Honest Business Book Reviews (Part 8)

Honest thoughts on work-related reads

Author

Kara Detwiller
September 04, 2025

Hello! If you’re new here, I like to do a quarterly-ish roundup of the business-y books I’ve read recently. A LOT of business books are full of bullshit, but some are pretty good. This newsletter will contain 5 mini-reviews of books that are somehow related to the world of work. If you’re curious, check out previous posts in this series.

Links below will take you to Bookshop.org, but I would encourage you to find these books at your local library or independent bookstore.

Let’s do it!

By Tricia Hersey

I love that this is a "manifesto" — that seems like the perfect word for it. It's a short, concise summary of the author's ideas about rest, especially rest as a subversive action in a world shaped by capitalism and white supremacy. Lots of good ideas in here, but it did feel slightly repetitive. 3 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

By Ximena Vengoechea

This seemed like a good book to pick up at the beginning of the year (I read it in January). I'll be honest, I didn't do the exercise(s) in this book as I read it (via audiobook), but I did enjoy hearing the ideas. I could see myself revisiting this. It is designed to help you figure out what you truly want out of life. 3 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

By Helen Hester

I knew this book would be right up my alley, and I was right. This was an awesome deep-dive into the topic of (unpaid) domestic labor and its shifting role in our lives throughout history and into the present day. The authors also discuss ideas for the future of work and how we might use technology to actually lessen the burden of domestic/care work instead of just individualizing it. Super interesting and well-researched and entertaining to read. 4 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

By Amelia Horgan

A dense and concise look at the nature of work and the ways work is failing us. I listened to the audiobook, and I sort of wish I had read a hard copy instead — there was just so MUCH here, and I feel like I was missing things.

My favorite part was in Chapter 4:

"That our jobs are one of the only places in which people can express themselves is a travesty. It's not that people should not find fulfillment in work, but given the time demands that work places on most people — and the destruction of and cuts to other sources of meaning and fulfillment — there are only rare chances for other moments of fulfillment."

Amelia Horgan, Lost in Work

This expresses something I've thought about a lot — that our jobs fill this "meaning" hole inside of us that we should be able to fill with other things but we don't have the time or freedom to do so. 4 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

By Anne-Laure Le Cunff

This book caught my eye because the cover has a blurb/endorsement from Oliver Burkeman, whose work I love. It was a solid read but not really transformative. There isn't a lot that's new or revolutionary here, but it is packaged and organized nicely. It's the kind of "getting off the hamster wheel" message that is worth revisiting many times, so I don't necessarily mind that it's not 100% fresh. 3 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

As always, let me know your thoughts if you’ve read any of these! And please send book recs if you have them!

See you next week,

Kara

Out of Office

What I’m doing when I’m not working

  • I was (pleasantly) shocked to discover last week that Cranberry Canada Dry is already in stores! I’m not really a soda drinker, but I love this limited edition ginger ale that is usually only available around Christmastime. I’ve never seen it for sale as early as August! It truly is the little things…

  • I’m enjoying Sabrina Carpenter’s new album, especially House Tour.

  • I saw this weird mushroom while on a walk the other day.

A mushroom with a black and white cap, nestled in a bunch of grass and weeds

P.S. Got a question about self-employment, anti-hustle culture, business books, or something else?

Kara Detwiller is a writer and creative based in small-town Saskatchewan. She specializes in long-form content writing for enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, and manufacturing clients. She is also working on her first novel, among other creative pursuits. To connect, reply to this email or find Kara on LinkedIn. To support her work on Wishful Working, share this email with someone or buy her a “coffee.”

Why Wishful Working? I write this newsletter because I want to see more people enjoy a life not centered around work. For some, the path to freedom and flexibility is through self-employment, but we also need to challenge cultural norms and champion healthier working conditions and work/life balance for all types of workers.