Work Backwards (Tim Duggan, Pantera)

If you’ve ever felt disenchanted by the daily grind or pondered the pointlessness of the eternal wheel of capitalism, then Work Backwards: How to design the life you want will stimulate your thinking. Duggan is a digital media publisher and author of Cult Status and Killer Thinking. He also lives what he preaches, having made work fit around his desired lifestyle (hello, Mallorca!). The book is divided into three sections: life, money and work—the order of priority is intentional and reflects the ‘working backwards’ of the title. Duggan proposes a balance among work, relationships, mind and body that emphasises your own values, adds meaning to your life, and combats widespread burnout and disconnection. There is much to love about this book, especially the practical strategies for things like identifying your ‘anchor values’ or how much money you actually need. It is not ‘anti-work’ and instead promotes the value of working in different ways, such as remote workplaces, four-day weeks, or utilising AI. However, while Duggan’s model looks neat on paper and is admirably intentioned, it doesn’t account for the unpaid labour and stress of caring roles and domestic management. It also mostly applies to work in the knowledge economy. A second edition incorporating these factors would be valuable. Regardless, this thoughtful guide would be useful for young people embarking on career decisions, managers within the knowledge economy, or those with agency in their workplaces.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Joanne Shiells is a former editor of Books+Publishing and a secondary English teacher. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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