I loved this exuberant, practical, inspiring, and necessary book. In her often hilarious style, Bree Groff makes a serious argument: that work should and can be a genuinely fun component of a vibrant, fulfilling, connected, and deeply human life.” —Oliver Burkeman, New York Times-bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks and Meditations for Mortals
“A hands-on, life-changing book about bringing intent to the way we spend most of our time. We've created so many ways to be unhappy with our work, Bree Groff is here to help us change that.” —Seth Godin, author of The Song of Significance
“In this original and practical guide, Bree Groff offers a powerful argument: Work doesn't have to be grim, nor does it have to be the source of fulfillment for all your deepest yearnings. It can, instead, simply be fun—one enjoyable thing among many in a full life. I'm convinced!” —Cal Newport, New York Times–bestselling author of Slow Productivity and Deep Work
“Today Was Fun will teach you how to design a living that you enjoy, but also a life that you love.” —Simone Stolzoff, author of The Good Enough Job
“Bree Groff has accomplished the impossible: to write a book about work that is fun. A brilliant guide that will make you smile, laugh, and perhaps even cry—and your life better.” —Tim Leberecht, co-founder of the House of Beautiful Business
“Today Was Fun is a hell yeah! It’s a refreshing take on reframing our relationship with work to make it more joyful. Bree Groff’s characteristic warm and approachable style feels like I’m having a good chat with a friendly and encouraging colleague. It’s the playbook for how to work and lead like a human!” —Ian Sanders, author of 365 Ways to Have a Good Day
“I’m only on page 35 but I am in love. I can hear your voice and sense of humor in every sentence. Reading this book is like having a cup of coffee with you—and a donut of course. I can’t wait to buy 20 copies for everyone I love.” —Shannan Schuster, Bree’s totally biased friend
“Damnit, now everyone knows your leadership secrets that I’ve been using my whole career.” —Brad, Bree’s husband
“An entertaining and trenchant case for humane workplaces and enjoyable jobs.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Today Was Fun is a manifesto for anyone who leads with heart and is allergic to buzzwords. It's sharp, fun, and unmistakably human.” —Lauren Currie, founder of UPFRONT
“A must-read for anyone who has ever questioned why we make work so draining. Today Was Fun is both a rebellion and a revelation.” —Greg McKeown, New York Times–bestselling author of Essentialism and Effortless
★ 2025-04-22
Jobs can be fun when they include engaging work, close friendships, and a proper work-life balance, according to this warmhearted business self-helper.
Pushing back on our “shared belief that ‘work sucks,’” Groff, a consultant, argues that work should not be an ordeal of stultifying routine, stressful demands, tense relationships, and endless overwork that robs us of time for our families and souls. Instead, she contends, “most work, most days, should be fun,” with limited work hours, happy collaborations, and the mantra “What work would be the mostfun to do?” as the main organizing principle. The author gives managers tips on cultivating fun teamwork: Pay back extra hours worked with extra time off (she recommends union contracts as an antidote for unreasonable overtime); eschew senseless mandates (“[d]o not under any circumstance ask people to come into an office and then spend the entire time on calls”); hold Do Nothing Days with the team just hanging out and musing on fun ideas; and readjust managerial mindsets. (“As a leader, I’m always trying to maximize the quality of workand minimize the amount of work the team is doing.”) Groff has advice for workers as well, urging them to stop putting work over all other needs, to resist “exceeding expectations” on the job when it depletes them, and to seek jobs that offer a modicum of happiness and room for the joys of life. The author distills her thinking into pithy aphorisms—“shoveling shit is fun if you like your co-shovelers”—and tart, humorous sendups of the ethos of self-sacrificing devotion to corporate demands. (“How funny would it be if we expected employers to exceed expectations with their paychecks? Ugh…just the usual two weeks’ pay. I expected more! My company is just not going above and beyond like I hoped.”) Her philosophy of fun seems tailored to the creative knowledge professions, like consulting; one wonders how it might apply to work at, say, a steel mill or a trauma center. Still, anyone who’s ever had a bad job will find themselves nodding along to Groff’s wisdom.
An entertaining and trenchant case for humane workplaces and enjoyable jobs.
