Nickel and dimed

Clearly written view of what minimum-wage labor is like, and it's not pretty. Ehrenreich articulates the logistical challenges both of working minimum wage labor jobs and of trying to seek other, better employment. She explains the abasement these workers feel, and how difficult it is for folks in these circumstances to carve out a life.

The brush she painted with seemed a bit too broad--she seemed to characterize all folks in these circumstances as noble, hard-working, upstanding people who haven't gotten a break. Just as the middle and upper classes abound with lazy cretins, so must the working class. Not everyone works hard.

The other problem I had with this book is that she seems to claim that the purchasing public are part of the problem, that by shopping at stores or hiring maids, they help to hold down the working class. How, exactly, would the working class benefit if I stopped buying things or eating at restaurants?

These quibbles, however, don't detract from the core message that the laboring class doesn't make enough money to live, nor are they treated honorably. Read this book to shape a better view of the humanity that serves in menial jobs. If, after reading this book, you don't tip better and use more care not to scatter items when shopping, your heart is cold indeed.