Description
Book SynopsisEver wonder what it would be like to be a Parisian street magician? A fish farmer in Norway? A costume designer in Bollywood? This playful and accessible book looks at different types of work around the world.
Trade Review"I read with real pleasure and enjoyment this imaginative collection of essays produced mostly by established anthropologists, and a few others who are practitioners of their crafts, on a quirky diversity of jobs. Charmingly, Ilana Gershon offers this collection as 'a graduation gift to my students, a bouquet of possibilities so that you can start thinking in concrete detail about what you need to know to do many different kinds of unusual jobs.' A very valuable gift indeed for the sorts of job markets that a highly cosmopolitan and ethnically diverse college student body faces today. I was charmed by its imaginative and readable format, and A World of Work is also quite a deep collection on the nature of work in a number of specializations. It is for anyone who enjoys the drama, humor, and achievement of applying learned skills in everyday life." -- George E. Marcus, Director of the Center for Ethnography, University of California, Irvine, co,-author of
Designs for an Anthropology of the Contemporary"This delightful book takes the reader into the everyday work lives of people all over the world. What is it like to be doctor in Malawi, a magician in Paris, a crime scene investigator in Sweden? Each chapter is unexpected and engaging. You'll discover your own work and cultural underpinnings by experiencing how different life is for others. This is the most interesting and entertaining job-oriented book I’ve read in a long time." -- Nicholas Lore, best-selling author of
The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and SuccessTable of ContentsIntroduction
by Ilana Gershon1. Letter to a Young Malawian Doctor
by Claire Wendland and Chiwoza Bandawe2. What You Need to Know to Be a Fish Farmer in West Norway
by Marianne Elisabeth Lien and John Law3. How to Be a Magician in Paris
by Graham M. Jones with Loïc Marquet4. Being a Village Court Magistrate in Papua New Guinea
by Melissa Demian5. The Chaplain: Being a Physician of the Soul in a Secular Age
by Winnifred Fallers Sullivan and Christopher Swift6. Being a Crime Scene Technician in Sweden
by Corinna Kruse7. Playing Piano without a Piano in Bolivia
by Michelle Bigenho8. Making Do in Perpetual Crisis: How to Be a Journalist in Buryatia
by Kathryn E. Graber9. How to Be a Professional Organizer in the United States
by Carrie M. Lane10. The Character in Question: How to Design Film Costumes in India
by Lovleen Bains and Clare Wilkinson11. Reflections from a Life on the Line: How to Be a Factory Worker
by Caitrin Lynch and Warren Chamberlain12. How to Be a Cell Phone Repair Technician
by Amanda Kemble, Briel Kobak, Joshua A. Bell, and Joel Kuipers13. Becoming a Professional Wrestler in Mexico City
by Heather Levi14. The Pains and Peaks of Being a Ballerina in London
by Helena WulffAfterword
by Jean LaveList of Contributors
Index
