We are told to 'do what we love' in life and our careers. Is that a fallacy? | Open thread

A recent commentary in Jacobin raises the question of whether young people are being fed a lie about following their passionMany 20 and 30-somethings (if not those older and younger than that) grew up hearing the advice that all you need to do in life is "find your passion". The implication is that if you "do what you love" (in shorthand: DWYL), success – and presumably happiness and money – would follow. People like Apple's Steve Jobs and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg were held up as examples (if not gurus) of this "DWYL" trend, alongside people who quit investment banking jobs to become cheese farmers, plumbers or yoga entrepreneurs. But writer and art history scholar Miya Tokumitsu argues that this romanticized notion of the working world is a dangerous fallacy. It's the modern-day equivalent of the emperor's new clothes myth.In a much shared commentary for Jacobin magazine (later re-printed on Slate.com), Tokumitsu writes:DWYL is a secret handshake of the privileged and a worldview that disguises its elitism as noble self-betterment. According to this way of thinking, labor is not something one does for compensation but is an act of love. If profit doesn't happen to follow, presumably it is because the worker's passion and determination were insufficient. Its real achievement is making workers believe their labor serves the self and not the marketplace.She points out that the vast majority of jobs have no place in the DWYL world because they are "done out of motives or... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vilnius’ Annual Book Fair Is Open, Hailing Lithuanians’ International Projection of Their Culture

Lithuania's key event in literature builds on last year's turnout of close to 68,000 people and is geared to attractions for adult and younger readers. The post Vilnius’ Annual Book Fair Is Open, Hailing Lithuanians’ International Projection of Their Culture appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bargain hunters strike book bonanza on opening day of City Library sale

When Palmerston North City Library staff arrived at work on Friday morning, the queue for the first day of the three-day book sale had already formed. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2017-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo and Bol.com Open ‘Kobo Plus’ €9.99 Ebook Subscription

Entering a sector with a checkered track record, Canada's Kobo and The Netherlands' bol.com are talking sustainability in an ebook subscription model. The post Kobo and Bol.com Open ‘Kobo Plus’ €9.99 Ebook Subscription appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘The Outsider Becomes the Mainstream’: A Key UK Self-Publisher Opens a Small Press

Joanna Penn—known as The Creative Penn in the self-publishing community—takes a step made by many strong self-publishers: launching a small press. The post ‘The Outsider Becomes the Mainstream’: A Key UK Self-Publisher Opens a Small Press appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Howard Cunnell | 'I wanted to write the stories that were about love'

Howard Cunnell's Fathers & Sons is a memoir about a search for identity and what it is to be a man that packs a punch that belies its brevity and, despite taking us to dark places, it’s a book about all kinds of love. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AWP 2017: Writers Get Political as Conference Opens

The Association of Writers & Writing Programs, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, kicked off its annual conference on Thursday with politics on people's minds, as exhibitors, panelists and attendees expressed their opposition to the Trump presidency. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PubTech Connect: Digital Giants Sree Sreenivasan and Kinsey Wilson Talk Tech in Opening Keynote

Sree Sreenivasan and Kinsey Wilson, two titans of digital media, are revolutionizing New York City and the ‘New York Times’ for the digital age Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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We Need Diverse Books Opens Nominations for Bookseller Award

We Need Diverse Books, the organization promoting multicultural books and authors, has opened nominations for its inaugural WNDB Bookseller of the Year Award. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eason opens two new stores 'despite fragile economy'

Eason plans to continue to open new stores “despite the fragile economic recovery,” its m.d Conor Whelan has revealed, beginning with a store in Limerick and another in Dublin. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bettany Hughes | 'A producer told me nobody wants to be lectured at by a woman'

TV presenter Bettany Hughes talks about her history of Istanbul and how her love for classical history was sparked when she was a child. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Japanese Bookseller Tsutaya Opens Its First Book Cafe in Taiwan

Allowing drinks among the bookshelves, Japanese book retail chain Tsutaya's concept is meant to extend the amount of time visitors spend at the store. The post Japanese Bookseller Tsutaya Opens Its First Book Cafe in Taiwan appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Opening Up Our Work’: University Presses and Translation Rights

Translation rights are increasingly important to academic publishers. Representatives from two of the world’s oldest university presses explain why. The post ‘Opening Up Our Work’: University Presses and Translation Rights appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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DC Universe Rebirth breathes new life and fun into classic comic storylines

New Graphic Novels collect the relaunched Superman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Batman comics. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2017-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Long-Lost Soul Food Cookbook Finds New Life

'Princess Pamela's Soul Food Cookbook,' Pamela Strobel's collection of soul food recipes, is coming back after being out of print for 40 years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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DBW 2017 Opening Themes: The Trade, Its Resilience, and Its Data

The 2017 Digital Book World conference opened with calls for more data-driven decision-making, despite the inherently subjective nature of book publishing. The post DBW 2017 Opening Themes: The Trade, Its Resilience, and Its Data appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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High-concept love story The After Wife to Trapeze

Trapeze has acquired a high-concept love story, The After Wife, by Cass Hunter, exploring the differences between human and virtual relationships. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open Road CEO Hails ‘Tremendous’ Performance in 2016

In a year-end letter, Open Road Integrated Media CEO Paul Slavin praised ORIM employees for a year of “consistent and continuous revenue growth." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Books Opening in Manhattan, Second Store Slated for Boston

The mega-retailer is picking up the pace of its bookstore openings, with a new store slated for NYC and a second for the Boston area before its first one even opens. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sharjah’s Publishing City to Open Soon

The United Arab Emirates imports some $125 million worth of books each year, most of them in English. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Registration for BookExpo Opens

Just before many publishers broke for the holidays, ReedPop announced that registration has opened for BookExpo 2017, taking place May 31–June 2 at the Javits Center in New York City. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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