15 Books About Jobs More Interesting Than Yours

by Nina MacLaughlin

MacLaughlin gives us just enough plot and plenty of rumination as she relates how she came to be a carpenter's apprentice. Each chapter centers on a tool and uses it as a metaphor for the life lessons to be learned from it. If you are craving transitions or are in the midst of one, this is a great book about grace and humility and, ultimately, craft and pride. —Emily Pullen, Reader Services

by Yirmi Pinkus

A hilarious glimpse into the lives of a Jewish Israeli family who owns several businesses. The most memorable scenes happen in a factory, haggling for cheap board shorts or behind-the-scenes of a low-budget fashion show. If you're thinking of joining the resale industry or just want to laugh over fart jokes and family relationships, I highly recommend this title.  —Laura Stein, Grand Central Library

by Charles Yu

Willis Wu is an actor on the procedural cop show Black and White, relegated to bit parts like Generic Asian Man, Disgraced Son, and Background Oriental Making a Weird Face. He strives to reach the only kind of success opened to him in Hollywood, the role of Kung Fu Guy, before realizing that maybe there's more out there for him. —Crystal Chen, Woodstock Library

by Ed Lin

This novel follows the life of a teenager running his family's hotel in an East Coast beach town. As the motel's sole employee, the unnamed 13-year-old handles the front desk, cleans the rooms, and maintains the decrepit hotel. While his life is grim, the protagonist gets his kicks where he can, both aided and foiled by the hotel's unsavory assortment of guests. Reading this book is like going into a roadside diner and slowly backing out hoping nobody notices you. —Grace Yamada, Jefferson Market Library

by Caitlin Doughty

The title of this book by everyone's favorite mortician tells you everything you need to know. It's certainly not for the squeamish but taught me a great deal about the undertaking industry in this country and —surprisingly— the kindness that should exist around death. —Caitlyn Colman-McGaw, Young Adult Programming

by Toni Bentley

I was astonished by the super-human effort it takes to dance blithely across the stage as a ballerina. This book gives a realistic, behind-the-scenes look into the life of a ballet dancer with the New York City Ballet under George Balanchine.  —Maura Muller, Volunteer Program

by John Connell

John's family has been farming in Ireland for decades, but in this memoir, he returns to the family estate after a 10-year absence. The rhythm of the farm ebbs and flows—there are dark moments springing from the land and the people farming it, but ultimately beauty and peace triumph. —Alexandria Abenshon, Webster Library

by Jacob Tomsky

If you ever wanted to know what life is like behind the scenes in the hotel industry, you'll be amazed, horrified, and fascinated by Tomsky's memoir. —Kate Fais, Bloomingdale Library

by Frank Norris

Whenever I’m in need of dental work, I think of this book—about a turn of the (not most recent) century dentist who was a brute, a masochist, and a fraud. —Seth Pompi, Ottendorfer Library

by Eddie Dominguez

Here's an interesting book about the founder of the Department of Investigations, who tried to get rid of the use of steroids in Major League Baseball. —Joe Pascullo, Grand Central Library

by Dana Kollman

This book is about the day-to-day life of a crime scene investigator at the Baltimore County Police Department. The author injects dark humor into an otherwise morbid job. —Chasity Moreno, Ask NYPL Virtual Reference

by Ina Yalof

From family-run meat markets to the Halal Guys to the makers of the syrup that defines a New York City egg cream, Yalof takes us behind the scenes of the New York City food industry, shedding light on lesser-known daily grinds. This engrossing compilation of oral histories reveals the often untold stories and labor behind many well-known New York City culinary institutions and showcases the varied, interlocking lines of work that makeup what we think of as the restaurant industry. —Sasha Jones, Roosevelt Island

by Sayaka Murata

Gives a glimpse into the life of a convenience store worker in Japan. —Melissa Scheurer, Mid-Manhattan Library

by Dave Eggers

This book opened my eyes to the art of cultivating, roasting, and importing coffee. —Melissa Scheurer, Mid-Manhattan Library

by Stephen Sondheim

One of the most important figures in 20th-century music explores the artistry and agony of being a composer and lyricist (with numerous supplemental biographical bon mots). —Gregory Stall, Grand Central Library