In 2013, David Graeber’s essay “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs” asked if our jobs make a meaningful contribution to the world. It went viral, sparking global debate. In Bullshit Jobs, David examines how many roles—HR consultants, corporate lawyers, and more—are meaningless, highlighting how finance capitalism perpetuates this issue. The book calls for a cultural shift, valuing creative and caring work over empty tasks.
Bullshit Jobs
Preface: On the phenomenon of bullshit jobs
What is a bullshit job?
What sorts of bullshit jobs are there?
Why do those in bullshit jobs regularly report themselves unhappy?
What is it like to have a bullshit job?
Why are bullshit jobs proliferating?
Why do we as a society not object to the growth of pointless employment?
What are the political effects of bullshit jobs, and is there anything that can be done about this situation?
Catalan
Title: Feines absurdes: Una teoria
First Published: 2019
ISBN: 9788417190774
Publisher: Descontrol
Translators:
Miki
Pages: 432Chinese (Simplified)
Title: 毫无意义的工作
First Published: 2022
ISBN: 9787521743883
Publisher: CITIC
Translators:
Yujun Lv
Pages: 408Chinese (Traditional)
Title: 40%的工作沒意義,為什麼還搶著做?
First Published: 2019
ISBN: 9789864776092
Publisher: Cite Publishing
Translators:
Yi Li
Pages: 448Croatian
Title: Besmisleni poslovi
First Published: 2020
ISBN: 9789532229011
Publisher: Jesenski i Turk
Translators:
Alenka Mirković Nađ
Pages: 325Dutch
Title: Bullshit Jobs
First Published: 2018
ISBN: 9789047011767
Publisher: Atlas
Translators:
Tracey Drost-Plegt
Pages: 416English
Title: Bullshit Jobs
First Published: 2019
ISBN: 9781501143335
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 368
English (UK)
Title: Bullshit Jobs
First Published: 2019
ISBN: 9780141983479
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 368
Farsi
Title: شغل های چرند و پرند
First Published: 2023
ISBN: 9786225696242
Publisher: Houpaa
Translators:
Simin Forohar
Pages: 404French
Title: Bullshit Jobs
First Published: 2018
ISBN: 9791020906335
Publisher: Les Liens Qui Liberent
Translators:
Élise Roy
Pages: 472
Title: Bullshit Jobs
First Published: 2019
ISBN: 979-10-209-0736-3
Publisher: Les liens qui libèrent
Translators:
Elise Roy
Pages: 448
Title: Bullshit Jobs
First Published: 2024
ISBN: 979-10-209-2376-9
Publisher: Les liens qui libèrent
Translators:
Elise Roy
Pages: 448German
Title: Bullshit Jobs: vom wahren Sinn der Arbeit
First Published: 2020
ISBN: 9783608981087
Publisher: Klett-Kotta
Translators:
Sebastian Vogel
Pages: 464Greek
Title: Bullshit Jobs μια Θεωρια
First Published: 2023
ISBN: 9789609775489
Publisher: Stasei Ekpiptontes
Translators:
Christos Pallas
Pages: 368Hungarian
Title: Bullshit munkák
First Published: 2020
ISBN: 9789634931171
Publisher: Typotex
Translators:
Ottilia Boross
Pages: 342Italian
Title: Bullshit Jobs
First Published: 2018
ISBN: 9788811672661
Publisher: Garzanti
Translators:
Albertine Cerutti
Pages: 400Japanese
Title: ブルシット・ジョブ: クソどうでもいい仕事の理論
First Published: 2020
ISBN: 9784000614139
Publisher: Iwanami
Translators:
Takahisa Miyake
,Kazuki Morita
Pages: 424Korean
Title: 불쉿 잡 왜 무의미한 일자리가 계속 유지되는가?
First Published: 2021
ISBN: 9788937444821
Publisher: Minumsa
Translators:
Kim Byeong-hwa
Pages: 512Lithuanian
Title: Šūdmalos darbų teorija
First Published: 2023
ISBN: 9786098280524
Publisher: Hubris
Translators:
Pages: 415
Polish
Title: Praca bez sensu
First Published: 2019
ISBN: 9788366232433
Publisher: Krytyka Polityczna
Translators:
Mikołaj Denderski
Pages: 448Portuguese
Title: Trabalhos de Merda. Uma Teoria
First Published: 2022
ISBN: 9789724425320
Publisher: Almedina
Translators:
Hugo Barros
Pages: 338Russian
Title: Бредовая работа
First Published: 2020
ISBN: 9785911035419
Publisher: Ad Marginem
Translators:
Konstantin Mitroshenkov
,Armen Aramyan
Pages: 440
Title: Бредовая работа (2nd edition)
First Published: 2022
ISBN: 9785911036294
Publisher: Ad Marginem
Translators:
Konstantin Mitroshenkov
,Armen Aramyan
Pages: 368Serbian
Title: Nebulozni poslovi
First Published: 2020
ISBN: 9788661453496
Publisher: Geopoetika
Translators:
Lucy Stevens
Pages: 343Slovene
Title: Bulšihti: Teorija
First Published: 2024
ISBN: 9789612571849
Publisher: Založba
Translators:
Aleksandra Rekar
Pages: 442Spanish
Title: Trabajos de mierda: Una teoría
First Published: 2019
ISBN: 9788434428997
Publisher: Ariel / Planeta
Translators:
Iván Barbeitos
Pages: 432Turkish
Title: Tırışkadan İşler
First Published: 2021
ISBN: 9786051855899
Publisher: Everest
Translators:
Burak Esen
Pages: 416Vietnamese
Title: Bullshit Jobs: Đời Ngắn Lắm, Đừng Làm Việc Vô Nghĩa!
First Published: 2021
ISBN: 8935278600800
Publisher: Saigon Books
Translators:
Tran Hoang Son
Pages: 388Nathan Heller, The Bullshit-Job Boom
Charles Mudede: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Jun 2018
How Useful Is the Aggressive Fare Enforcement of Link Light Rail?
thestranger.com
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Alana Semuels, The New York Times
26 Jun 2018
Are More and More People Working Meaningless Jobs?
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by John Warner on Chicago Tribune
9 May 2019
Is your job meaningless? Read David Graeber's book before you judge
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Matt Jaquiery on VerySmallDreams
4 Sept 2019
The rise of pointless work and what we can do about it
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Kater Cheek
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber
Book Review: Bullshit Jobs: A Theory
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Stuart on SlingshotCollective
30 Jan 2019
a18- Book Reviews: Bullshit jobs
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Chandra Shekar Surendra on CSThinks
Sept 2020
Book review: Bullshit Jobs
Review of “Bullshit jobs” by Nick Slater & Oren Nimni on Current Affairs
20 Aug 2019
Bullshit Jobs. What qualifies and what to do about them…
Kirkus reviews: “Bullshit Jobs”
15 May 2018
BULLSHIT JOBS A THEORY
Overlong, but the book offers comfort to those who are performing the white-collar version of burger-flipping and hating...
kirkusreviews.com
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Arthur Meyers on BooklistOnline
Apr 2018
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Eliane Glaser on Guardian
25 May 2018
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber review – the myth of capitalist efficiency
Michael Robbins: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
8 Nov 2018
Looking Busy. The rise of pointless work.
The Nation
thenation.com
Atossa Araxia Abrahamian: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
29 Aug 2018
Money for Nothing. Many jobs are pointless. Others are being automated away. In the future, who will still work for a paycheck?
- David Graeber "Bullshit Jobs"
- Annie Lowrey "Give People Money"
- UBI
newrepublic.com
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Chris Wright on Medium.com
8 Sep 2018
A review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Benjamin Noys on Review31
~2019
Bullshitting Jobs
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Rohan Khattar Singh on NickledAndDimed
Jan 2019
BOOK REVIEW SERIES: BULLSHIT JOBS
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Roy Lotz on LotzInTranslation
Nov 2019
Review: Bullshit Jobs
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Robert Ovetz on ebb-magazine
Sept 2019
Bullshit Jobs: The Rise of Pointless Work and What We Can Do About It
Clare Solomon: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Jul 2018
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory – book review
Counter Fire
David Graeber’s new book raises many questions about the function and worth of work, but doesn’t entirely explain why useless work persists, finds Clare Solomon
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Nathan Heller on The New Yorker
Jun 2018
The Bullshit-Job Boom
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Miranda Purves on Bloomberg
2018
You’re Not Just Imagining It. Your Job Is Absolute BS
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by a blogger Sylvain Kerkour
Aug 2021
Bullshit jobs
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Anton Jäger on NonSite.org
Sept 2019
Back to Work: Review of David Graeber’s Bullshit Jobs
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Emma Duncan on The Times
May 2018
Review: Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber — quit now, your job is pointless
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Andrew Spencer on GreenRoomBlog
“A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy” – Book Review of BS Jobs : A Theory
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Étienne de l’Estoile and Julie Oudoton on
2020
“Well paid to do nothing”? Remuneration in David Graeber’s Bullshit Jobs
Regards croisés sur l'économie 2020/2 No 27, pages 231 to 237
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” for SWR2 (in German)
20 Aug 2018
Sinnlose, idiotische und schädliche Arbeit
Philine Sauvageot on David Graeber and bullshit jobs. Eine Buchkritik für SWR2.
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by winchellhouse.com
Jun 2025
Book Review: Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Michael Ferber on allinoneboat.org
Jul 2019
Bullshit Jobs — A Review
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by Jordi Bes Lozano on factorhuma.org
Jan 2023
Trabajos de mierda
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” by M.Àngels Alió
Dec 2019
A propòsit del llibre de David Graeber sobre els treballs de merda.
Published on the University of Barcelona website: Centre de Recursos per l'Ecologia Social
Review of “Bullshit Jobs” on El Diari de l’Educació
Oct 2022
OPINIÓ: Bullshit jobs
Review of David Graeber’s books and ideas by T. P.Lambert on unherd.com
2 Sept 2025
David Graeber: the Left’s lost hero
He knew bureaucracy is bullshit
Thomas Peermohamed Lambert
unherd.com
John McDonnell’s video review about Pirate Enlightenment and Bullshit Jobs
1 Oct 2025
Bryn Griffiths and John McDonnell about Pirate Enlightenment and Bullshit Jobs
«Бредовая работа» и новый здравый смысл
Как продолжить дело Дэвида Гребера в исследованиях, мыслях и разговорах с новыми знакомыми
«Бесполезная работа»: критика капитализма в теории Д. Гребера
Статья раскрывает тему появления бредовой работы как результата развития неолиберального капитализма.
Дэвид Гребер «Бредовая работа»: распутывая запутки
Дэвид Гребер в своем труде «Бредовая работа. Трактат о распространении бессмысленного труда», рассуждая о работе и о том, что немалому количеству людей, обладающими правом избирать, а значит в полисном смысле являющимися свободными и имеющими политическое тело, приходится заниматься работой, которую они оценивают как ненужную, но которой приходится заниматься в силу двух важных причин...
«Бредовая работа» Дэвида Гребера
Выбор Игоря Гулина
«Бредовая работа»: смысл — это новая идея
Публикуем рецензию Эллы Россман на последнюю книгу Дэвида Гребера «Бредовая работа», вышедшую в издательстве Ad Marginem.
Манифест против офисного абсурда
Книга этой недели — трактат антрополога Дэвида Гребера «Бредовая работа»
Лучший селф-хелп для наших времен
О «Бредовой работе» Дэвида Гребера
2 сентября скоропостижно скончался замечательный американский антрополог Дэвид Гребер. Мы посчитали, что лучшим некрологом ученому, который ушел в расцвете сил, будет рецензия на его книгу. «Бредовая работа» в оригинале вышла два года назад и стала последним крупным исследованием Гребера: о том, что анархисту от антропологии удалось в нем, а что — не очень, рассказывает социолог Владимир Картавцев
Nathan Heller about “Bullshit Jobs”
The Bullshit-Job Boom (2018)
Бум бессмысленной занятости
Kristoffer Viita about “Bullshit Jobs”
2018
Vem saknar en lobbyist?
Kristoffer Viita läser en bok om ”bullshit jobs”
Бессмысленный труд и потерянное время. Рецензия на книгу Дэвида Грэбера «Бредовая работа»
Дэвид Грэбер, американский антрополог-анархист, известен благодаря таким интеллектуальным бестселлерам, как «Долг. Первые 5 000 лет истории», «Утопия правил» и, конечно, «Бредовая работа». К сожалению, ни одна из его работ до сих пор не переведена на украинский язык. О последней книге, опубликованной в русском переводе издательством «Ad Marginem» в прошлом году, и пойдет речь в этой статье.
Claudio Sopranzetti on David Graeber’s work
10 Apr 2025
David Graeber's rhythm of developing thought: On poetics, imagination, and estrangement
journals.sagepub.com
Olli Pitkänen about bullshit jobs
20 Jan 2023
Kirja-arvostelu: Bullshit Jobs (Graeber)
hamaraprojekti.org
Jaroslav Fiala about bullshit jobs
26 Oct 2019
Máte práci na hovno? Nedivte se, náš svět připomíná nevolnictví
Jaroslav Fiala is a historian and editor-in-chief of Alarm (denikalarm.cz)
Remi Nilsen about Bullshit Jobs
Jul 2018
Frykten for den tomme arbeidsplassen
Har imperativet om å skape arbeidsplasser skapt et samfunn fullt av meningsløst arbeid?
Andrew Anthony: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
27 May 2018
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory review – laboured rant about the world of work
David Graeber’s snarky study of the meaningless nature of modern employment adds little to our understanding of it
theguardian.com
Jordi Bes Lozano: review of “Bullshit Jobs” on Factor Humà
10 Jan 2023
Trabajos de mierda
Jordi Bes Lozano
Fundació Factor Humà
factorhuma.org
Iñaki Esteban: review of “Bullshit Jobs” on Mercurio
Jan 2019
¿Soy un inútil?
mercurio.fundacionjmlara.es
Diego Escribano: review about “Bullshit Jobs” on Política Exterior
5 Mar 2021
Trabajos con sentido, antídoto para el malestar social
Graeber escribió un libro dedicado 'a todo aquel que preferiría estar haciendo algo útil'. El texto es hoy una referencia para repensar el papel del trabajo en nuestras vidas.
POLÍTICA EXTERIOR
politicaexterior.com
Etiene Dalcol blog: review of “Fragments of an anarchist anthropology”
14 Dec 2021
Etiene is a Brazilian software engineer and computational linguistics researcher based in Barcelona.
https://etiene.net
Achim Kemmerling: Review of “Bullshit Jobs”
16 Oct 2018
Book Review on David Graeber’s Bullshit Jobs
Blogpost on David Graeber’s Bullshit Jobs
achimkemmerling.wordpress
Tyson Adams: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Jun 2019
BLOG TOPIC, BOOK REVIEW, READING
Book review: Bullshit Jobs – A Theory by David Graeber
tysonadams.com
Roderick Long: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Feb 2019
Why Do So Many Modern Jobs Seem Pointless?
An investigation into why people are working more without accomplishing more
reason.com
Eeva Houtbeckers: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Jan 2021
Browsing through books: Bullshit jobs – A theory by David Graeber
eevahoutbeckers.fi/
Andrew Sanchez: thoughts on “Bullshit Jobs”
4 Mar 2022
Work is Complicated: Thoughts on David Graeber’s Bullshit Jobs
These conversations first took place at the LSE Research Seminar on Anthropological Theory, which, in the Michaelmas Term of 2021, was devoted to honouring David’s writings by bringing two leading anthropologists together each week to discuss one of his major works.
Jürgen Rudolph: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
2018
Book review of Bullshit jobs. A Theory by David Graeber
Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, Vol.1 No.2 (2018)
Paul W. Gleason: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Jul 2018
Are you stuck in a pointless job? You are not alone.
washingtonpost.com
Michael Galdo: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
May 2023
Is Your Job a Waste of Time?
humanumreview.com
James Arbuthnott: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Sept 2018
Review: Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber, Penguin Books
David Graeber makes an historical, sociological and anthropological critique on late-stage capitalism.
artshub.com.au
Sekar Writes: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
10 Dec 2024
Review and Summary: Bullshit Jobs
Jason Kunin: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
~2018
David Graeber. Bullshit Jobs: A Theory. (Review)
socialistsolidarity.ca
Matt Mazewski: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
22 Oct 2018
Take These Jobs and Shove ’Em
‘Bullshit Jobs’
commonwealmagazine.org
Ian Sinclair: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
1 Apr 2019
David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory
peacenews.info
The Casual Critic: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
4 Sept 2025
Bullshit Jobs – An overworked provocation
the-casual-critic.writeas.com
Emma McKenzie-Edwards: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
2022
Books: Bullsh*t Jobs. The Rise of Pointless Work and What We Can Do About it
Are You A ‘Duct Taper’?
British Journal of General Practice 2022; 72 (715)
Marx-lover: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
22 Aug 2018
On "Bullshit Jobs", Victim of a bullshit job
libcom.org
Tom Upchurch: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
25 May 2018
Forget fears of automation, your job is probably bullshit anyway
A subversive new book argues that many of us are working in meaningless “bullshit jobs”. Let automation continue and liberate people through universal basic income
wired UK ; wired.com
Jason E. Smith: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Aug 2018
Jobs, Bullshit, and the Bureaucratization of the World
brooklynrail.org/
John Foley: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
11 May 2018
Breakingviews - Review: Get used to your bullsh*t job
reuters.com
Tim Smith-Laing: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
17 Jun 2018
Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber, review: the depressing truth about the modern workplace
telegraph.co.uk/
John Schneider: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
31 May 2018
Is Your Job a Bunch of B.S.?
Most corporate jobs exist not to create anything meaningful but to go through expected rituals. And most people know this instinctually.
/lareviewofbooks.org/
To_Summarise blogger: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Apr 2022
What I think Graeber got right in “Bullshit Jobs”
tosummarise.com
Oliver Nachtwey: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Sept 2018
Verschwörungstheorie trifft intellektuellen Populismus
Süddeutche Zeitung
sueddeutsche.de
Börsenblatt: review of “Bullshit Jobs”
Nov 2018
Überflüssig
Statt die wichtigen Berufe anständig zu entlohnen, erschafft die Wirtschaft immer öfter sinnlose Verwaltungstätigkeiten. Diese "Bullshit-Jobs" knöpft sich Bestsellerautor David Graeber in seinem neuen Buch vor.
boersenblatt.net