Innovative post-lockdown work situations persist: This book can help young people understand their future employment options.
A clear and useful survey of the pros (and some cons) of distributed work.
The Covid-19 pandemic precipitated a significant labor shift: In the U.S. alone, some 28 million workers are now home-based or in hybrid work situations (partly commuting to work and partly working from home). Eliminating a commute has changed time and expense equations for many, as well as facilitating shared family responsibilities and accessibility for those with disabilities. Tools like Slack and Zoom have helped enable remote work, which can still look very different from worker to worker. The book briefly covers the history of telecommuting and work that cannot be carried out remotely, which is often done by those with lower incomes and education levels. Remote work in the contexts of use of office space, federal government policies, managerial roles, unionization, productivity levels, and benefits to employers and the environment are considered. But Snyder does not overlook the social advantages of in-person employment: Closer mentoring, greater feelings of inclusion, and other in-person perks may support faster career advancement, while remote-work isolation and burnout are real risks. A final chapter speculates on future changes to this relatively novel situation, like virtual offices, a four-day workweek, more coworking spaces, and even the use of avatars and holograms. Color photos include a diverse range of people in varied workplace settings.
Innovative post-lockdown work situations persist: This book can help young people understand their future employment options. (source notes, further reading, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781678206062
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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