The Myth of Making It - by Samhita Mukhopadhyay (Hardcover)

About the Book

""As I sat in the front row that day, I was 80% faking it with a 100% real Gucci bag." Samhita Mukhopadhyay had finally made it: she had her dream job, dream clothes-dream life. But time and time again, she found herself sacrificing time with family and friends, paying too much for lattes, and limping home after working for twelve hours a day. Success didn't come without costs, right? Or so she kept telling herself. And Samhita wasn't alone: far too many of us are taught that to live a good life we need to work ourselves to the bone. That to enact change, we just need to climb up the corporate ladder, to "lean in," to "hustle." But as Mukhopadhyay shows, these definitions of success are myths-and they are seductive ones. Mukhopadhyay traces the origins of these myths, taking us from the 60s into the present-day through a critical overview of feminist workplace movements that got us here today, stories from her own professional experience, analysis from activists and experts, and interviews with workers of all kinds. As more individuals continue to question whether dedicating their lives to their vocation can even lead to happiness and fulfillment in the first place, Mukhopadhyay asks: What would it mean to have a liberated workplace? To answer this question, Mukhopadhyay underlines where movements have fallen short in the past-and highlights where they have succeeded-and offers insights gleaned from interviews with those who have found a vision for work that feels authentically successful. What emerges is a vision for a workplace culture that pays fairly, recognizes our values, and gives people access to the resources they need"--

Book Synopsis

We can bury the girlboss, but what comes next? The former executive editor of Teen Vogue tells the story of her personal workplace reckoning and argues for collective responsibility to reimagine work as we know it.

"One of the smartest voices we have on gender, power, capitalist exploitation, and the entrenched inequities of the workplace."--Rebecca Traister, author of Good and Mad

"As I sat in the front row that day, I was 80 percent faking it with a 100-percent-real Gucci bag." Samhita Mukhopadhyay had finally made it: she had her dream job, dream clothes--dream life. But time and time again, she found herself sacrificing time with family and friends, paying too much for lattes, and limping home after working twelve hours a day. Success didn't come without costs, right? Or so she kept telling herself. And Mukhopadhyay wasn't alone: Far too many of us are taught that we need to work ourselves to the bone to live a good life. That we just need to climb up the corporate ladder, to "lean in" and "hustle," to enact change. But as Mukhopadhyay shows, these definitions of success are myths--and they are seductive ones.

Mukhopadhyay traces the origins of these myths, taking us from the sixties to the present. She forms a critical overview of workplace feminism, looking at stories from her own professional career, analysis from activists and experts, and of course, experiences of workers at different levels. As more individuals continue to question whether their professional ambitions can lead to happiness and fulfillment in the first place, Mukhopadhyay asks, What would it mean to have a liberated workplace? Mukhopadhyay emerges with a vision for a workplace culture that pays fairly, recognizes our values, and gives people access to the resources they need.

A call to action to redefine and reimagine work as we know it, The Myth of Making It is a field guide and manifesto for all of us who are tired, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of hustle culture.

Review Quotes

"Samhita Mukhopadhyay is one of the smartest voices we have on gender, power, capitalist exploitation and the entrenched inequities of the workplace."--Rebecca Traister, author of Good and Mad

"With acuity, humor, and admirable candor, Samhita Mukhopadhyay delves beneath the buzzwords of workplace feminism to interrogate what it really takes for women to succeed, and why it matters we do."--Radhika Jones, editor in chief of Vanity Fair

"'Samhita Mukhopadhyay comes neither to bury the girlboss nor to praise her. This is the book about ambition and the workplace that I've been waiting for: idealistic and practical, sensitive and brutally honest all at once. High-powered jobs may not live up to their promise, but this book can help us to let go of individualistic dreams and create freer, happier collective realities."--Sarah Jaffe, author of Work Won't Love You Back

"A reexamination of the many falsehoods, misconceptions, and outright delusions about female ambition and professional achievement. If you're burned out or simply asking 'is this it?' pick up this book."--Jill Filipovic, author of OK Boomer, Let's Talk

"The Myth of Making It is a 21st century take on workplace feminism. If you've been wondering why your work life is deeply important to you but feels so unsatisfying, you need to read this book."--Ann Friedman, co-author of Big Friendship

"Relatable, smart, funny, personal, incisive, and much needed. Mukhopadhyay draws connections between the past and the present and raises questions about not just how we think of work today but how we might want to reorient ourselves towards it in the future."--Anna Holmes, founder of Jezebel

"Finally, a fresh, irresistible take on our changing relationship to work and its relationship to everything else in our lives. More than myth busting, this book frees us from the false choices and false narratives of the past, giving us permission and inspiration to shape the future."--Ai-jen Poo, president of National Domestic Workers Alliance

"Provocative and intelligent, Mukhopadhyay's book will appeal to both feminist scholars and working women seeking more humane ways to navigate the sexist, racist, hypercapitalist minefield of the modern workplace. An incisive study of the current business landscape."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Samhita Mukhopadhyay is the former executive editor of Teen Vogue and the former executive editor at Feministing. Her writing has appeared in New York magazine, The Cut, Vanity Fair, Vogue, The Atlantic, and The Nation. Born in New York City, Mukhopadhyay lives between Putnam County and Brooklyn.