The Work We Need

Pushing us to rethink our most basic assumptions … Full of empathy, insight and courage … Cottam is the humane revolutionary our turbulent century needs - and this book our roadmap to a better future – Jonathan Freedland, author of THE ESCAPE ARTISTBrimming with ideas to transform the future, Hilary Cottam takes us on a fascinating journey to discover how to make work work – Kate Raworth, author of DOUGHNUT ECONOMICSAn act of radical hope, radical listening and radical humility - Hilary Cottam challenges our most fundamental assumptions about our lives and society and most importantly, suggests how we can make things much better. I loved it – Rory StewartCottam has found inspiring examples of efforts to build a better future of work, many grounded in a specific place, from Barrow-in-Furness to Grimsby to Baltimore … Most 21st century jobs aren’t working. Here are six ways to revolutionise them – Matthew Bishop * Observer *Urgent, compelling and ultimately hopeful … Cottam demonstrates that a better future, based on reciprocity and mutual collaboration, is not only possible but its seeds are already here. Necessary and Inspiring – Caroline LucasExposes what motivates workers today - not the things most business leaders think - and shows how new thinking would benefit us all. Compelling – Martha Lane FoxIntegrates life as imagined by workers themselves with a keen understanding of technological and economic change. An engrossing blueprint for change – Anne-Marie SlaughterOne of the deepest thinkers on this subject – Colin Mayor, author of CAPITALISM AND CRISESTwenty-first century people cannot give their best if tied down to twentieth-century patterns of work. Hilary Cottam provides the roadmap for the required transformation. Timely … guides the changes needed – Carlota PerezWhat happens if you step back from the relentless treadmill, and ask a deeper question: can we reimagine our working lives? Hilary Cottam did just that … [she] names six principles of a good working life … I love the simplicity of this prescription, and highly recommend her book - it’s practical and full of humane wisdom … In a nutshell: providing good work is more than just pay and conditions - it’s about creating firm foundations for our well being as humans – Isabel Berwick * Financial Times *For an economy that delivers for the common good, we must envision what an economy that delivers meaningful work for all might look like. Building on a rich tapestry of first-hand accounts of workers, Hilary Cottam proposes a bold new vision of what the principles underlying ‘good work’ might be. So valuable – Mariana Mazzucato, UCL, author of MISSION ECONOMY: A MOONSHOT GUIDE TO CHANGING CAPITLISM

Hilary Cottam is an internationally acclaimed social activist whose work in Britain and with communities around the world has focused on collaborative and affordable solutions to some of the greatest social challenges of our time.

Her first book Radical Help was hailed as ‘mind-shifting’ by David Brooks in the New York Times and has been translated internationally.

Awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to the welfare state, Hilary has been recognised by Fast Company in the US for her pioneering creativity and by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

Hilary’s TED talk has had close to a million views.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.