Zeldin quotes Adam Smith, the founding father of modern economics, who predicted that the tedium of performing monotonous tasks would render workers: “stupid and narrow-minded. History certainly shows how many individuals have risen above their lot as unskilled workers; nonetheless a life of unceasing monotony can have disastrous effects. Many workers now lack a sense of fulfilment in their jobs, their real passions and talents not recognised and nurtured, by their remote employers. But these institutions have changed considerably since the nineteenth century when in most parts of the world meals were served at communal tables. As part of his research into the ‘Future of Work’, Zeldin examined the experience of hotel workers and guests.