Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America
A middle aged journalist, Barbara Ehrenreich notes the obvious gap in coverage on a whole segment of society, the poverty level wadge earners (or the working poor). She chooses to go undercover (a la old school) and see if without her degrees (and a Phd.) and without her ‘luck’ and experience in past jobs- with that off the record, where would she be? Would it even be possible for her to survive financially? She does nothing but strip herself from her entitled position as a middle class citizen and education just to see if she can survive on what millions of Americans aim to survive on. These citizens who give their sweat and tears to work full-time, seven days a week, for the whole year earning a poverty-level wadge in aim to survive. Barbara Ehrenreich decides that now is the time to find out so she strips herself of all her advantages and God knows what will happen.
Accepting jobs from working at Walmart, to housecleaning, and witnessing she is shocked to find that each of these jobs require her to put herself fully into it in order to keep up with the flow, and keep her job. The jobs all have things in common, they are high intensity, high stress, and demanding and yet they are minimum wadge or barely over that. She chooses 3 different cites where she is going to try and make it work- and she soon finds out that just one job is not enough, if she wants a roof above her head she’ll have to be working at least two demanding jobs at a time. She soon realises that she has discarded, along with her privilege so much of where her securities were resting. No longer covered for medical expenses, dental mishaps or even just knowing that she could fall back on her education or rely on wealthy family members for a difficult season- the stress of just getting by is so much more than numbers, it is the heavy weight that one can only understand if one has been in that spot.
I strongly believe that every single person should read Nickel and Dimed, especially the overly wealthy (or those who have that type of attitude) and the working poor, every middle class white, every underpaid minority- this book crosses all the barriers and brings up issues that through knowledge we could change. The working poor is responsible for so much of the upper and middle class’ benefits, but generally they aren’t seen for the work they do, but just as a job, a label- as if that where their dream in life when they were 4. Barbara puts a face on the working poor, a face that you won’t be able to forget even if you aim to. I highly recommend this Nickel and Dimed for perspective, awareness and so much more!
Nickel and Dimed is A New York Times bestseller, and Notable Book of the year but besides all those awards it is really- a must read.
Have you read this?? What are your thoughts? Is there another book, like this one, that has challenged your view on our societies set-up? Please share!
- ISBN:9780805088380
- Author: Barbara Ehrenreich
- Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
- Subject: Poverty, Economic Conditions, Labor & Industrial Relations – General
- Working poor – United States
- Poverty – United States
- Copyright: 2008
- Publication Date: June 2008
Themocracy
I’ve read this! Been awhile, but I remember being shocked.
I know, right!?
I also read this one awhile ago, but agree that it’s a must read for anyone. Love the range of books you’ve been covering lately!
Thanks!! I am trying to branch out and read more non-fiction and stuff. It has been really fun so far!!
I haven’t read this one, but I have heard of it before. Thanks for the reminding me!
i haven’t read this one but it sounds so good! i read a similar book last year about a college graduate who leaves home with $25 and a goal to be off the streets, own a car, have a job and save $2,000 or so by the end of one year. it’s a harrowing tale but he works his butt off to do it.
thanks for reviewing this book–i really want to check it out!
You know, I’ve owned this book since it first came out but never got around to reading it. I’ll have to track it down — it sounds like an important read.
I found this book very very interesting! I read it just before our last trip to the USA (some years ago) and I found it very intriguing to read the journey she went through! And shocking what she found out… I did know some of it but that it was so… heavy… The book really gave me the shivers and I gave it to my husband and said: you *really* should read this!