A systems approach to understanding and minimizing the causes of low back pain in the workplace Low back pain affects 80% of the population at some point during their lifetime; it is responsiblefor over 40% of the compensation costs for work-related injuries. This book provides an understanding of the mechanisms influencing low back pain in the workplace and indicates how low back pain might be prevented, saving employers extraordinary amounts in medical costs and protecting workers from the most common on-the-job injury. With a unique, multidisciplinary perspective that shows how various influences or risk factors can be considered collectively, The Working Back: A Systems View: Explains basic concepts in anatomy and physiology that are essential to understanding and preventing low back pain Provides a systems perspective on the occupational causes of back pain, not only addressing factors such as spine loading, but also considering the potential impact of psychosocial and organizational interactions, genetics, and physiology Discusses implementing preventive engineering and administrative controls and integrating risk interventions into the workplace Offers an expert analysis of current medical research on low back pain in one comprehensive, accessible reference This book gives readers the knowledge to assess a work environment and prescribe effective interventions. It is a hands-on reference for ergonomists, manufacturing engineers, process engineers, industrial engineers and managers, safety engineers, nurses, therapists, chiropractors, physicians, and workers with back pain. It is also an excellent resource for graduate or undergraduate students of kinesiology, physiology, ergonomics, physical therapy, nursing, industrial design, engineering, and general medicine.

A deeply-reported examination of why "doing what you love" is a recipe for exploitation, creating a new tyranny of work in which we cheerily acquiesce to doing jobs that take over our lives. You're told that if you "do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." Whether it's working for "exposure" and "experience," or enduring poor treatment in the name of "being part of the family," all employees are pushed to make sacrifices for the privilege of being able to do what we love. In Work Won't Love You Back, Sarah Jaffe, a preeminent voice on labor, inequality, and social movements, examines this "labor of love" myth—the idea that certain work is not really work, and therefore should be done out of passion instead of pay. Told through the lives and experiences of workers in various industries—from the unpaid intern, to the overworked teacher, to the nonprofit worker and even the professional athlete—Jaffe reveals how all of us have been tricked into buying into a new tyranny of work. As Jaffe argues, understanding the trap of the labor of love will empower us to work less and demand what our work is worth. And once freed from those binds, we can finally figure out what actually gives us joy, pleasure, and satisfaction.

“I wrote this book because I love my country and I'm concerned about our future,” writes Bill Clinton. “As I often said when I first ran for President in 1992, America at its core is an idea—the idea that no matter who you are or where you're from, if you work hard and play by the rules, you'll have the freedom and opportunity to pursue your own dreams and leave your kids a country where they can chase theirs.” In Back to Work, Clinton details how we can get out of the current economic crisis and lay a foundation for long-term prosperity. He offers specific recommendations on how we can put people back to work and create new businesses, increase bank lending and corporate investment, double our exports, and restore our manufacturing base. He supports President Obama’s emphasis on green technology, saying that change in the way we produce and consume energy is the strategy most likely to spark a fast-growing economy and enhance our national security. Clinton also says that we need both a strong economy and a smart government working together to restore prosperity and progress. He demonstrates that whenever we’ve given in to the temptation to blame government for our problems, we’ve lost our commitment to shared prosperity, balanced growth, financial responsibility, and investment in the future. That has led our nation into trouble because there are some things we have to do together. For example, he says, “Our ability to compete in the twenty-first century is dependent on our willingness to invest in infrastructure: we need faster broadband, a state-of-the-art national electrical grid, modernized water and sewer systems, and the best airports, trains, roads, and bridges. “There is no evidence that we can succeed in the twenty-first century with an antigovernment strategy,” writes Clinton, “with a philosophy grounded in ‘You’re on your own’ rather than ‘We’re all in this together.’” Clinton believes that conflict between government and the private sector has proved to be remarkably good politics, but it has produced bad policies, giving us a weak economy with few jobs, growing income inequality and poverty, and a decline in our competitive position. In the real world, cooperation works much better than conflict, and “we need victories in the real world.”

If you're a stay-at-home mom considering going back to work, these are some of the questions that have likely come to mind. Returning to the workforce can be a daunting prospect. It requires reigniting old contacts (including those with coworkers once your junior), marketing yourself strategically, and building confidence-whether you've been out of the workforce for two, six, or fifteen years. Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin understand, because they've been there. As Harvard MBAs who successfully relaunched their own careers after staying home full-time with their children, they know it can be done-with careful planning, strategizing, and creativity. Now, in BACK ON THE CAREER TRACK, they offer a prescriptive, seven-step program that includes: · Assessing career options and updating job skills · Networking and preparing for interviews · Getting the family on board. Packed with expert advice from career counselors and recruiters, and insightful stories from others who have been through the process, this book also offers an inside look at what employers and universities are doing to help relaunchers today-including how many businesses are recognizing them as valuable assets. As frequent speakers to women's groups, professional schools, and corporations, Cohen and Rabin provide a thorough, unique program from two experts on the topic of career reentry. BACK ON THE CAREER TRACK is sure to become the classic guide in the field.

You can't make the world fair, but you can take back your power. As a woman in Silicon Valley who worked her way to the top of the corporate ladder--she's a former VP at Facebook and the current president and CEO of Ancestry--Deborah Liu knows firsthand the challenges and obstacles in the workplace that keep the deck stacked against women in the workplace . . . and the ways to overcome them. For every woman who grew up competing on the uneven playing field, who is told she is too aggressive, assertive, dramatic, or emotional, this book is the battle cry you need to learn to thrive within the system that exists today, even if it's not the one we wish it were. Take Back Your Power presents both hard data and Liu's personal experiences from twenty years as a woman leader in the male-dominated tech industry to help you: Find your voice, learn how to ask, and achieve what you want in a system that isn't fair and wasn't created for you Debunk the negative connotations of "power" and harness it for your own success Discover how to be heard, seen, and taken more seriously at work by getting out of your own way Overcome the lie that success is only achieved alone by finding the four types of allies you need to reach your goals Become a great leader without losing yourself in the process You have the power to change the future of work for yourself--and for women everywhere.

A truly masterful book on career transition and job seeking, especially in light of the current state of our economy. It addresses a wide array of topics that are important for almost every job seeker. " -Carmen Croonquist, Director of Career Services, University of Wisconsin HOW DO YOU MOVE ON AFTER BEING LAID OFF? You can't always control losing your job, but you can control your reaction and the decisions you make afterward In Getting Back to Work, Linda Rolie, an expert in strategic career development with a background as a psychiatric therapist, gives you time-tested tools for finding a new job in today's tough economy, while also working through the psychological challenges you might face after being laid off. In Getting Back to Work, you'll find: Guidance managing emotions and stress while searching for a new job Exercises to identify transferable skills, knowledge, abilities, and qualifications Templates for writing impressive resumes, cover letters, and thank-you notes, Tips on networking, resume building, interviewing, and how to answer the “why did you get laid off?” and “aren't you overqualified?” questions Research methods for finding a job, helpful Internet sites and other resources

"Get Back to Work is a no-frills book designed with practical, straightforward, and innovative tips to keep you ahead of the pack. Learn how to effectively use social media to set yourself apart from the crowd. Leverage your existing network and how to build a stronger network, Find out how to tap into commonly overlooked employment outlets to get a leg up on the competition"--Back cover.

From John Maynard Keynes’s prediction of a fifteen-hour workweek to present-day speculation about automation, we have not stopped forecasting the end of work. Critical theory and political philosophy have turned their attention away from the workplace to focus on other realms of domination and emancipation. But far from coming to an end, work continues to occupy a central place in our lives. This is not only because of the amount of time people spend on the job. Many of our deepest hopes and fears are bound up in our labor—what jobs we perform, how we relate to others, how we might flourish. The Return of Work in Critical Theory presents a bold new account of the human significance of work and the human costs of contemporary forms of work organization. A collaboration among experts in philosophy, social theory, and clinical psychology, it brings together empirical research with incisive analysis of the political stakes of contemporary work. The Return of Work in Critical Theory begins by looking in detail at the ways in which work today fails to meet our expectations. It then sketches a phenomenological description of work and examines the normative premises that underlie the experience of work. Finally, it puts forward a novel conception of work that can renew critical theory’s engagement with work and point toward possibilities for transformation. Inspired by Max Horkheimer’s vision of critical theory as empirically informed reflection on the sources of social suffering with emancipatory intent, The Return of Work in Critical Theory is a lucid diagnosis of the malaise and pathologies of contemporary work that proposes powerful remedies.

Working Backwards is an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time Amazon executives—with lessons and techniques you can apply to your own company, and career, right now. In Working Backwards, two long-serving Amazon executives reveal the principles and practices that have driven the success of one of the most extraordinary companies the world has ever known. With twenty-seven years of Amazon experience between them—much of it during the period of unmatched innovation that created products and services including Kindle, Amazon Prime, Amazon Studios, and Amazon Web Services—Bryar and Carr offer unprecedented access to the Amazon way as it was developed and proven to be repeatable, scalable, and adaptable. With keen analysis and practical steps for applying it at your own company—no matter the size—the authors illuminate how Amazon’s fourteen leadership principles inform decision-making at all levels of the company. With a focus on customer obsession, long-term thinking, eagerness to invent, and operational excellence, Amazon’s ground-level practices ensure these characteristics are translated into action and flow through all aspects of the business. Working Backwards is both a practical guidebook and the story of how the company grew to become so successful. It is filled with the authors’ in-the-room recollections of what “Being Amazonian” is like and how their time at the company affected their personal and professional lives. They demonstrate that success on Amazon’s scale is not achieved by the genius of any single leader, but rather through commitment to and execution of a set of well-defined, rigorously-executed principles and practices—shared here for the very first time. Whatever your talent, career or organization might be, find out how you can put Working Backwards to work for you.