Jeremy Myerson is a design writer and professor emeritus in the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art in London. With Philip Ross, he cofounded Worktech and the Worktech Academy, an online knowledge platform and network on the future of work and the workplace.
Philip Ross is a futurist, commentator, and advisor specialising in the impact of emerging technology on people and their ways of working. With Jeremy Myerson, he cofounded Worktech and the Worktech Academy, an online knowledge platform and network on the future of work and the workplace.
Finalist
*The Business Book Awards 2023*
A timely new book about how to reinvent the office [by] veteran
observers of the future of work.
*The Financial Times*
By examining 10 forces of change that all business leaders should
understand, the authors encourage us to reflect on and rid
ourselves of defunct habits and rituals established by an outdated
office . . . a must-read.
*Elite Business Magazine*
Jeremy Myerson and Philip Ross's Unworking looks at the
post-pandemic worlds of work. There are chapters on wellbeing,
diversity and the changes in the city itself concluding we need to
unlearn familiar notions of the office and develop a new approach
that celebrates difference, not homogeneity.
*The Financial Times*
This book could not be more timely as the world grapples with what
the post-pandemic workplace should look like. Jeremy Myerson and
Philip Ross give us a scholarly yet deeply engaging account of the
past, present and future shape of the office. Essential reading for
those planning the new office environment – and anyone who’s going
to have to live in it.
*Rory Cellan-Jones, former BBC News technology correspondent and
author of Always On: Hope and Fear in the Social Smartphone
Era*
A lively, readable account of the past, present, and possible
future of the office. It should appeal to knowledge workers who
remain partially or completely office-bound. Academics interested
in how the urban and work environment influence management and
worker behavior will find this book especially helpful.
*ILR Review*
Myerson and Ross argue that efficiency theory was the dominant
force behind the evolution of office designs for most of the last
century. However, recent economic and public health shocks,
especially the COVID-19 pandemic, have disrupted the way work is
done and dismantled the old vestiges of office design (though these
transformations were already underway before the pandemic). The
authors argue that offices should no longer be designed around what
people do at work but around how they feel about work. Offices
should now seek to create a sense of community. The book uses
examples to show how office designs have evolved to emphasize
workers over their work . . . The authors make a compelling case
that old work systems should be unraveled and workers given the
freedom to create the work experiences they truly want.
Recommended.
*Choice*
Philip Ross and Jeremy Myerson capture the most significant changes
in the world of the office for decades. Their understanding of the
social, economic, technology changes and the roles of home and
office is unsurpassed.
*Sir Stuart Lipton, Lipton Rogers Developments*
Brimming with ideas, insights, examples and wisdom, this is the
go-to book for everyone interested in the future of the office and
curious about the future development of work.
*Professor Lynda Gratton, London Business School and author of
Redesigning Work.*
The pandemic has dramatically changed the way we work and how we
work. Unworking is a fantastic and highly readable book, providing
a pathway for the new world of work and the office environments of
the future. This is a ‘must read’ for senior executives and many
others in navigating the opportunities for future workplaces—you
won’t regret it!
*Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE, 50th Anniversary Professor of
Organizational Psychology and Health at the University of
Manchester*
To challenge the status quo so that new thinking can emerge, we
have to be able to hold both a strong grasp of how we got here, and
a deep understanding of the forces that are driving the need for
change. Philip Ross and Jeremy Myerson have a wealth of experience
and insight in both these areas. They are also consummate
communicators: their manifesto is unputdownable, at turns scary and
exhilarating, a thrilling invitation to create work – and work
spaces – that work for all.
*David Firth, consultant, coach and author in Organizational
Development*
This compelling, well-written book provides a historical
perspective on the world of work, as well as a forward-thinking
outlook on how to navigate its impact on our lives. Leisure and
work are evermore intertwined, and Unworking gave me moments of
insight that I can act upon both at work and in private. A joy to
read.
*Cees de Bont, Dean of the School of Design and Creative Arts,
Loughborough University*
Unworking takes you on panoramic journey, arriving at a plausible,
evidence-based future of how work and the workplace will evolve.
Rigorous and readable, it offers a better understanding of how we
can reinvent the workplace taxonomy.
*Alessandro Ranaldi, Head of Workplace Consultancy, Foster +
Partners*
A must-read for understanding the forces that influence how we
work. Myerson and Ross expertly examine the facets reshaping the
office landscape with a view into “What’s Next”. Unworking is an
invaluable guide for anyone interested in the workplaces needed to
help people thrive.
*Harald Becker, Director of Customer Engagements & Insights,
Microsoft*
Unworking is well written and very readable; it contributes to
important discussions . . . The book is certainly going to be a
good resource for practitioners wanting to understand the
complexity of issues facing them in the post-pandemic world of work
and organizations.
*Contemporary Sociology*
![]() |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
![]() |