The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism by Richard Sennett

In his 1972 classic, The Hidden Injuries of Class written with Jonathan Cobb, Richard Sennett interviewed a man he called Enrico, a hardworking janitor whose life was structured by a union pay schedule and given meaning by his sacrifices for the future. In this new book – which is a #1 bestseller in Germany – Sennett explores the contemporary scene characterized by Enrico’s son, Rico, whose life is more materially successful yet whose work lacks long-term commitments or loyalties.