“Invisibles” by David Zweig

Invisibles is a book about the people whose work you never see, never hear about, never read about, until something goes wrong. It’s not about those whose work never gets any attention, like the working class, rather it’s about professionals who become more invisible the better that they do their job. This includes a simultaneous interpreter for the UN, a fact checker for a magazine, the piano tuner for an orchestra, and a wayfinder for an airport, among others.

Unsurprisingly, all of these professions have several personality traits in common. All invisibles share the same three traits: ambivalence to recognition, devotion to meticulousness, and a savoring of responsibility. They are team players who sense of achievement lies in a job well done and the recognition of others rather than themselves.

In this day and age, everyone is trying to promote themselves and gain attention from the anonymous masses on the internet. The invisibles are a breath of fresh air after all of that, they choose to be and remain hidden from the spotlight. And to be honest, they seem happier for all of that. Zweig goes through how society regards invisibles and what we can learn from them throughout the book, and his commentary is invaluable.

Maybe we’d all be happier if we were more like the invisibles. Maybe we’d share more success. Who knows, but I think that I’ll be trying to incorporate their ideals into my life now as well.