📖 Lab Rats

SMARTEST TAKEAWAYS
Why Modern Work Feels So Broken—and What We Can Do

1️⃣ The Hustle Myth Is Exhausting (and Profitable—for Others): Tech culture glorifies “crushing it,” but often disguises burnout as passion. Lyons shows how companies use mission-driven language to ask for more—and give back less.

2️⃣ Toxic Culture Can Wear a Hoodie: Don’t be fooled by kombucha and bean bags. Toxic environments don’t always look like bad bosses—they often look like chaos, shifting priorities, and meaningless “innovation theater.”

3️⃣ Good Work Culture Is Possible (and Proven): Lyons spotlights companies that are doing it right—where transparency, fair pay, and actual work-life balance lead to better results and happier employees. Yes, it can be done.

INSIGHTFUL EXAMPLE
The Open Office Illusion

At one company, leadership touted their open office as a symbol of collaboration and innovation. But employees quickly found it impossible to concentrate, with constant noise, no privacy, and unspoken pressure to look “always busy.” Productivity didn’t rise—stress did.

Lyons uses examples like this to show how trendy workplace ideas often sound good but backfire in practice. The message? Real innovation isn’t about furniture—it’s about respecting how people actually work best.

BOOK FACTS
Lab Rats

• First Published: October 23, 2018

• Print length: 272 pages

• Listening length: 8:59

• Ratings: 4.3 Amazon, 3.9 Goodreads

WORTH WATCHING
Why Modern Work Makes People Miserable