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The School of Life: A Job to Love
A practical guide to finding fulfilling work - by understanding yourself.
The idea that work might be fulfilling rather than just necessary is a recent invention. These days, in prosperous areas of the world, we don't only expect to get paid, we also expect to find meaning and satisfaction. It's a big ask and explains why so many people have an identity crisis in their work lives.
A Job To Love is designed to help us better understand ourselves in order to find a job that is right for us. It explores the myths, traps and confusions that get in our way, and shows us how to develop new, effective attitudes and habits.
The idea that work might be fulfilling rather than just necessary is a recent invention. These days, in prosperous areas of the world, we don't only expect to get paid, we also expect to find meaning and satisfaction. It's a big ask and explains why so many people have an identity crisis in their work lives.
A Job To Love is designed to help us better understand ourselves in order to find a job that is right for us. It explores the myths, traps and confusions that get in our way, and shows us how to develop new, effective attitudes and habits.
- GenresNonfiction
Paperback
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About the author
Alain de Botton
166 books15.4k followersAlain de Botton is a writer and television producer who lives in London and aims to make philosophy relevant to everyday life. He can be contacted by email directly via www.alaindebotton.com
He is a writer of essayistic books, which refer both to his own experiences and ideas- and those of artists, philosophers and thinkers. It's a style of writing that has been termed a 'philosophy of everyday life.'
His first book, Essays in Love [titled On Love in the US], minutely analysed the process of falling in and out of love. The style of the book was unusual, because it mixed elements of a novel together with reflections and analyses normally found in a piece of non-fiction. It's a book of which many readers are still fondest.
Bibliography:
* Essays In Love (1993)
* The Romantic Movement (1994)
* Kiss and Tell (1995)
* How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997)
* The Consolations of Philosophy (2000)
* The Art of Travel (2002)
* Status Anxiety (2004)
* The Architecture of Happiness (2006)
* The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work (2009)
He is a writer of essayistic books, which refer both to his own experiences and ideas- and those of artists, philosophers and thinkers. It's a style of writing that has been termed a 'philosophy of everyday life.'
His first book, Essays in Love [titled On Love in the US], minutely analysed the process of falling in and out of love. The style of the book was unusual, because it mixed elements of a novel together with reflections and analyses normally found in a piece of non-fiction. It's a book of which many readers are still fondest.
Bibliography:
* Essays In Love (1993)
* The Romantic Movement (1994)
* Kiss and Tell (1995)
* How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997)
* The Consolations of Philosophy (2000)
* The Art of Travel (2002)
* Status Anxiety (2004)
* The Architecture of Happiness (2006)
* The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work (2009)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 8, 2024
Van alle* zelfhulpboeken die ik ooit al heb gelezen, reikt A Job to Love de meest inzichtelijke en praktische en bijna tedere denkwijzen aan om een kalmer en beter mens te worden - ook naast het werk.
*De teller staat op 3.
*De teller staat op 3.
June 10, 2025
I liked reading the book - it was easy to read and had some insightful ideas.
I just think there is so much overlap with other books from the school of life (I preferred the career workbook). Also, it should help one find a job that is right, but they spend a lot of time saying that a job should be good enough and we should not have too high ambitions. I was missing some advice on how to know if a job is good enough - and when one should consider aiming at least a little higher.
Also the pleasure point analysis was lacking in my opinion. Why are these the pleasure points they have chosen? Is there any research behind this? I think encouraging people to think about pleasure points is reasonable, but I think the list should only be inspirational and not comprehensive.
Sometimes it also felt like the jobs they mentioned were quite naive - for instance the inventor of the squeezable ketchup bottle. How many people are there with a job like this? I would have liked to heard some insights from people who have different jobs (management consultants, cooks, etc.) and mention their experience and struggles.
I just think there is so much overlap with other books from the school of life (I preferred the career workbook). Also, it should help one find a job that is right, but they spend a lot of time saying that a job should be good enough and we should not have too high ambitions. I was missing some advice on how to know if a job is good enough - and when one should consider aiming at least a little higher.
Also the pleasure point analysis was lacking in my opinion. Why are these the pleasure points they have chosen? Is there any research behind this? I think encouraging people to think about pleasure points is reasonable, but I think the list should only be inspirational and not comprehensive.
Sometimes it also felt like the jobs they mentioned were quite naive - for instance the inventor of the squeezable ketchup bottle. How many people are there with a job like this? I would have liked to heard some insights from people who have different jobs (management consultants, cooks, etc.) and mention their experience and struggles.
March 12, 2024
3.5*
+Cool pratimai, privercia sugrizti i vaikyste, prisiminti, ka megdavai zaist/veikti, svajoniu darbas ir td pagalvot, kaip atsidurei ten, kur db esi. Labiau siaip apie vertybes ir seimos/draugu/visuomenes itaka. faini metodai, kurie padeda sugrizti/nueiti i tikras svajones, negalvojant apie bapkes/statusa/igudzius ir pan.
-Namu darbu buvo, kuriu nepadariau ir nebuvo dideles motyvacijos daryt
-Kartais sunku suprast, ka turi omeny tam tikri tekstai,
- Daug pvz. knygoj apie darbus/praktikas/uzsiemimus/pomegius 1900-1960, tai sunku relatint kartais.
+Cool pratimai, privercia sugrizti i vaikyste, prisiminti, ka megdavai zaist/veikti, svajoniu darbas ir td pagalvot, kaip atsidurei ten, kur db esi. Labiau siaip apie vertybes ir seimos/draugu/visuomenes itaka. faini metodai, kurie padeda sugrizti/nueiti i tikras svajones, negalvojant apie bapkes/statusa/igudzius ir pan.
-Namu darbu buvo, kuriu nepadariau ir nebuvo dideles motyvacijos daryt
-Kartais sunku suprast, ka turi omeny tam tikri tekstai,
- Daug pvz. knygoj apie darbus/praktikas/uzsiemimus/pomegius 1900-1960, tai sunku relatint kartais.
November 4, 2024
My former manager gave me to this as a parting gift for when I resigned from my first full time job. Alongside it, he gave me a card that ended with: “If I may be so bold, you are not your anxiety.”
Enjoyed this much more than I thought - draws useful references to history and how different schools of thought have viewed concepts of career and labour over the years to help shape your own definition of what it could be for yourself. Not pushy or leaning towards a particular tone in any way, which is rare for a self-help book.
“Marry, and you will regret it; don’t marry, you will also regret it; marry or don’t marry, you will regret it either way. Laugh at the world’s foolishness, you will regret it; weep over it, you will regret that too; laugh at the world’s foolishness or weep over it, you will regret both. Believe a woman, you will regret it; believe her not, you will also regret it… Hang yourself, you will regret it; do not hang yourself, and you will regret that too; hang yourself or don’t hang yourself, you’ll regret it either way; whether you hang yourself or do not hang yourself, you will regret both. This, gentlemen, is the essence of all philosophy.”
- Either/Or, Søren Kierkegaard
Enjoyed this much more than I thought - draws useful references to history and how different schools of thought have viewed concepts of career and labour over the years to help shape your own definition of what it could be for yourself. Not pushy or leaning towards a particular tone in any way, which is rare for a self-help book.
“Marry, and you will regret it; don’t marry, you will also regret it; marry or don’t marry, you will regret it either way. Laugh at the world’s foolishness, you will regret it; weep over it, you will regret that too; laugh at the world’s foolishness or weep over it, you will regret both. Believe a woman, you will regret it; believe her not, you will also regret it… Hang yourself, you will regret it; do not hang yourself, and you will regret that too; hang yourself or don’t hang yourself, you’ll regret it either way; whether you hang yourself or do not hang yourself, you will regret both. This, gentlemen, is the essence of all philosophy.”
- Either/Or, Søren Kierkegaard
June 6, 2024
During this time in my life this book specifically the ending has shed light on what to look out for & how to go about my search. Aiming to be “good-enough” rather than “trying too hard” & getting no where except constantly frustrated spoke volumes to me in a world filled “perfectionism” surrounding many avenues. I enjoyed the thought questions/scenarios at the end of majority of the chapters, sometimes I would not do them right away & let them sit on my mind for a few days before responding with an answer. They were helpful & certainly caused me to ponder on my responses. I am extremely interested to see as time goes on & when the time comes and I reread this book will any of my responses change? Who knows!
March 10, 2025
Lovely writing style by Alaine. Nice and real exploration of the evolution and philosophy of work. School of life always has a way of bringing you back down to Earth with the reminder of our human limits.
January 6, 2024
Good exercises and background information that help before or during job search. Liked it.
March 2, 2025
This book reminded me that it’s okay to be average
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews