Instead of Work

The latest from Bob Black, grump and gadfly, being a re-print of his most significant piece (The Abolition of Work), and other articles supplementary to it, as well as a brand new Afterthoughts (which updates his thinking and some references) and an introduction by Bruce Sterling. Black has been a controversial anarchist figure and writer for two decades, and is known for (among other things) taking on sacred cows of the Left--anarchist and otherwise--like Murray Bookchin and more recently Noam Chomsky, both authors who were anarchists at one point and continue to have anarchist adherents. Black is also the author of Anarchy After Leftism, one of the first post-left anarchist texts. His fans extol his humor and word play, as well as his willingness to take and articulately defend unpopular viewpoints. Contents 4 No One Should Ever Work on Introductions by Bruce Sterling 6 The Abolition of Work 16 Primitive Affluence: A Postscript to Sahlins 48 Smokestack Lightning 70 No Future for the Workplace 92 What's Wrong with This Picture? A Critique of a Neo-Futurist's Vision of the Decline of Work 100 Zerowork Revisited 118 Why Not Call a Holiday? 126 What Work Means—And Why That Matters 142 Afterthoughts on The Abolition of Work 166 Suggested Readings 296 PUBLISHED BY ARAGORN MOSER LAYOUT BY LEONA BENTON PRINTED AT "THE COMPOUND": 1818 CARLETON ST. BERKELEY,CA 94703-1908 PUBLISHED BY ARAGORN MOSER,LAYOUT BY LEONA BENTON,PRINTED AT "THE COMPOUND":,1818 CARLETON ST. BERKELEY,CA 94703-1908 1. No One Should Ever Work on Introductions by Bruce Sterling 2. The Abolition of Work 3. Primitive Affluence: A Postscript to Sahlins 4. Smokestack Lightning 5. No Future for the Workplace 6. What's Wrong with This Picture? A Critique of a Neo-Futurist's Vision of the Decline of Work 7. Zerowork Revisited 8. Why Not Call a Holiday? 9. What Work Means—And Why That Matters 10. Afterthoughts on The Abolition of Work