Discover Joy in Work

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

 Discover Joy in Work

Author:

Shundrawn A. Thomas

Publisher:

InterVarsity Press

Publication Date:

September 10, 2019

Format:

Hardcover

Length:

224 pages

OVERVIEW

To say that nobody likes their job has become a common sentiment in recent years. Shundrawn Thomas has had his share of job changes and seen a variety of colleagues go through career changes. His conclusion? For the most part, job satisfaction doesn’t change with new positions. Most of the time satisfaction comes with developing a better work ethic and a healthier perspective on what work is supposed to be. Thomas considers three key things that both employees and employers can do to improve their work patterns and attitude to work:

• Changing one’s perspective on and approach to the workplace
• Pursuing attitudes that lead to a healthier work ethic
• Understanding the ways that doing work well improves life all around

Thomas is careful to phrase things so that readers come away feeling that they can find more joy and then by association more success in their work. Putting the success part first would have made this into a self-help book with lots of promises about ways to turn everything around quickly to get more pay and frills. Thomas knows from long experience that success doesn’t come that easily. So he stresses the need to find more meaning in work first, and then how doing so tends to lead to other benefits down the road.

A well though-out text on how to find meaning in an area where many people feel frustrated.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Suggested Audience

Business professionals looking for solid resources on how to develop a healthy attitude to the workplace, not just one that leads to “greater self-actualization” or something similar self-help concept.

Christian Impact

Thomas helps readers see how to taking joy in one’s work and having a good work ethic both connect to understanding God’s love for individuals and his design for them to work and do so excellently.