# A World Without Work vs The Second Machine Age

Source: https://listme.name/compare/a-world-without-work-vs-the-second-machine-age
Framed by the ranking: https://listme.name/best/career-and-future-of-work-books

| | A World Without Work | The Second Machine Age |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 86.5 | 89.0 |
| Rank | #6 | #2 |
| Price | Paid | Paid |
| Best for | Automation, paid work and policy responses | Economics of digital technology and jobs |
| Main angle | Automation and the future of paid work | Economics of digital technology |
| Best reader | Policy readers and economists | Economists, policy readers and executives |
| Draws on research or data | Yes | Yes |

An economic argument about how automation could reduce paid work, with a focus on policy responses. Its forecasts are speculative, so it ranks below the empirical economics of The Second Machine Age. The strongest economic analysis here of how digital technology affects productivity, jobs and inequality. It predates generative AI, so its views on tools are older, but its framework still explains the wider debate.