Summer is a time for catching up on reading, and I've been on a non-fiction kick for most of the year. One way that I find good books is to go to the library and look through the section of summer reading books for high school students, which always has a thoughtful variety of books I've read and not read. One of the "not read" books that I had heard about before was Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. Ehrenreich is a journalist with a Ph.D. who chooses to see what it would be like to live at the poverty level. Instead of interviewing people from that station in life, she actually takes months off, moves to various cities, and becomes one of the lower class Americans. From Florida to Maine to Minnesota, she takes on jobs as a waitress, hotel maid, house maid, and a salesperson at Walmart. The book chronicles her experiences, exposing the insufficiencies of minimum wage, the ineffectiveness of management, and the near impossibility of having money for something other than rent or groceries.
Because she is a writer, this New York Times bestseller is an easy read, and because it's based on real life experiences, it is absolutely fascinating...and humbling. I highly recommend this book--even if you don't normally like non-fiction. Through experience, wit, and raw data, this book will change how you view the lower class and how you view yourself.
1 comment:
Interesting book, I must say. It is where I learned that waitresses really make 2.43 an hour. If I met Ehrenreich on the street, I do not know if I could handle it. She is honest but clearly "rough" in her manner of speaking.
I wonder about the prospective of for example hotel manager. Ehrenreich says that a want ad for such a job is not an indication of a vacant position but an insurance policy for turnover.
If a small business like that is paying minimum wageish jobs to workers who won't be there more than a month, it seems like they would have to raise the pay to a more "living wage." It seems like common sense to me. Do employers of small businesses sqeeze every dollar? What amount could these workers be paid and still allow the business itself to make a profit?
I do think consumers and employers treat these individuals with less dignity than they deserve. These are tough questions. I also recommend the book.
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