About the Book

"A scathing, deeply-researched foray into the invisible, uncompensated work women perform every day "Emotional labor." The term might sound familiar. . .but what does it mean exactly? Initially used to describe the unnamed yet crucial labor flight attendants did to make guests feel welcomed and safe, the phrase has burst into the national lexicon in recent years. The examples, whispered among friends and posted online, are endless. A woman is tasked with organizing family functions, even without volunteering. A stranger insists you "smile more," even as you navigate a high stress environment or grating commute. Emotional labor is essential to our society and economy, but it's so often invisible. Many are asked to perform exhausting, draining work at no extra cost. In this groundbreaking, journalistic deep dive, Rose Hackman traces the history of the term and exposes common manifestations of the phenomenon. She describes the many ways women and girls are forced to edit the expressions of their emotions to accommodate and elevate the emotions of others. But Hackman doesn't simply diagnose a problem-she empowers us to combat patriarchy and forge pathways for radical evolution, justice, and change. The 2023 must-have for every reader"--

Book Synopsis

"An urgent look at emotional labor....Hackman's words reveal the agency of women is still possible while the power of care, empathy, and love in action can lead us to the best in our humanity."
― Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play

From Journalist Rose Hackman, a deeply-researched foray into the invisible, uncompensated work women perform every day--and a profound call to action.

A stranger insists you "smile more," even as you navigate a high-stress environment or grating commute. A mother is expected to oversee every last detail of domestic life. A nurse works on the front line, worried about her own health, but has to put on a brave face for her patients. A young professional is denied promotion for being deemed abrasive instead of placating her boss. Nearly every day, we find ourselves forced to edit our emotions to accommodate and elevate the emotions of others. Too many of us are asked to perform this exhausting, draining work at no extra cost, especially if we're women or people of color.

Emotional labor is essential to our society and economy, but it's so often invisible. In this groundbreaking, journalistic deep dive, Rose Hackman shares the stories of hundreds of women, tracing the history of this kind of work and exposing common manifestations of the phenomenon. But Hackman doesn't simply diagnose a problem--she empowers us to combat this insidious force and forge pathways for radical evolution, justice, and change.

Drawing on years of research and hundreds of interviews, you'll learn:
- How emotional labor pervades our workplaces, from the bustling food service industry to the halls of corporate America
- How race, gender, and class unequally shape the load we carry
- Strategies for leveling the imbalances that contaminate our relationships, social circles, and households
- Empowering tools to stop anyone from gaslighting you into thinking the work you are doing is not real work

Emotional labor is real, but it no longer has to be our burden alone. By recognizing its value and insisting on its shared responsibility, we can set ourselves free and forge a path to a world where empathy, love, and caregiving claim their rightful power.

Review Quotes

"A well-researched exploration of why emotional work often disproportionately holds women and people of color back, and how exposing it can foster more equality in work and life."
-- Inc., "The Best Books of 2023"

"An urgent look at emotional labor and its various intersections that many of us only recognize as entering 'womanhood' - that we should edit the expression of our emotions to accommodate and elevate others. She challenges that the invisible work of women is not only an expectation of society but also a burden that is impossible to sustain. Hackman's words reveal the agency of women is still possible while the power of care, empathy, and love in action can lead us to the best in our humanity."
-- Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play and National Bestseller Find Your Unicorn Space

"In this welcome and informative volume, Hackman gives us a bracing, wide-angle view of the many hidden theaters of emotional labor--at the kitchen sink, check-out counter, corporate meeting. Done wisely, emotional labor is a great gift to civilization we should all know about--intimately."
-- Arlie Hochschild, author of National Book Award finalist Strangers in Their Own Land and the New York Times bestseller The Second Shift

"Expertly blending case studies and statistics, this is a profound call for reorienting 'our fundamental value systems.'"
-- Publishers Weekly

"This is an inspiring, infuriating study of the toll it takes on people when they're expected to smile, while taking on more and exhausting responsibilities without getting paid more."
--Library Journal, starred review

"As she critiques the neoliberalism that has given rise to an economic system built on invisible exploitation, Hackman issues a clarion call to rethink the true relationship between empathy and power. Hackman vividly demonstrates that this system encompasses both the domestic and professional spheres, affecting the lives of women across lines of race and socio-economic class...A thought-provoking and incisive book."
--Kirkus

"[An] enlightening book."
--Booklist

"Emotional Labor is a sharp, incisive exposé, a rallying cry that demands we acknowledge and value the hefty invisibilized work shouldered by the least privileged among us."
-- Bernice Yeung, author of Pulitzer Prize Finalist In a Day's Work

"Hackman peels back the layers hiding the hard work of the heart that makes the world hum. A poignant call to action."
-- Chelsea Conaboy, author of Mother Brain

"I will be distributing this book to all the people in my life. May this labor be seen."
--Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, author of For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts

About the Author

Rose Hackman is a British journalist based in Detroit. Her work on gender, race, labor, policing, housing and the environment--published in The Guardian--has brought international attention to overlooked American policy issues, historically entrenched injustices, and complicated social mores.