Why We Work

August 1, 2015

Schwartz (psychology, Swarthmore Coll.), a prolific writer (The Paradox of Choice) and popular TED talk guest, looks at why we work and what makes work "good." Written like a TED talk and copublished with TED, Schwartz's concise synthesis of this idea is filled with rapid-fire examples, psychological studies and theories, and compelling anecdotes. The author suggests that our relationship to labor is complex and not easily distilled into a "paycheck." Likewise, he asserts that the elements that give tasks meaning and create engagement (purpose, variety, autonomy, and sense of belonging) also undergird company loyalty and profitability. However, Schwartz posits that we have too long believed in the false notion of the worker as pictured by Adam Smith and Frederick Taylor. To guide thoughtful change, he provides four fundamental questions to building institutions that foster "good" work that will help both the individual and the institution to grow. VERDICT Schwartz's succinct, knowledgeable, and well-documented work expertly applies his 40 years of psychological research to the fashioning of companies that encourage us to be our best selves. It will appeal to students of business and organizational psychology.--Jane Scott, Clark Lib., Univ. of Portland, OR

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