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The Outsourced Self: What Happens When We Pay Others to Live Our Lives for Us

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The Outsourced Self: What Happens When We Pay Others to Live Our Lives for UsA Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year From the famed author of the bestselling The Second Shift and The Time Bind, a pathbreaking look at the transformation of private life in our for profit world The family has long been a haven in a heartless world, the one place immune to market forces and economic calculations, where the personal, the private, and the emotional hold sway. Yet as Arlie Russell Hochschild shows in The Outsourced Self, that is no

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

From the famed author of the bestselling The Second Shift and The Time Bind, a pathbreaking look at the transformation of private life in our for-profit world

The family has long been a haven in a heartless world, the one place immune to market forces and economic calculations, where the personal, the private, and the emotional hold sway. Yet as Arlie Russell Hochschild shows in The Outsourced Self, that is no longer the case: everything that was once part of private life--love, friendship, child rearing--is being transformed into packaged expertise to be sold back to confused, harried Americans.

Drawing on hundreds of interviews and original research, Hochschild follows the incursions of the market into every stage of intimate life. From dating services that train you to be the CEO of your love life to wedding planners who create a couple's "personal narrative"; from nameologists (who help you name your child) to wantologists (who help you name your goals); from commercial surrogate farms in India to hired mourners who will scatter your loved one's ashes in the ocean of your choice--Hochschild reveals a world in which the most intuitive and emotional of human acts have become work for hire.

Sharp and clear-eyed, Hochschild is full of sympathy for overstressed, outsourcing Americans, even as she warns of the market's threat to the personal realm they are striving so hard to preserve.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Picador USA
Published: 04/02/2013
ISBN: 9781250024190
Pages: 300
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.55w x 0.88d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 05/12/2013 pg. 40
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SKU: 35474253094

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Size: Jumbo (25-Inch), Color: Sage
This pillow is awesome! As a plus size person who can't sleep laying flat, the size and support level is perfect. This pillow is huge! The quality is very high, the stitching is precise, and the sage green material is soft and cozy. Great value for the price! I highly recommend this reading pillow!
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Louisville, US
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Size: Standard (18-Inch), Color: Dark Grey
MUST GET item for breastfeeding moms. It is a soft pillow with a removable washable cover. The material is like a suede, which can make it hot to lean on if you typically feel hot when breastfeeding or sleeping. It allows you to sit up straight while in bed with great support.
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Ms. Rea
Charlottesville, US
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It's perfect support.
Size: Extra Back Support (21-Inch), Color: Dark Grey
The best way to describe the super comfy reading pillow is super comfy. I use it to sit up while watching something soothing to my mind on tv and due to its comfyness and softness, it's perfectly just right for my back. The funny thing is within a few minutes I'm knocked out sleep, which is a good thing. It's soft but firm lumbar area and arms feels oh so comfortable. It gives the best sleep quality and less toss and turning. I highly recommend.
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Lowell, US
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Size: Extra Back Support (21-Inch), Color: Dark Grey
2 months after buying a different reading pillow I felt it was time to buy a different one based on the comfort and support. I found this one listed for a good price. After carefully looking through the listing, I bought the 21" size. On my first night of usage, I was already impressed with the comfort and support vs the reading pillow I had bought 2 months prior. I like how this one has nice support for my neck and head as I'm relaxing on my bed with my laptop and phone. The texture of the filling gives it a very nice combination of cushioning and firmness. The horizontal feature line in the center of the pillow is a nice feature for back and neck support thanks to it giving the pillow some flexibility. As for the arms, their length, width, height, and cushioning are very good for resting my arm while I'm using the wireless mouse with my laptop.
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