In Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work (Flatiron Books/Macmillan, 2025) author Jodi-Ann Burey uses pop culture, personal storytelling, and interviews to examine what authenticity really means in the workplace. Part memoir and criticism, Authentic argues that expectations to “come as you are” and “bring your full authentic self to work” are part of an ongoing cycle of trading on people’s identities when it’s convenient and profitable. A 2008 graduate of Boston College, Burey is a writer and critic who works at the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. She also is the creator and host of Lit Lounge: The People’s Art, a prose and poetry salon. More from Boston College Magazine.