The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

Why do so many of us love or hate our work? How has it come to dominate our lives? And what should we do about it?　 Work makes us. Without it we are at a loss; in work we hope to have a measure of control over our lives. Yet for many of us, work is a straitjacket from which we cannot free ourselves.　 Criss-crossing the world to visit workplaces and workers both ordinary and extraordinary, and drawing on the wit and wisdom of great artists, writers and thinkers, Alain de Botton here explores our love-hate relationship with our jobs. He poses and answers little and big questions, from what should I do with my life? to what will I have achieved when I retire?　 The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work will not only explain why it is we do what we do all day, but through its sympathy, humour and insight will seek to help us make the most of it.

　　《工作颂歌》是阿兰德波顿的最新作品，2009年5月由英国企鹅图书公司推出。《工作颂歌》沿用一贯优美轻松的笔调带领读者们深入到我们日常最关心的问题——工作，工作与生活是人生两大主题，工作是如何发展的，我们今天是如何工作的？为什么我们要工作？工作给我们带来的是什么？
　　德波顿的特点就在于一个很平常的主题也能写得引人入胜，而且使读者在读后有所领悟，《工作颂歌》也是如此。相信《工作颂歌》的出版对于每一位职场上的人来说，都会是有益处的，可以让每一个人重新审视他的工作，也更加地享受生活。

Alain de Botton was born in 1969 and is the author of non-fiction essays on themes ranging from love and travel to architecture and philosophy. His bestselling books include The Consolations of Philosophy, The Art of Travel, Status Anxiety and The Architecture of Happiness.

　　阿兰·德波顿(Alain de Botton) 1969年出生于瑞士苏黎世，现居住在伦敦，散文随笔作家，其文字特点是喜欢将自身经历与艺术家、哲学家的思想结合起来，这种风格被喻为“日常生活的哲学”(Philosophy of Everyday Life)。
　　著有小说《爱情笔记》（1993）、《爱上浪漫》（1994）、《亲吻与诉说》（1995）及散文作品《拥抱逝水年华》（1997）、《哲学的慰藉》（2000）、《旅行的艺术》（2002）《幸福的建筑》和《身份的焦虑》。他的作品已被译成二十几种文字。 　　
　　他通晓英、法、德、西班牙数种语言，深得欧洲人文传统之精髓他喜欢普鲁斯特、蒙田、苏格拉底，同样喜欢旅游、购物和谈情说爱他左手小说，右手散文，在文学、艺术、哲学、评论中自由进退、恣意穿插他的小说思想丰瞻、才情纵横；他的散文和评论又意象丰沛、妙笔生花。