<story><title>Men Without Work (2016)</title><url>https://time.com/4504004/men-without-work/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>ianai</author><text>In lieu of any particular review I’m submitting the Wikipedia page.&lt;p&gt;I was unemployed for most of the Great Recession and can empathize with much of this book. I also just remember the “tragedy of my twenties” realizing society had basically no interest in me. Despite a math degree and IT&amp;#x2F;programming experience. Then the myriad people I’ve interacted with in the last decade plus who are in this situation.&lt;p&gt;Luckily I now have good paying career. But I fear a society that leaves so many cold.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>scottLobster</author><text>Yeah it seems like there used to be a cultural value of putting people to work.  Generally speaking you had to be a real fuck-up to not get a job.  Maybe the jobs available weren&amp;#x27;t the best, but you could get something to pay for basic food&amp;#x2F;housing with little effort or credentialing.  The attitude was, if you were a decent person and willing to work, &amp;quot;come by and we&amp;#x27;ll find something for you to do&amp;quot;.&lt;p&gt;Now the zeitgeist in the job market seems to be &amp;quot;Why should we give you the gift of this job?  Speak quickly and well, lest we cast you back into the void!  You are a piece of shit until proven otherwise!&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;Granted some of that was always around for more competitive jobs, and some fields like engineering seem relatively exempt (outside of FAANG-style interviews) due to demand, but given what I was taught to expect growing up by schools&amp;#x2F;parents vs what reality turned out to be, there&amp;#x27;s definitely been a shift.</text></comment>
<story><title>Men Without Work (2016)</title><url>https://time.com/4504004/men-without-work/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>ianai</author><text>In lieu of any particular review I’m submitting the Wikipedia page.&lt;p&gt;I was unemployed for most of the Great Recession and can empathize with much of this book. I also just remember the “tragedy of my twenties” realizing society had basically no interest in me. Despite a math degree and IT&amp;#x2F;programming experience. Then the myriad people I’ve interacted with in the last decade plus who are in this situation.&lt;p&gt;Luckily I now have good paying career. But I fear a society that leaves so many cold.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>Mezzie</author><text>&amp;gt; I also just remember the “tragedy of my twenties” realizing society had basically no interest in me.&lt;p&gt;Female, but same hat and I empathize. In my case, I&amp;#x27;m a lesbian who ended up with MS, so like with your average straight guy, my worth in society is pretty much based on my work life&amp;#x2F;career. I also share the jealousy a lot of straight men have for straight&amp;#x2F;bi women being more able to &amp;#x27;opt out&amp;#x27;. It&amp;#x27;s not a rational feeling, but it&amp;#x27;s there.&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; But I fear a society that leaves so many cold.&lt;p&gt;Me too. We can only expect people to beat themselves up for so long before some of that rage and despair is turned outward, contributing to the destabilization of society.</text></comment>