Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs

Jacket Description/Flap: "Amazing . . . a gem of a book that uses only the strength of the human voice to tell an American story -- sometimes dark, always fascinating."-- "USA Today "The accounts are wonderfully revealing, with gritty and almost shockingly honest detail. For all their variety, they weave a cohesive, passion-filled story of what people bring to their work. It's an addictive read."-- Harvard Business Review's Best Business Books of 2000 "Keen, disturbing, and deeply felt . . . the stories in Gig deliver a more rousing political wallop than those in Working . . . remarkable and strangely moving." -- Susan Faludi, "The Village Voice "I love this book! It's surprising and entertaining and makes the world seem like a bigger and more interesting place. "Gig manages to document everyday life and give pure narrative pleasure at the same time. One feels proud to live in the same country as the people in this book." -- Ira Glass, host of This American Life "A fascinating compilation of what the American workforce has to say about itself." -- George Plimpton "Eye-opening . . . more revealing than any theories a sociologist could concoct." -- "The Industry Standard "Entertaining, sobering, validating . . . Ordinary people discuss their jobs with extraordinary candor." -- "US Weekly "In the age of advanced spin, this book accomplishes a very rare thing. It actually lets workers speak for themselves. . . . The result makes for a fascinating read." -- Andrew Ross, director, American Studies Program at New York University "Emotional and eye-opening, each compelling description offers insight about the job itself and, more important, an intimateview of a single human life." -- "Austin Chronicle "An engaging, humorous, revealing, and refreshingly human look at the bizarre, life-threatening, and delightfully humdrum exploits of everyone from sports heroes to sex workers." -- Douglas Rushkoff, author of "Coercion, "Ecstasy Club, and "Media VirusMarc Notes: Originally published: Gig: Americans talk about their jobs at the turn of the millennium. 2000. Publisher Marketing: "Amazing . . . a gem of a book that uses only the strength of the human voice to tell an American story -- sometimes dark, always fascinating."-- "USA Today" "The accounts are wonderfully revealing, with gritty and almost shockingly honest detail. For all their variety, they weave a cohesive, passion-filled story of what people bring to their work. It's an addictive read."-- Harvard Business Review's Best Business Books of 2000 "Keen, disturbing, and deeply felt . . . the stories in Gig deliver a more rousing political wallop than those in Working . . . remarkable and strangely moving." -- Susan Faludi, "The Village Voice" "I love this book! It's surprising and entertaining and makes the world seem like a bigger and more interesting place. "Gig" manages to document everyday life and give pure narrative pleasure at the same time. One feels proud to live in the same country as the people in this book." -- Ira Glass, host of This American Life "A fascinating compilation of what the American workforce has to say about itself." -- George Plimpton "Eye-opening . . . more revealing than any theories a sociologist could concoct." -- "The Industry Standard" "Entertaining, sobering, validating . . . Ordinary people discuss their jobs with extraordinary candor." -- "US Weekly" "In the age of advanced spin, this book accomplishes a very rare thing. It actually lets workers speak for themselves. . . . The result makes for a fascinating read." -- Andrew Ross, director, American Studies Program at New York University "Emotional and eye-opening, each compelling description offers insight about the job itself and, more important, an intimate view of a single human life." -- "Austin Chronicle" "An engaging, humorous, revealing, and refreshingly human look at the bizarre, life-threatening, and delightfully humdrum exploits of everyone from sports heroes to sex workers." -- Douglas Rushkoff, author of "Coercion," "Ecstasy Club," and "Media Virus"

Contributor Bio:  Bowe, John John Bowe has contributed to "The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine," "GQ, The American Prospect," National Public Radio's "This American Life," "McSweeney's," and others. He is the co-editor of" Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs," one of Harvard Business Review's best books of 2000, and co-screenwriter of the film Basquiat. In 2004, he received the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award, the Sydney Hillman Award for journalists, writers, and public figures who pursue social justice and public policy for the common good, and the Richard J. Margolis Award, dedicated to journalism that combines social concern and humor. He lives in Manhattan. "From the Hardcover edition."Contributor Bio:  Bowe, Marisa Bowe is the founding editor-in-chief of Word magazine, and was named by Entertainment Weekly as "one of multi-media's ten most influential, forward-thinking" figures in 1996.