Just how did the modern workplace become what it is today? In his new book Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace, Nikil Saval sets out to explore the evolution that has led to the easily-recognized offices that are now so prevalent. Beginning with the “counting-house” clerks of the mid-nineteenth century, Saval explores the birth and institutionalization of so many fixed staples of the modern office: the vertical filing cabinet, the fluorescent light bulb, and of course, the dreaded cubicle, which serves as the namesake of the book.

In addition to examining the tangible features of the office, Saval, who was influenced by C. Wright Mills’ 1951 sociology text “White Collar,” examines the implications that the development of the office had upon notions of the American middle class. He touches on both the upside and downside of the emergence of the information economy and thus the modern office, and also notes the revolutionary effect of women’s entry into the workforce.

Despite the notion that his topic might be one that rarely inspires excitement and happiness, Saval’s writing is never dull or dry. As Dwight Garner of The New York Times writes, “Mr. Saval is a vigorous writer, and a thoughtful one…He turns each new fact over in his mind, right in front of you, holding it to the light.”

Towards the end of the book, Saval looks to the future. Silicon Valley companies such as Google are beginning to turn towards office designs that slowly whittle away at both the long-standing cubicle and the previously well-defined line dividing work and leisure, implying a return to an era before the rigidity of today’s workplaces. This trend certainly has become more pronounced at recent NeoCon’s where informal lounge and various other alternative workscapes are beginning to predominate. Ultimately, Saval’s writing provides insight into the settings that a vast majority of the workforce still inhabits every workday. He analyzes the relationship between the structure of a space and its functionality and philosophizes about how the changing design of the office has historically both influenced and reflected changes in America’s socioeconomic dynamics. Cubed thus examines design as a feature of larger cultural trends, stretching far into past and future alike.