Allison Pugh's THE LAST HUMAN JOB In-Store Appearance And Signing

Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore

Author Allison Pugh shares her timely and urgent argument for preserving the work that connects us in the age of automation

Mrs Dalloway's

Join us on Wednesday, October 2nd at Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore when author Allison Pugh comes to the store to present her new book The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World. Allison will sign copies of her book after the presentation. She will be joined in conversation by Alex Hanna. <h3><a href="https://www.mrsdalloways.com/book/9780691240817" title="https://www.mrsdalloways.com/book/9780691240817" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Click Here</a> to preorder a copy of The Last Human Job</h3> With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and labor-saving technologies like self-checkouts and automated factories, the future of work has never been more uncertain, and even jobs requiring high levels of human interaction are no longer safe. The Last Human Job explores the human connections that underlie our work, arguing that what people do for each other in these settings is valuable and worth preserving.Drawing on in-depth interviews and observations with people in a broad range of professions—from physicians, teachers, and coaches to chaplains, therapists, caregivers, and hairdressers—Allison Pugh develops the concept of “connective labor,” a kind of work that relies on empathy, the spontaneity of human contact, and a mutual recognition of each other’s humanity. The threats to connective labor are not only those posed by advances in AI or apps; Pugh demonstrates how profit-driven campaigns imposing industrial logic shrink the time for workers to connect, enforce new priorities of data and metrics, and introduce standardized practices that hinder our ability to truly see each other. She concludes with profiles of organizations where connective labor thrives, offering practical steps for building a social architecture that works.Vividly illustrating how connective labor enriches the lives of individuals and binds our communities together, The Last Human Job is a compelling argument for us to recognize, value, and protect humane work in an increasingly automated and disconnected world.ALLISON PUGH is professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University. She is the author of The Tumbleweed Society: Working and Caring in an Age of Insecurity and Longing and Belonging: Parents, Children, and Consumer Culture. Her writing has appeared in leading publications such as The New Yorker, the New York Times, and the New Republic.DR. ALEX HANNA is Director of Research at the <a href="https://www.dair-institute.org/" title="https://www.dair-institute.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR)</a>. A sociologist by training, her work centers on the data used in new computational technologies, and the ways in which these data exacerbate racial, gender, and class inequality. With Dr. Emily M. Bender, Alex is working on <a href="https://twitter.com/alexhanna/status/1758145788432236575" title="https://twitter.com/alexhanna/status/1758145788432236575" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The AI Con</a> (Forthcoming Spring 2025, Harper Books), a book about AI and the hype around it.THIS EVENT is free but registration is requested. Registration ends at 5:30 pm on October 2nd.BECAUSE SEATING is limited, please register only if you plan to attend.DUE TO SPACE limitations, we may not be able to accommodate every person at an event, so early registration is encouraged.WALK-INS will be accommodated only if space allows.WE ASK that attendees arrive between 6:45 and 7:00 PM for the event.PLEASE leave your non-support companion animals at home.OUR shared restrooms are not accessible after 6:30 PM, please plan accordingly.

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Allison Pugh's THE LAST HUMAN JOB In-Store Appearance And Signing

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Allison Pugh's THE LAST HUMAN JOB In-Store Appearance And Signing

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