Curse of the Working Class

The historian Thomas Carlyle once claimed that "All true work is sacred." To which the philosopher John Stuart Mill responded: "Work ... is not a good in itself. There is nothing laudable in work for work's sake." Ever since, a debate has been raging in Western societies about the nature of toil — what it is and what it's worth. In Blood Sweat & Tears (Texere; 338 pages) Richard Donkin, a Financial Times writer on management topics, sets out to find some answers. The quest is not a complete success, but it does offer some comfort to today's overworked...