Working for the Brand, 9781761381041
Paperback
Corporations control workers’ lives, silencing dissent: a threat to democracy.

Working for the Brand

how corporations are destroying free speech

$36.00

  • Paperback

    304 pages

  • Release Date

    30 September 2024

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Summary

Corporate Overlords: How Brands Control Our Lives and What We Can Do About It

When you accept a job, you’re selling more than just your labor. You’re potentially surrendering your rights to free speech and democratic participation. Welcome to the era of corporate cancel culture, a silent force often overlooked in free speech debates.

Major corporations now wield unprecedented power, surpassing even some nations. This unchecked authority manifests in political manipulation, w…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781761381041
ISBN-10:1761381040
Author:Josh Bornstein
Publisher:Scribe Publications
Imprint:Scribe Publications
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:304
Release Date:30 September 2024
Weight:374g
Dimensions:234mm x 153mm x 22mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

‘This is a landmark work. Working for the Brand is exhilarating, forensic, funny, shocking, and deeply humane. It is a step towards liberating us from the existential threat faced by both individuals and democracies from unethical corporate control over our lives, starting with our right to express ourselves …

So many things are made sense of in this book. It is witty, profound, enlightening, and absolutely indispensable. A bravura examination of our times and a glorious read.’

– Anna Funder, author of Wifedom

‘Bornstein writes fluidly, anecdotally, sometimes amusingly, occasionally urgently … Bornstein rightly grounds freedom of debate in the bedrock of democracy. But democracy is messy.’

– Gideon Haigh * Inside Story *

‘A sophisticated, rage-inducing, rollercoaster of a read. The power and control tactics Bornstein exposes are at once shocking, and altogether unsurprising. This devastating critique of late-stage capitalism is both thrilling and horrifying, because behind every story there are real lives at stake.’

– Jess Hill, journalist and author of See What You Made Me Do

‘There is something in this book to offend almost everyone.’

– Joe Aston, author of The Chairman’s Lounge

‘Bornstein speaks with well-researched facts, historically situated knowledge and reasoned argument … Weaving engaging storytelling with astute political analysis, Working for the Brand illustrates the machinations and pernicious extent of what Bornstein dubs “corporate cancel culture” … Working for the Brand is harrowing reading at times … Bornstein’s book is a testament to the obscene levels of social, cultural and political power wielded by corporations in today’s world … In an age of corporate double-speak, Bornstein’s book provides a compelling case for why corporations actively and deliberately stand in the way of democratic debate and discourse.’

– Carl Rhodes * The Conversation *

‘Part collection of engaging war stories, part insightful analysis of economic and labour force trends, part rage against the corporate forces undermining our democracy, Working for the Brand is an important and timely work … lively and fast-paced. Bornstein’s wit and good humour come to the fore.’

– Kieran Pender * Australian Book Review *

‘This book offers moral clarity and a solution to the growing threat of corporate over-reach.’

– Kurt Johnson * The Saturday Paper *

‘Not just a study in corporations, but into whether “cancel culture” lets companies and institutions control our lives. Using our employment to demonstrate what is right and wrong.’

– Kieran Rooney * The Age *

‘Modern corporations seek to attract employees who align with their “values” and who will meet the diversity quota. But when employees bring their whole selves to work or post their views on social media, the corporate brand managers enter the fray and sackings follow. In this provocative book, Bornstein has issued a powerful clarion call against corporate censorship and control.’

– Louise Adler AM

‘Combining great storytelling, sharp analysis, and rigorous research, Josh Bornstein plies key issues of our time — cancel culture, academic freedom, sex and work, and big media bias — to reveal crucial and previously unexamined threats to free speech and democracy: brand-image-driven corporate attacks on workers and their unions. A must-read for anyone concerned about democracy’s fate in the face of colossal corporate power.’

– Joel Bakan, author of The New Corporation: how ‘good’ corporations are bad for democracy

About The Author

Josh Bornstein

Josh Bornstein is an award-winning lawyer specialising in employment and labour-relations law who has successfully sued a lot of badly behaved corporations, cornered the market in representing sacked rabbis, and acted for employees who were sacked for expressing political views. His articles and essays have appeared in Australia’s major media outlets, and he is a contributing author to The Wages Crisis in Australia- what it is and what to do about it, published in 2018. He is a member of the board of the progressive think tank The Australia Institute and of the advisory board of the Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law at the University of Melbourne. He is also a member of a sports disciplinary tribunal.

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