Beautiful Bureaucrat
by
Helen Phillips
Do you find yourself stuck in a cycle of all work and no play? Check out these titles. A lot of these picks are satirical because when you’re going through the daily grind, sometimes it helps to laugh (instead of cry). At the very least, many of these stories will help you know you're not alone. If you're starting to question whether the career you've been chasing is worth the cost, these books can offer a sense of solidarity and perhaps some insight on what to do next.
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Beautiful Bureaucrat
Discontent
Translated by Mara Faye Lethem
The Art of Asking Your Boss for a Raise
Translated by David Bellos
Over Work
Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life
Authentic
The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work
Moral Mazes
The World of Corporate Managers (Anniversary)
The Employees
A Workplace Novel of the 22nd Century
Translated by Martin Aitken
Company
The New Me
The Pale King
An Unfinished Novel
Temporary
The Other Black Girl
Fear and Trembling
Translated by Adriana Hunter
Pick a Color
Bullshit Jobs
A Theory
Personal Days
Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World
The Copywriter
On the Clock
What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane
| # | Title | Subtitle | Author(s) | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beautiful Bureaucrat | Helen Phillips | 2016 | ||
| 2 | Discontent | Beatriz Serrano | 2025 | ||
| 3 | The Art of Asking Your Boss for a Raise | Georges Perec | 2025 | ||
| 4 | Over Work | Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life | Brigid Schulte | 2025 | |
| 5 | Authentic | The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work | Jodi-Ann Burey | 2025 | |
| 6 | Moral Mazes | The World of Corporate Managers (Anniversary) | Robert Jackall | 2009 | |
| 7 | The Employees | A Workplace Novel of the 22nd Century | Olga Ravn | 2023 | |
| 8 | Company | Max Barry | 2007 | ||
| 9 | The New Me | Halle Butler | 2019 | ||
| 10 | The Pale King | An Unfinished Novel | David Foster Wallace | 2012 | |
| 11 | Temporary | Hilary Leichter | 2020 | ||
| 12 | The Other Black Girl | Zakiya Dalila Harris | 2022 | ||
| 13 | Fear and Trembling | Amelie Nothomb | 2002 | ||
| 14 | Pick a Color | Souvankham Thammavongsa | 2025 | ||
| 15 | Bullshit Jobs | A Theory | David Graeber | 2019 | |
| 16 | Personal Days | Ed Park | 2008 | ||
| 17 | Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World | Mark Waddell | 2025 | ||
| 18 | The Copywriter | Daniel Poppick | 2026 | ||
| 19 | On the Clock | What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane | Emily Guendelsberger | 2020 |