Darwin's Moving

by Taylor Lambert

Darwin's Moving introduces readers to the colourful characters who populate the furniture moving trade, a male-dominated world of labour with relatively high pay and no need for education of any sort. Movers have a unique window into the private spaces of the city as they perform their difficult and delicate job inside all manner of homes, from government-subsidized housing developments to multi-million dollar McMansions.

Taylor Lambert intriguingly explores class and work in a city that would rather focus on the wealth and prosperity brought to it by the oil and gas industry. Darwin's Moving shows us the Other Calgary, a world populated by transient men and women struggling to survive in a boomtown's shadow.

Darwin's Moving takes us behind the scenes of a business that is almost completely undocumented in Canadian literature.

Genres: Nonfiction

148 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2017

About the author

Taylor Lambert is an Alberta journalist and the author of four nonfiction books.

Reviews

[bamlinden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, spur-of-the-moment read that I discovered when taking a trip to the library. It was a suggested read and there was something about it that drew me in. I felt this way throughout reading it as well.....it was an interesting look at a topic that I have given basically no thought to until now.

I don’t know why this book appealed to me. Might have been the local placings (takes place in the city I live in) or the topic of class differences in our society. Maybe it was the sharing of so many personal stories that both inspired and made me shake my head. It really was a strange concoction.

Overall, this book was really well written. It had a pace and flow that kept me flipping pages. I never knew I’d be so interested in moving. Occasionally the book flies from one topic to another a little too quick - this could’ve been a much better slow burn at times (it’s less than 150 pages).

Happy that I struck something solid on a quick pick of a title. (pats himself on the back)

[Anne Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

had requested a few books from NeWest Press awhile ago, so I had Darwin’s Moving by Taylor Lambert on my shelf for at least a few weeks, if not months. Then, at my most recent Wordfest event, I came across someone who looked vaguely familiar to me, although I wasn’t sure why. After introducing myself, I realized it was from an author photo that I recognized this person-Taylor Lambert had written a book that was currently sitting on my shelf, among 60-ish others that I was supposed to be writing a review for. “Shit”, I thought, “I better read this one now that I’ve met the guy, plus NeWest is probably wondering where the hell these reviews are”.

Please visit my blog to read the rest of my review:
https://ivereadthis.com/2017/10/26/bo...

[Nikki Karn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor is a fantastic author. He elaborates in all the right places, filling you in on three fascinating characters, their jaw-dropping life stories and several hilarious situations that he has experienced while working alongside them in the moving industry. If you are looking for a compelling read by a Canadian author...this is it! I would've never guessed that a "book about moving furniture" could be such a page-turner.

[Bill Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author tells of his experiences in working for a small moving company in Calgary. Work as a mover requires no education and pays well, making it attractive work for those who have few qualifications. Those working as movers are often people who have experienced much trouble in their lives and have social and drug abuse problems.

Lambert describes the moving process and the skills required for efficiency. The men happily work long hours of heavy exertion. Furniture size and awkward access can make jobs difficult. The men take pride in their work. Breakage is a rare event that disappoints them greatly.

While they are often good workers they tend to be unreliable and constant problem for the owner of the moving company.

Lambert describes some of the men he has worked with, their strengths and their weaknesses. Working as a mover, he found that the pay was enough to establish himself comfortably, although he worked long hours. He observes that it is not a lack of income which holds his fellow workers back. Many strive for a more ordered life, but fall back to episodes of drug abuse and social conflicts. The cost of drugs, including cigarettes, leaves them short of money.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book recommended by Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi as an unusual view of Calgary society, and a worthwhile glimpse into the lives of working folk who are not living the high life, and not even the average middle class life.
Working for a moving company is a tough way to make a small amount of dollars - as I can personally attest based on my experience working for such a company in the full-on heat of an Australian summer!
Darwin's Moving is a collection of true stories of the characters and the work of movers in Calgary, and some earlier times in Regina.
Read it to gain a good perspective of a section of our society that you probably never think of, and be prepared to be surprised, maybe a little shocked, and amused! You will look at movers and moving trucks differently in the future!

[Mckeage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a slice of Canadian life that you don't often read about. The moving business and the people it employs. It was well written and very interesting. It was also very thought provoking because it provided a very sympathetic, honest, I thought, portrait of people with addictions, people raised in poverty and the Canadian class structure that we don't often think about. I did not expect all of that when I bought this book.

I want to read another of Mr. Lambert's publications: Roots: extracted tales from a century of dentistry at the University of Calgary. A commissioned work I presume. Great title.

[Susan Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

As otherwise noted, this is an unusual subject but worthwhile reading and decently done. It provides insight into a industry to which I had never given a thought but surfaces occasionally in the lives of us all. The instability of the working environment appears unfortunate but it does provide a living, though possibly, a disincentive for change. The work is tough, as are their lives. Thank you Mr. Lambert for the "heads up".

[Adam Cormier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, true stories about the workers of a Calgary based moving company. Shows differences between social classes and talks about some criminal and drug addiction challenges faced by the workers. Light and interesting read about the day to day challenges faced by Darwin of managing the staff and operations. I found it very interesting as I could relate to the book easily as a Calgary resident. Worth a read to all Calgary residents.

[Mary Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and insightful true tales of people in my home town. I rode the Route 23 on its inaugural day in April 1998 and worked in various spots in Foothills Industrial for 20 years so I know the trials of transit. Although I have known a few movers I never really considered the whole of their lives and this book brought it home to me.

[Arielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a quick read, and I devoured it immediately in one sitting. I wept when I finished. My heart hurt for Keith and Jesse, in particular Keith. A book that will stay on my mind for a long time.

[Hyrum Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book really came together for me in the last 7 or 8 pages. This line got me:

“And that’s why I think I would have been a good cop. But I know I could never be one, so I did something else I was good at: moving.”

[Ellen Au · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reads like a really short story commentary. Interesting to be reminded of the type of people employed to move one's personal items.

[Jody MacPherson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read with lots of local flavour.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about the world of moving employees. Very eye opening and a sad read as well. I stumbled across this book as it was on a suggested read by Mayor Nenshi at the Calgary Public Library.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s important to read about people you don’t see in the places you live. Everyone should read this.

[David Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it was an interesting study about class divisions and precarious employment. I ended up wanting more. The moving business described reminded me of the summer jobs I had working in small manufacturing plants in Southern Ontario.