I recommend this fascinating book which reports wide-ranging research into the 'how', 'when', 'where' and 'who' of academic working lives in higher and further education. Amongst many insightful contributors, Ron Barnett deserves special mention for his chapter which addresses the 'why' of our workplace, suggesting that pessimists adhere to the perceived inevitable while optimists build change through the interstices of academic life. * Virginia King, Visiting Lecturer in Academic Practice, Coventry University, UK * The book unveils academic practices that are often hidden even for academics themselves. Established authors in the field brilliantly describe how tacit and informal aspects of academic working lives are actually the core essence of being an academic in the 21st century. After reading the book you start to observe your everyday working routines differently, making the invisible visible. * Jani Ursin, Senior Researcher, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland * The contributors to this collection are at different stages in their careers and demonstrate perspective based on experience and contribution based on aspirations. Importantly insights are made about our working lives as a practice, with research and commentary about the realities of doing the job in dark times. While there is much to be concerned about I finished the book with a sense of optimism about the ability of ourselves to interrogate our work and to challenge prevailing orthodoxies. * Helen Gunter, Professor of Education Policy Management, University of Manchester, UK *