Let’s Escape Capitalism Together

Abstract

“This book, being about work, is, by its very nature, about violence” (p. 31), says Amelia Horgan, a PhD student at the University of Essex, quoting Studs Terkel. In her book Lost in Work: Escaping Capitalism, Horgan reveals the violence and illusions underpinning work under capitalism, offering a portrait of it in three parts. The first part is dedicated to defining what work truly is, its origins, and the myths surrounding it; the second examines the problems this work creates on an individual and social level; finally, the third explores possible strategies to counter the capitalist work system, with references to the past and visions for the future.