Greek writer and journalist, Kostas Stoforos, who is also about to give a presentation in the premises of our school and discuss the parenting topics of his books with our students' parents , has been kind enough to make one more wonderful suggestion. He will soon have the opportunity to interview Alain de Botton, who is internationally acclaimed for his theories on everyday life and research on various jobs and work satisfaction. Therefore, Kostas volunteered to ask him some of the questions that our students would like to ask based on his latest book The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work.
In April 2009, de Botton published his latest book, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, a survey of ten different jobs, including accountancy, rocket science and biscuit manufacture, which includes two hundred original images and aims to unlock the beauty, interest and occasional horror of the modern world of work.
Taken from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_de_Botton
Students can watch this video concerning Alain de Botton's most recent book and visit the suggested links below to get a more comprehensive picture of his work and to finally be able to ask questions or make constructive comments (by clicking on the word 'comments' under this post).
More webpages to explore:
Alain de Botton's official site
About the latest book 'The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work'
An extract from the book
His speech about success (on ted.com)
A student's thoughts on the previous video (on GK-Hall)
Hi Allain,
ReplyDeleteI am from Greece and I am fourteen years old.Although I have not read your book I believe that it will be very good and interesting, especially for people of my age because now we started thinking about the job we are going to do in the future and it will be a decision that it will affect us in our life.One thing that I am interested to know and I believe that you are the most suitable person to ask is this:If I make a wrong decision about my future job, will I have the chance later to decide to follow something completely different or am I going to do this disatisfactory job for my whole life? Thank you in advance.
Hi Allain!
ReplyDeleteI am a fourteen year old student and am realising that now it's the time to find the job that i would study in the university! I think that this is really hard for me because that job i will do in my life. I am old or mature enough to think of that important thing!! I read about your book and I would like to ask you a question: How can I find out what job is suitable for me? Here in Greece what we will study depends on our marks in the final exams.I mean that I don't know all the available jobs or what suits my character. We have bought a book about final exams but sometimes I feel like I need to discuss it with some expert that knows about it and can advise me.
Hi Allain!
ReplyDeleteI am Joanna and I live in Greece. I am a bank clerk and I take care of various affairs of the bank. I feel that my job is a bit monotonous and under-paid. However boring it may be, this job gives me everyday experience and helps me to get acquainted with new people!
My question is: What can I do to enjoy my work more? Should I continue to "survive" in this field or should I search for a work which will be more fulfilling?
Thank you very much for your help!
Hello Alain,
ReplyDeleteI am a fourteen year old student. I Haven"t read your book , ( i"ve just listen to a short video of your speech . In a few years I'm gonna decide which job i'd like to do in the future. I agree with all your opinions about job satisfaction, I think if you do a job you have to like it.
Question; If everybody does the interesting jobs, who is gonna do the dull ones? Keep up the good work!
Hallo Allaian,
ReplyDeleteI come from Greece,Iam 14 years old and I have not read your book yet! But I have just seen the video and it seems very interesting.
I have always need to ask this question,the question is:is it important to choose a job in which I am happy to do this?
Hi Allain,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Helen.I am 13 years old and I m from hrakleio,where i live now.I saw your video and i agree with you.To get a job is very important to love it and not to do it only for money...Work is a pleasure and you must think what kind of job you are going to do because you will have this job during your whole life...If you make a wrong desiscion,then you will be unhappy for the rest of your life.My question is:
what qualifications you must have becoming an english teacher? thank you.\
helen
Hi Allain! My name is Danai and
ReplyDeleteI'm 14 years old.I saw your video and i agree with you
I think that someone gets a
job not because of the money.In the job spend someone the most of his day,so must be an intersting and plesure job.
I want to become a german teacher but i don't know if i find a job in about 4 years.I think that i must discuss with a person like you.
Can you help me about this topic? Thank you in advance!
mr.Allain,
ReplyDeleteI am very impressed with your thoughts and beliefs.I totally agree with you and I strongly believe that nobody can be sure about what job have and want to do to do to get job satisfaction!
Nowadays most people whant to do a job that helps them to make a carieer.I think that if sb do a job that exrress them, they will get money and have job satisfaction.
What about you?Do you really get job satisfaction?
I totally agree with your opinion of this topic!Nowadays, people neglect their pleasure and they are always trying to avoid working.We all say we are tired, exhausted and want to relax and take a day off.It will be better for us, to have lots of interests in work and take our job as a pleasure!What are the main qualifications that somebody needs to have to suceed and build a very big career? Whats your opinion?
ReplyDeleteHi Allain,
ReplyDeleteI am from Crete and I am sure that your book is going to be a success.I have been thinking recently about my future work and wondering if i'll be able to do the job I like.The question I have for is how we can know our pleasant job,since there are people who start doing a job they think they like,after a while they get bored?
I believe that you are right about work. It is like marriage. You must love your job, just like someone you marry, so that you will never get bored. Apart from that, the job you will choose must be something that keeps you excited, satisfies you and lifts up your spirit. It doesn't matter which job it will be; it could be anything-from doctor to a shop assistant. Peoble could choose the right job for them easily. Unfortunately there is a huge problem that prevents them from making the right decision.This problem is that people are judged by others about the job they are doing, just like you said and I totally agree with you.
ReplyDeleteThe question I would really like to ask you is : Are you satisfied with your job or would you like to change it?
I've just watched a video f the lecture you gave about your book and i have to say that i agree with your ideas and thoughts about today's jobs.As you mentioned, nowadays people don't follow a certain a career just considering the financial factors.Unfortunately sometimes after years of working some people start finding their job boring.Of course that's not the case for everybody.Few people though after years of career start realising the meaning of working hard every day.Finding your job meaningfull is caused by different factors to each one of us.To finish of i would like to ask you what is actually more important in choosing a career enyoying what you are doing or having o good salary?after years aren't we all end up getting bored of our occupation we choose do you think this has to do with the age we decide?thank you in advance.
ReplyDeleteHaving heard part of your speech I was thinking that your ideas,the points you 've made are thoughts that ,I suppose, every modern person has made but propably nobody has written it on paper yet.Nowdays,that money are necessary job has a very important role in everybodys life,the most important i think.So, as you mentioned ,it should be something that appeals to us ,not necessaraly prestigious,not necessaraly popular.But ,find a job that you like is very difficult and compicated.How can we found out our dream-job so as to be meaningful?And if we find a job that we consider it our dream job,how do we know for sure that we are not wrong,that,that's it?
ReplyDeleteHi Allain!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Aliki and I live in Heraklion of Crete.I think that your video is very interesting and also it would be helpful to many people to realise what indeed must do with their jobs!
I studied in University of Physical Education and Sports and I worked many years as a teacher of F.E in primary school and simultaneously I worked as personal trainer in different gyms.As you understand I ought to be very pleasant and active with all my clients but there are some times towards the end of my shift where I don't manage to be as I want to be maybe because of tiredness or others problems.
Consequently I would like to ask you if there are some "tricks" to overcome these moments.
Thank you very much for your help!
Dear Mr. De Botton
ReplyDeleteI am Manos and I live in Heraklion of Greece. I have listened to your speech about your latest book. You made me think about whether I have chosen the correct career path. It is hard to take the correct decision about my future life at the age of sixteen. I will be wondering until I get a job if I had chosen correctly and studying economics instead of something else that fulfils my deeper dreams. Is there any effective way to make me choose the job that suits me and satisfies me and avoid being in a monotonous lifestyle?
Profession what a huge meaning that this word has...Greece is a relative small society and not much jobs are avaliable. However,people everywhere have needs that nobody is able to cover.The majority is becoming lawyers or doctors and no one cares about plumbing,baking and other manual work.This ,in my opinion, should change.Every job is admirable and should be treated with respect.We should't judge people based on their occupation.In this day and age it is unacceptable to have such stereotypes.So...what ought to do in order to eliminate this awful perception about jobs?Should we be reeducated or should we continue to be in a vicious circle..?
ReplyDeleteDear Mr De Botton
ReplyDeleteMy name is Nasia and I come from Greece! Well, I've just read an extract of your world-widely famous book and admittedly I found it exhilarating! Work is a topic that interests not only adults but especially teenagers that come to decide in a very young age which career they 'd like to pursue... Me, I'm 15 years old and I'm not quite sure which job I desire to do yet.Nevertheless, I 'm sure that whatever job I select to do will be sth I really adore.
The thing in Greece is that you have to make some very serious decisions about your life being at an age of 15 or 16. Take for example me! I find journalism a very enthousiastic job,but if I want to succeed in it I obligatorily have to pursue a specific direction which involves especially literature or history and ancient greek-The thing here is that I mostly like maths and physics...So why do I HAVE to attend classes that are not relevant neither to what I like,nor to what I want to study at university(?)...
Anyway...my question is: how do we really know when a person is ready to resolve whether they want to be an actor,a doctor, or a journalist??And how can we remedy the situation if we've already mistaken about the career we've chosen to pursue??