On Work

An urgent treatise on the future of work in a precarious world. An Atlantic Edition, featuring long-form journalism by Atlantic writers, drawn from contemporary articles or classic storytelling from the magazine’s 165-year archive.

On Work gathers a selection of Derek Thompson’s most popular and significant essays on work, life, and the future of jobs. From essays on how mass automation could change society to his widely read treatise on “workism” as our modern religion, Thompson’s analysis and forecasts have become fixtures of the 21st century conversation about work. This collection answers questions like: what would Americans do if they never had to work again? What is the “job” of the modern office? And what does leisure look like when we can work anytime, anywhere? We are at an inflection point in the history of labor with the rise of remote work and AI. On Work is an essential and memorable guide to that anxious future.

Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he publishes the newsletter “Work in Progress” on science, tech, and culture. He is the founder and host of the popular news podcast Plain English with Derek Thompson. A news analyst with NPR, Derek appears weekly on the national news show Here and Now and is also a contributor to CBS News. His first book, the national bestseller Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction, has been translated into more than a dozen languages and was named the 2018 Book of the Year by the American Marketing Association. Derek lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and dog.