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catchco's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I liked this book! I think reclaiming our time from work is one of the most important things we can do as workers. I liked the way Jaffe split up the sections by types of work you are typically asked to "love" and I think those are the areas exploitation is most obvious. I think the conclusion was quite poignant and found it an important reminder to center love for others in everything I do.
prettypious's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. I usually read books like this written by Black authors who position their work more critically and nuanced but the generality was helpful here because of how she made so many connections domestically and internationally to show how we are all interconnected and literally tools of and up against a very high powered machine-the 1%. Like hearing how some communities are really really struggling but their racism and internalized white supremacy got them thinking that they’re somehow more deserving than other people they don’t even know. So instead of all of us being able to access what we need, because this one person or group that you’ve deemed less deserving is going to get some too, you say “forget it, none of us will get it and I will just sit here and suffer with my because at least I’m better than/ain’t like those XXXXX!!! The machine got people literally denying their realities. And to have seen it happening in real time, especially now being old enough to see your younger self’s suspicions be verified and validated,
annakh16's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
This was interesting and illuminating. The first half (on feminised/racialised work and the construction of work as love) didn’t have much new for me, but the second half (the labour of love across industries) did. I really enjoyed Jaffe’s dissection of the myth of the individual “genius” there.
This is more of a history book than sociology which went against my expectations - I would’ve liked to see more of the latter, and always enjoyed when she did bring it in. I did appreciate her generally intersectional (albeit Western) take. I also really liked her focus on protest and ways forward, though it is quite union-focused indeed.
The book was a bit dense in earlier chapters, but overall very readable and some interesting new insights!
youeatdogfood's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars. I’d put off reading this book fr so long bc I thought it was more self-help-y than what it actually is, and I’m annoyed at myself fr not reading it sooner. Sarah Jaffe’s ‘Work Won't Love You Back’ is an amazing and deeply-reported exploration of the modern labour landscape, and definitely is not a wishy-washy self-help book. Rather, Jaffe dismantles the pervasive myth of what she calls the “labour of love” - the notion that some work is so inherently fulfilling that it transcends the need fr fair compensation and reasonable working conditions.
It’s clear Jaffe is a leading voice on labour, inequality, and social movements, and she deeply examines how the “labour of love” myth has been weaponised by capitalists to exploit the working-class across an incredibly large variety of industries. Frm unpaid interns and overworked teachers to nonprofit workers and professional athletes, Jaffe explores how society’s romanticisation of passion-driven work more often than not masks the harsh realities of exploitation.
I really loved Jaffe’s focus on the critical role of unions. She argues (rightfully) that collective bargaining and worker solidarity are essential tools fr combating the exploitative practices that the “labour of love” myth perpetuates, and she illustrates how unions can, have, and absolutely will continue to make a tangible difference in the lives of workers, advocating fr fair wages, better working conditions, and a more balanced relationship between labour and management. I also really enjoy the way that Jaffe writes, and her overarching narrative and storytelling is both thorough and accessible, blending research w small stories frm exploited workers in different fields.
‘Work Won't Love You Back’ is an eye-opening and essential read fr anyone, but especially if yr interested in labour rights, social justice, and the future of work. It offers a powerful and necessary critique of the ways in which our devotion to work and our workplaces can be manipulated to our detriment, while also highlighting the indispensable role of unions in protecting workers’ rights. It challenges us to rethink our relationship w work and recognise the value of all labour. Jaffe’s insightful analysis and passionate advocacy made this book a standout fr me, as it keeps at its heart the importance of solidarity in the fight fr fair and just working conditions.
franklinroberts12's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Incredible work, synthesizing complex socio-political theories and showing their reality in the lives of working people.