The Ultimate Hidden Truth of The World by David Graber is a collection of Graber’s essays. For those familiar with Graeber’s work such as Bullshit Jobs and The Dawn of Everything, this book shows his deeper ideas and perspectives. The greatest part of the book is that it talks about important topics that people usually ignore and unconsciously significantly affect our life, which is exactly what the title suggests.
It begins with a chapter on David Graeber’s strong disagreement with Samuel Huntington’s idea that democracy is solely a Western concept. I was really impressed by the way the argument is written and it is what kept me engaged until the last page. Graeber highlights where Huntington’s ideas fall short, arguing that the West does not have an exclusive claim to concepts like diversity. He points out that other countries from the other side of the world exhibit far greater variety. He prompts us to rethink how the West views its own contributions.
Another part of the book that I found really intriguing and that opened my eyes to the truths of this world is Graeber’s discussion of “useless jobs.” He notes the irony in how, even with technology that could reduce work hours as our expectations decades ago, there’s an increase in pointless office jobs just to keep people busy. He discusses how the elite fear having a society that is too free and productive, suggesting that the belief in hard work being morally good is just a way to control people. Graeber also offers a straightforward critique of bureaucracy, explaining how it often overlooks the real nuances of human interaction by reducing everything to numbers, rules, and how systems strip away the human element.
Another important issues that Graeber makes about the political atmosphere around the world is regarding the cynicism of politicians. He points out that while no one believes politicians are perfect, their fabricated image only reveals how cynical they truly are. This reflects a widespread distrust in politics today. It helps start conversations on these often overlooked subjects.Thus, it encourages readers to understand their rights and the complexities of social issues.
It is almost impossible to get bored with this book due to the variety of topics covered and the wonderful insights of Graeber. Sometimes, you can relate to one chapter, then you turn the page and it discusses a topic you are not familiar with, allowing you to gain new knowledge. What a wonderful book to read, both informative and enjoyable, making it a great choice for anyone interested in various issues affecting our civilization across different eras.
My Favorite Bits
No one really imagines politicians are saints. Rather, by maintaining the superficial pretense of sainthood, they simply prove the depths of their cynicism.
David Graber, The Ultimate Hidden Truth of the World.
We are constantly bombarded by propaganda insisting society is besieged by those who want something for nothing, that the poor (typically conceived in racist terms) are largely poor they lack the will and discipline to work, that only those who do or have worked harder than they’d like to at something they would rather not be doing, preferably under a harsh taskmaster, deserve respect and consideration from their fellow citizens. As a result, the sadomasochistic element in work, which many remark becomes ever more pronounced the more the work itself is bereft of purpose and meaning, rather than being an ugly, if predictable side effect to top-down chains of command in the workplace, has actually become central to what validates work itself. Suffering has become a badge of economic citizenship.
David Graber, The Ultimate Hidden Truth of the World.
I am deeply grateful to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with an ARC copy of this book for review.
Author: David Graeber
Publication date: 12 November 2024
Number of pages: 384 pages
