Overview

A rapid response to the seismic changes affecting working life, Working Assumptions covers the past, present and future of work and has already been described as “a must-read for anybody concerned about the future of work” (Carl Benedikt Frey, Associate Professor of AI & Work, Oxford University). Written by award-winning writer and popular podcaster Julia Hobsbawm, whose landmark 2022 book The Nowhere Office, predicted the rise in hybrid working long before anyone else, Working Assumptions is a clear-eyed view of what Julia identifies as ‘The Amazing Age’ – a new era replete with challenge and opportunity for all working people experiencing a pace of technological and cultural change not seen in over a century. “Written with deep insights and a sharp wit, Julia Hobsbawm’s Working Assumptions is an indispensable guide to the future of work, in no small part because it roots every new trend in somewhere that we’ve been before. Working Assumptions is required reading for anyone who’s leading the way forward in the world of work – or worried about where they’re being led.” Brian Elliott, co-founder of Future Forum, bestselling author of How the Future Works With a preface by Professor Lynda Gratton of London Business School, Working Assumptions explores the speed and scale of the impact of Covid-19 and the eruption of Chat GPT on the world of work in six key areas: jobs, skills, the workplace, culture, wellbeing and generational attitudes. Its highly innovative and readable format contains illustration by both human artists and ChatGPT, and combines  crunchy data with stories from popular culture about work, ranging from from Barbie to Beyonce’s ‘Break My Soul’; from Succession to – of course – The Office. Working Assumptions addresses the influence of America on the world of work for the past century and asks whether it will dominate as much in the future.

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9781916797277

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Reviews

'Julia Hobsbawm is brilliant at seeing tomorrow’s ideas today' * Financial Times * 'Working or not working defines who we are. Where we work and how we work really matters. Yet there is so little public debate about any of this. That is why Julia Hobsbawm’s The Nowhere Office is an important book. If you are one of the millions who can’t decide whether working-from-home is a pandemic silver lining or just another disaster, this book is for you' -- Robert Peston 'Work is being revolutionised before your eyes. Anyone who wants to understand what is going on – workers deciding how much time to spend in the office, managers wondering how to manage a blended workforce, CEOs worrying that their headquarters is becoming a white elephant – could do no better than to read The Nowhere Office, a tour de force of insight, clarity and, something sadly lacking in debates on this subject, common sense'  -- Adrian Wooldridge, global business columnist, Bloomberg Opinion 'A masterfully even-handed and sensible appraisal of the future of work . . . a priceless injection of nuanced thinking and practical suggestions' -- Rory Sutherland 'Concise and highly readable' * Forbes * 'The Nowhere Office brilliantly captures the zeitgeist issue of our times – how and where we work' -- Ayesha Hazarika, writer and broadcaster, Times Radio

Author Information

Julia Hobsbawm, described as ‘our foremost futurist of the workplace’ (Barbara Kellerman, Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University) is an award-winning writer, broadcaster, keynote speaker and consultant about the past, present and future of work. After her acclaimed 2022 book The Nowhere Office: Reinventing Work and the Workplace of the Future Nicholas Bloom, William D. Eberle Professor of Economics, Stanford University said, “Julia always seems to be three steps ahead”. She was a founder of the US-led Workforce Institute, and during the pandemic was launch Chair of the inaugural UK Demos Workshift Commission. She co-hosts the popular podcast The Nowhere Office and regularly appears in media including Bloomberg, Fortune, the BBC, Forbes, and CNN. She regularly consults for and speaks to corporations, governments, non-profits and changemakers around the world. Working Assumptions is her latest book. Other books include The Simplicity Principle which won two awards for Best Business Book and Best General Self- Help book 2020 in the USA, and Fully Connected: Social Health in an Age of Overload which was shortlisted for Management Book of the Year in the UK. An acclaimed entrepreneur, Julia was awarded an OBE in the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Birthday Honours List in 2015 for Services to Business.

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