Lab Rats: Why Modern Work Makes People Miserable by Dan Lyons - Non Fiction - Paperback

Details
Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781786493941
Publisher: Atlantic Books

Overview
Lab Rats: Why Modern Work Makes People Miserable is a sharp, funny, and unsettling investigation into how modern workplace culture has quietly become a source of misery for millions of employees. Journalist and former tech insider Dan Lyons pulls back the curtain on open-plan offices, forced fun, and hollow corporate slogans, revealing the human cost of a work culture built for optics rather than wellbeing. Ideal for anyone questioning why work feels harder than ever, this paperback offers both dark comedy and genuine insight.

About the Book
Building on the acclaim of his bestselling Disrupted, Dan Lyons turns his attention from a single dysfunctional start-up to the entire modern economy. Lab Rats argues that the language and gimmicks of Silicon Valley - personality tests, team-building exercises, desktop surveillance, and open-plan offices dressed up as "collaborative spaces" - have spread far beyond the tech industry, infecting workplaces of every kind. Lyons shows how the promise of flexible, purpose-driven work has too often masked instability, an erosion of job security, and a culture that expects near-cult-like devotion even from low-paid, precariously employed staff. He traces how the steady career ladders and union protections of previous generations have been replaced by gig work, unpaid internships, and constant self-branding, all while corporate profits soar. Combining first-hand reporting, interviews, and his trademark satirical wit, Lyons builds a case that is both laugh-out-loud funny and quietly damning. The book was named among the Guardian's Best Non-Fiction of 2019, reflecting its resonance with readers navigating an increasingly precarious and performative world of work. Whether you work in tech, retail, or a traditional office, Lab Rats will change how you see your job - and perhaps push you to demand better.

• Written by New York Times bestselling author Dan Lyons
• Combines sharp satire with serious investigative reporting
• Explores gig work, open-plan offices, and corporate culture myths
• Named a Guardian Best Non-Fiction book of 2019
• Perfect gift for anyone in a modern office job
• Follow-up to the acclaimed bestseller Disrupted

About the Author
Dan Lyons is a New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and screenwriter. He has written for Newsweek, Forbes, and Fortune, created the satirical blog The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, and worked as a writer and co-producer on HBO's Silicon Valley. His non-fiction breakthrough, Disrupted, chronicled his time at start-up HubSpot and became an international bestseller. Lab Rats continues his sharp-eyed examination of modern corporate culture, cementing his reputation as one of the most incisive commentators on work in the digital age.

Why You'll Love This Book
Equal parts hilarious and eye-opening, Lab Rats gives a voice to the frustrations of anyone who has ever sat through a forced team-building exercise or wondered why "flexible" work feels anything but. A must-read for the modern employee.

Please Note: Cover shown is the UK edition; ISBN and edition are as listed above.