100 Bullshit Jobs...And How to Get Them

by Stanley Bing

What do being a feng shui advisor, marketing consultant, and vice president of the United States have in common? The inimitable Stanley Bing presents a tasteful pile of these and other bullshit jobs, and explains how to snag one for yourself. From bestselling author and business guru Stanley Bing comes an indispensable guide for the contemporary working person—specifically, a worker who is ambitious, greedy, and lazy. In his helpful, witty, straight-shooting style, Bing, who based his entire career and several bestselling books on his own very special brand of bullshit, guides the reader through a plethora of bullshit jobs that pay well and demand very little knowledge or effort. Walmart greeters, executive headhunters, The people lucky enough to have secured this type of bullshit employment are everywhere, in virtually every field—from ayurvedic healing to zoo management. Bing’s handy reference explains the myriad benefits of such bullshit ways to earn a living, and details steps readers should take to land a bullshit job of their own.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Humor, Comedy

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Gil Schwartz, known by his pen name Stanley Bing, was an American business humorist and novelist. He wrote a column for Fortune magazine for more than twenty years after a decade at Esquire magazine. He was the author of thirteen books, including What Would Machiavelli Do? and The Curriculum, a satirical textbook for a business school that also offers lessons on the web. Schwartz was senior executive vice president of corporate communications and Chief Communications Officer for CBS.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea.]

Just..not for me. Not at all.

I had chosen this book thinking it would actually have some educational value while being funny at the same time. Plus I loved the title!

Though it may have worked for some, this was a DNF for me. It really did not offer much in terms of educational value and it wasn't funny either.


I usually do not rate books that are DNFS unless I have read 50 pages or more. I did with this one. It was a let down.

[Sarah]

The author's mother at some point clearly made the mistake of telling him he was funny.

This book was about as entertaining as stabbing myself in the face repeatedly with a fork.

[Ben]

Just... not that funny. It seemed like it could have been good. Many opportunities were missed. Really bland.

[Tara]

So curious when I picked it up and fun to read. Mostly jobs catering to people or celebrities like personal assistant and trainer and aquarium cleaner. Not as good as the book Gig, which is awesome. Anyway, it was tongue in cheek and included the downsides of these bullshit jobs. I think I'll keep mine though.

[Danielle Robertson Robertson]

Not as funny or insightful as I'd hoped. Probably good fodder for a house party, if someone can do a dramatic reading and add life to the humor within.

[Dustan Woodhouse]

was an entertaining read in 2006 while sorting out what to do next.

[!Black]

This book is absolutely brilliant as it intricately outlines the existence of bullshit jobs throughout history and in the contemporary era. The author brilliantly dissects what makes each job essentially "bullshit," providing a keen understanding that transcends time. What sets this book apart is its profoundly human exploration of the meaning behind each of these 100 bullshit jobs.

The author delves into the art of transforming any job, not initially labeled as one of these 100 bullshit jobs, into a bullshit job through clever "bullshit" methods like delegation and procrastination. The ingenious revelation that any work's potential for becoming bullshit is defined by its susceptibility to procrastination or delegation is both enlightening and amusing.

One of the highlights of the book is the introduction of a beautiful mathematical formula early on, offering a quantitative measure of just how "bullshit" your job might be. I appreciate the author's meticulous and systematic approach, providing a detailed breakdown of each job point by point. The book thoroughly explores the bullshit level of each job, its economic potential, advantages, disadvantages, and whether one might be suitable for that particular type of work.

Including all those professions that absolutely deceive us all the time, the coverage of a wide array of bullshit jobs is impressive, such as economists, reiki therapists, executive consultants, "yesmen" dedicated to pleasing the management class, nutritionists, and more.

Author Insight: A notable aspect that adds immense value to this book is that it's penned by Stanley Bing, a seasoned corporate veteran who has spent a lifetime navigating the corporate world and dealing with all sorts of sharks and "bullshit." His extensive experience in corporate culture makes him an authoritative voice on the subject, not only in this book but also in his other works that humorously critique the business culture, our economy, and capitalism as a whole. This firsthand expertise elevates the book's credibility and makes it an invaluable read for anyone seeking a humorous yet insightful take on the pervasive "bullshit" within our professional lives.

[Petrică Nițoaia]

A fun, easy-going book.
If you want to see the serious book that inspired this, check out 'Bullshit Jobs: A Theory' by David Graeber.
Certainly, bullshit jobs are everywhere and rising mental health issues show they become a bigger and bigger problem for our societies.
We need the 6 hours work day or, even better, the 4 hours work day. This is the minimum save for a real restructuring of work!

[Miral Asmaar]

Reading it in 2021 i didn't find anything new. Definitely not a timeless read. There are more bullshit jobs today like being an influencer or career consultant.
The book held a very surface-level view of the jobs talked about. There's more to those jobs and after the first few the book just becomes unbearably boring.

[ARC]

Not as bullshit as the title. There are times when you really LoL at what Stanley Bing says about certain jobs where you eventually realise that there’s a little bullshit in all of us. Your bullshit is whatever you make of it; so make it a good one!!!

[yasha]

Mostly about as bullshit as the feeble attempt at comedy in this book

[brittish]

Fun, great coffee table book. I'd most definitely give this to a teenager entering the work force.

[Frank]

It's funny. You can read it in a few hours, say, on a rainy day when you need a few laughs. I'd write more, but I have been inspired to immediately write a book based entirely on bullshit.

[Chetna]

You know, if he hadn't made fun of book editors, he could've written a book that's coherent, consistent, and ACTUALLY funny.

[JustEvan]

I love reading books written in slightly different eras. This one is wonderful. The author admits his political bias and works very hard not to let it paint his commentary too much. He specifically mentions avoiding modern political issues (of his time) but still pokes fun at politicians. Especially Dick Cheney.
The best part is the chapter on Donald Trump, who at the time was just a carnival barker/real estate mogul.
I wonder what Stanley Bing thinks of him now.

But a fun, if someone dated, book.

[Row Dela Rosa Yoon]

Take a look at this book written by Stanley Yelnats....oppss Stanley Bing. Check out if your job is in the list. If so, congratulations! You're famous, highly-respected, well-paid, and oftentimes people have no clue of what you're doing! You're doing a bullshit job. You know that you're doing a bullshit job when you have a high fallutin job title with a vague job description. What does a Feng Shui consultant do? or a new media executive, a wine steward, or a McKinsey consultant for example? What does an aromatherapist do? "Sniff things and rub them on people, for big fragrant bucks? Is that all?" I should give this a five star. Hilarious!

[Eva Filoramo]

L'ha regalato a un mio amico il suo capo (che per inciso non gli dà lo strameritato aumento che richiede da circa tre anni), e fin qui. L'idea è divertente ma, un po' perché non posso cogliere i riferimenti al mondo aziendale statunitense (meno male!), un po' perché è troppo poco impegnativo anche come lettura durante la colazione... Io abbandono i libri a malincuore, ma direi che questo caso fa eccezione.

[John]

It's all bullshit - everything - every job - bullshit ! And you can succeed at all of it.

This irreverant look at the careers we hold in high regard will make you wonder why you are doing whatever it is your are doing now. Quite funny, often sarcastic.

[N904 SC]

Was hoping it would be a funny (if not cynical) criticism of modern society and corporate America. Instead, it was jokey but in an ineffective way. Not much substance to it and really no reason to read it. Skimmed it in 1 day.

[Melissa Rochelle]

Funny book about what BS some jobs can be...It ranges from Barista to Donald Trump to Pundit to Vice President.

[Vicki]

short, funny and appropriately gifted from the people who listen to me complain about what I'm doing now...

[Arrica Lee]

I have never heard about most of them. I enjoyed reading about the upsides, downsides and the dark sides of the jobs.

[Teena in Toronto]

An amusing quick read.

Don't buy it ... get it from the library like I did. Or read it at Chapters while you're enjoying a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

[Teri Temme]

I liked it. Funny. Even included a few details I wouldn't have expected. Fun read.

[Harvey]

- overly simplistic, but somewhat entertaining examination of such bullshit jobs as aromatherapist, motivational speaker, velvet-rope nazi, etc.
- cute

[Scott Hayes]

It was a fun read, some of the jobs were amusing, but highly unlikely. *LOL*

[Jovan]

A nice afternoon read.

[Carlos Velez]

Prospects for a new J O B ;0)

[Marlena]

I thought this book was hilarious. Easy, quick read. On sale for $3 at HPB.

[Mr. Mullins]

Just a fun little read. Makes you wonder a bit about some jobs.