Nickel and Dimed

Nickel and Dimed:On (Not Getting By in America)

By Barbara Ehrenreich

Synopsis

The author takes it upon herself to work  ‘undercover’ and become a low wage, blue color worker to see if it is possible to get by and move up on the American socioeconomic ladder.

Review:

My first draft of this review was much like the book, long and whiney. Because that is exactly what I disliked about the book, I decided to redraft. So here it is. I didn’t like it and generously give it 1-star. If you are up for a short rant, continue on.

This book was boring and confusing. More than once I found myself back at the introduction to refresh my memory as to what she was attempting to prove. Was it that no one could get ahead in this country on low wages or was it that the working class is mistreated and downtrodden or that it sucks to have a job that requires a lot of work with little or no reward? Whichever it was, she had a very difficult time “spitting” it out. However, by its conclusion, I believed she accomplished what she set out to do…fail. Congratulations.

There were a few bits that really got me fired up, but not in sympathy for her case, I kept thinking up solutions or arguments to refute what she had put forth. Rather than spend the 15 hours or so it may take to read this book, get off your duff and go help someone! We can talk about change for the rest of our lives but until we DO something about it, our hope for change is wasted.