Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America is the tale of a middle-aged professional (with Ph.D.!) WASP woman’s attempt to survive as a low-wage just-off-welfare worker. This vibrant and humorous story begins in an “understated” French cafe with the author and the editor of Harpers magazine discussing future article themes. Somehow, the author’s idea: to send “some hungry neophyte journalist” on an experiment in impoverished living conditions, turned on her and became a personal challenge/New York Times Bestselling book deal. Now if only I had thought of it first.
Two years ago I wrote a story for The Siskiyou Newspaper, an “old-fashioned journalism” story (not unlike Nickel and Dimed). I wanted to find out what it was like to be a woman; so, I dressed up like a woman. I learned quite a few interesting things th
As a current member of the upper middle class I find the unskilled laboring workforce a much-needed commodity in our economy. How could American society survive without the custodians, McDonalds burger-flippers, and Wal-Mart workers? And welfare, what good does that do for the economy? Tax payers and voters, the part of American society that actually makes a difference cares about one thing only; the economy. It shows in the poles, it shows in the news, it shows in the numerous marketing campaigns targeted at the “spending, spending, spending” public. Dr. Ehrenreich, it’s an interesting story, nostalgic in that it brings back memories of the time I “slummed” it in the restaurant industry; but really now, what difference can I make? I work for a living.
Which brings me to the point that this book is not meant for the general [book buying] public (
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