In Labor of Fire, Bruno Gullì offers a timely and much needed re-examination of the concept of labor. Distinguishing between "productive labor" (working for money or subsistence) and "living labor" (working for artistic creation), Gullì convincingly argues for a definition of work that recognizes the importance of artistic and social creativity to our definition of labor and the self.

Gullì lays the groundwork for his book by offering a critique of productive labor, and then maps out his productive/living labor distinction in detail, reviewing the work of Marx and others.

"My sense is that Gullì's work (along with that of a few other young scholars) will renew once again the Marxist tradition. This will not be a scientific Marxism or a humanist Marxism or a structuralist Marxism. It is rather a very philosophical approach to Marx that is nonetheless centered on the concept of labor and its power of social transformation."—Michael Hardt, Duke University

"Labor of Fire is an intelligent book that develops its argument around the Marxist critique of political economy with labor and its contradictory locations as the central concern. Gullì covers a range of issues, and he engages with specific arguments and texts well. Whether one agrees with the positions taken or not, it must be acknowledged that the discussions of philosophy/political economy relations will prove stimulating, innovative, and provocative."—Bryan D. Palmer, Canada Research Chair, Trent University