Claire had accumulated a lifetime's worth of lessons about the absurdity of work and the nature of financialized capitalism. "Fake Work" blends memoir with post-facto theoretical interjections on the philosophical problems posed by contemporary corporate culture?from the inadequacy of poststructuralist inquiry to the alienation of office jobs?to tell the story of the techno-armageddon that wasn't. Seller Inventory # FAK-3674
Stock Image
Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism is a Joke
Seller: Textbooks_Source, Columbia, MO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Good. Ships in a BOX from Central Missouri! May not include working access code. Will not include dust jacket. Has used sticker(s) and some writing or highlighting. UPS shipping for most packages, (Priority Mail for AK/HI/APO/PO Boxes). Seller Inventory # 011915531U
Stock Image
Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism is a Joke
Seller: Magers and Quinn Booksellers, Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Like New. May have light shelf wear and/or a remainder mark. Complete. Clean pages. Seller Inventory # 1538563
Seller Image
Fake Work : How I Began to Suspect Capitalism Is a Joke
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition. Seller Inventory # 49382432
Seller Image
Fake Work : How I Began to Suspect Capitalism Is a Joke
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 49382432-n