I Deliver Parcels in Beijing: One Man’s Quest to Speak the Truth About the Global Gig Economy

In his witty and resonant debut memoir, Anyan discusses cobbling together a living from odd jobs in a variety of Asian metropolises. Divided into five sections, the account covers the 19 gigs Anyan has worked since he graduated from secondary school in the 1990s, including stints in a logistics warehouse in Foshan, China, as a handyman in Shanghai, and as a deliveryman in Beijing. While enduring long hours, heavy lifting, and unsympathetic bosses determined to crack down on employee “dawdling,” Anyan began to keep a journal of his experiences, finding that writing helped cushion the rigors of the daily grind and “to some extent, removed the opposition between work and freedom in my life.” Anyan’s blunt, unvarnished voice, skillfully rendered by Hargreaves, infuses his musings with raw intimacy, and his quietly profound self-analysis (“All of my decisions had been my own since the day I joined society—maybe that’s why I’ve never fully integrated”) lend depth to the proceedings. Readers who’ve struggled with work/life balance or the bewildering hustle of gig work will find plenty to chew on. (Oct.)