This book investigates how the integration of digital technologies and management systems has fundamentally altered the nature of work and the distribution of power within the modern economy. Simon Head, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, draws upon extensive research into corporate management practices and labor conditions to argue that digital tools are being used to intensify worker surveillance and standardize tasks. He posits that these systems prioritize efficiency and shareholder value at the expense of worker autonomy and professional judgment. The work provides a critical examination of the shift toward a more controlled and less flexible labor environment in the digital era.

Experts frequently cite this work as a significant contribution to the study of labor economics and the social implications of technological change. Readers often note the author's detailed, evidence-based approach to documenting the erosion of worker agency in contemporary corporate environments.