Working in America

The Best of Studs Terkel's Working Tapes

By: Studs Terkel

Narrated by: Joe Richman

The complete audio documentary as broadcast by NPR, plus exclusive bonus interviews and commentary.

In the early 1970s, author and radio host Studs Terkel went around the country with a reel-to-reel tape recorder interviewing people about their jobs. The result was the best-selling book Working. The great interviewer of his day, Terkel celebrated the uncelebrated, and Working elevated the stories of ordinary people and their daily lives.

For over four decades, the Working tapes were packed away in Terkel's home office and remained unheard - until now. Partnering with the Chicago History Museum and the Studs Terkel Archives, Project& was given exclusive access to the original recordings and spent a year working with Radio Diaries preparing them for the world to hear as part of the national multimedia initiative Working in America. The result is a stunning audio documentary that captures the voices of Americans from vastly different backgrounds, each reflecting on the rewards, the challenges, and the often surprising value of work in their lives. Four decades later, we hear from some of these same people as they reflect on their original interviews - and on the startling changes in their lives since.

Hosted by Joe Richman.

©2017 Project& and Radio Diaries, Inc. (P)2017 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Meaning of work for humans

Great perspective to take lessons for the AI age we are now. Good reflections to leverage

Nostalgic

Very easy to listen to and informative. Words from people and their experiences from back in the 50s.

Studs T. And Friends

I liked Studs' interviews. I liked the people he chose. I liked the liveliness of their stories.

Too short!!

The concept was fabulous but I wish it had contained more of the original interviews, which equally highlight Studs and his interviewees.

Insightful Interviews by the Master

Studs Terkel is legendary for his interview skills. These dozen interviews reveal why. Terkel's short, probing, disarming questions explore various jobs, their challenges, and what the incumbents truly feel about them. Talking with the father and son in a car repair garage uncovers the tensions in a multi-generational family business. The only female executive in a national advertising agency shares she's either ignored or stereotyped, her talents discounted. A Black police officer describes the racism he faced in the Chicago police force during the 1970s; sadly, not much seems to have changed. Each story is short, yet unforgettable.