description Working Overview
Working is a 1974 oral history by American writer and broadcaster Studs Terkel, assembled from interviews with people in a wide range of occupations. Its speakers discuss the routines, pressures, satisfactions, status, and personal meaning attached to their work, allowing laborers and professionals to describe working life in their own voices. The book is intended for readers interested in labor, social history, and everyday American experience.
insights Ranking position
Working ranks #16 of 124 in the Autobiography ranking, behind A Moveable Feast, ahead of My Family and Other Animals.
help Working FAQ
Is Studs Terkel's Working a novel or a collection of real interviews?
It is an oral history assembled from conversations with real workers, not a novel with invented characters. Terkel lets people such as factory workers, receptionists, executives, teachers, and service employees describe their jobs largely in their own voices.
What is the full title of Working?
The 1974 book is commonly published as Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. That subtitle accurately captures its focus on both daily tasks and the emotional meaning people attach to labor.
Was Working adapted into a stage musical?
Yes. The musical Working opened on Broadway in 1978, with contributions from songwriters including Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor, and Craig Carnelia. Later revisions added new material while retaining the interview-based structure.
Does Working focus only on industrial labor?
No. Although blue-collar voices are central, the book ranges across office work, domestic labor, professional careers, agriculture, and service jobs. That breadth allows a steelworker's account to sit beside those of a dentist, teacher, or telephone operator.
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