SPOS #769 – James Suzman On A Brief History Of Why We Work

April 4, 2021 Laura Bosch 169 Views

Welcome to episode #769 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #769 – Host: Mitch Joel. These past few years have seen many fascinating books in the non-fiction and business book genre. Look no further than the archive of podcasts and conversations that have taken place right here. With that, James Suzman‘s latest book, Work – A Deep History, from the Stone Age to the Age of Robots, seems to be the one that has me most excited (and the one I tend to recommend when asked). What Yuval Noah Harari did to explain humanity with Sapiens, James has done the same with work. It’s a book that still rolls around in my mind like a marble (and it will keep you thinking too). James is an anthropologist who first wrote the book, Affluence Without Abundance – The disappearing world of the Bushmen in 2017. James was the first social anthropologist to work in Namibia’s eastern Omaheke among “Southern Ju/’hoansi”, where he exposed the brutal marginalisation of San people who had lost their lands to white cattle ranchers and pastoralist Herero people. James has worked tirelessly to help the communities in Namibia. In 2007, Suzman joined De Beers, where, as global head of public affairs, he developed the company’s award-winning sustainability functions. In 2013 Suzman and Wikipedia‘s Jimmy Wales teamed up with Lily Cole to launch Impossible.com at the Cambridge Union. As we all ponder the future of work, let’s dig deep into how we work and why we work. Enjoy the conversation…