Un-Jobbing: The Adult Liberation Handbook

by Michael Fogler

Book by Fogler, Michael

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Money

116 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skip this and read the Mr. Money Mustache blog. Un-jobbing shared a lot of the same ideas and inspirations, but I prefer MMM's more badass approach as well as his more deeply researched ideas.

[Jeffturney]

What the author describes is so radically different - and so attractive - that I can not read but a few pages before having to stop and digest the material for a few days. What this book really is is an entirely different perspective on our lives and the economy, and I can't decide whether its a valid perspective or not.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Our post-industrial-revolution-era of school and work is woefully outdated and serves to only isolate the familial unit. On this I agree with the author. However, I struggled through this short read because he spent most of the book complaining about his inadequacy as a wage earner and subsequently using that as a rationalization for the only style of living that he has had any success at. That is, extreme frugality and living below the miminum taxable income. Isn't that also referred to as living below the poverty level? Also, I couldn't take the incessant repetition and espousal of vegetarianism along with hearing how humans are killing the planet. Take all of that away and we are left with the last chapter and the appendix as the only useful information.

[Oryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for inspiration and have only just begun considering that the "normal" 9 to 5 world is not for you, then you may find this book more helpful than I did. I have held many of the ideas and feelings of the author for quite some time, so found this book to be little if any help. It is a declaration of possibilities, that they are there and you can do it too. However, it is far from a handbook for the liberation of your life, there is very little specific advice or anything, in my mind, of practical use. Most of the concepts presented were, to me, basic and common sense. No tools are given for getting to this place of liberation that readers are likely looking to achieve. Thankfully the book is short, so I didn't have to waste much of, as the author puts it, my life-energy to complete it and see that it unfortunately held nothing for me. I believe it was written for an older audience than myself, any of the examples given were of people likely at least a decade my senior, which at that point in their lives have a considerably larger amount of capital to play with. I will say that the author did an excellent job of voicing my own thoughts on taxes, insurance, the disease of our modern lives that is "making a living". I also look forward to checking out the books listed in the Appendix of the book.

[Ana Paula Bassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book approaches my way of thinking about life and our society so much that I was mesmerized by it. It feels like I had already read it. It's simple and goes right into the point of it all. Thank you so much for it, I hope I make it justice living my life!

[shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. hippies.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the ten books that changed my life

[Hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read but particularly U.S.-centric, so perhaps of limited use to others. More of a philosophical guide to the idea, not really a how-to.

[Camilo Armo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas here!

[Bradley Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Unjobbing" is a short book discussing how it is both desirable and practical to live without a job. It is more inspiration than guidance, using the author's personal experience as an example while getting readers to ask fundamental questions about their lives that define a vision of what they want, independent of what society expects of them, and to decide how their work serves their vision.

The book reminds me of the excellent book "Your Money Or Your Life," which it references, but with fewer specifics in its text (the appendix and bibliography make up for it). It see it more as a primer than a "handbook," but that doesn't diminish its value. As such, I recommend it to everyone who is either in a career or starting one. Like taking on a new diet where "checking with your doctor first" is commonly advised, the full costs and benefits of taking a job should be evaluated against the alternatives first. "Unjobbing," like similar books, doest the service of pointing out that there actually are other alternatives.

[Eli · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author explains in his preface that the one publisher he found that was interested in the book quit her job soon after reading it! So, it's self-published. He's got some awesome moments, but really could have used an editor.

Un-Jobbing focuses on the philosophy behind voluntary simplicity. He also gives a (very) broadstroke summary of the ins and outs of living simply. There is a point or two that he really doesn't argue well at all, and there's tips on income reduction that only a middle class academic would think are revolutionary. But he articulates some great questions, and has given me some mental tools to play with in my own transition into a less consumerist, more imaginative lifestyle.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little book is an argument for working as little as possible--and to work at something you adore--in order to really live an authentic life. While I did like it, Fogler becomes a little pompous when he starts telling readers they MUST be vegetarian, they MUST drink only water, wear your clothes until they fall into pieces, etc etc. Voluntary simplicity is what he is advocating, of course, but UNvoluntary simplicity isn't fun.
However, I won't throw the baby out with the bathwater. We DO need to work less and to challenge the capitalist society's insistence on 40+ hour weeks. I mourn for the young people graduating with tens of thousands of dollars of debt.

[Sonja H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about living the non-tradition 9-5 life

[Love Barkhurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this little book. It's a quick easy read if you are looking for some positive reinforcement in your move toward a simpler more community based life style. Well done.

[Haiko Meelis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to finish on my 43rd birthday ;-)

I like this kind of books as they provide a completely different perspectives on life for most of the people.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

last re-read