Anyone ever read Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed?"

[Maddy McCall]

On (NOT) Getting By in America?

It was a required reading for my class, and EVERY student really liked it, no matter what their political bent.

Have had numerous students approach me to tell me that they have already started passing around dorms and to family members. :-) :-) :-) :-)

That is fantastic to me...I never expected it to be so well received by students in a 100 level history course. I was hesitant to require it at first, since it IS a history course, and the book is more sociology- or anthropology-ish, but it got rave reviews from the students, so I am going to place it on my list of books I will require my students to read.

It is a great book, and here is a link to a review of it, for those of you who may not know about it.

http://www.henryholt.com/holt/nickelanddimed.htm

[Jack Rabbit]

1. Yes, I read it

I made reference to it here:
All in the Family by Jack Rabbit, Democratic Underground, January 8, 2002.

[JitterbugPerfume]

2. I not only read it,

I lived it in te 1980s . She got it right .

[liberalhistorian]

6. That's for sure!

I lived it for awhile too, in the 80's, and I hope to God never, EVER, to experience that again! Talk about feelings of utter, complete, total hopelessness, frustration and shame, even though you usually work much harder than those who are making you feel hopeless, frustrated, and ashamed. She sure did capture it perfectly, didn't she?

[flama]

3. Haven't read it yet -

but heard a few interviews and read reviews. It's definitely on my TBR list.

Anyone who would live and write this book deserves the buck or two she'll make when I buy a copy. Glad to hear it made a required reading list.

[EFF BrandyWine]

4. I read it when it was published...

stopped shopping in a few places after that. I read it in one sitting and then re-read parts of it. Glad to hear that it's being passed around. If more people knew how bad it is for the "underclass" in Bush's America maybe it would wake them up. It's a wonderful book.

[Kat45]

5. Not yet, but it's one I definitely want to read.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. I'm reading it now. And it hits a little to close to home for me.

Been there. Done that. Working for nearly 30 years and only have $5000.00 to show for it. No health insurance. No house. But I have pride in my capabilities and my independence among other things -- far more valuable in my opinion.

Working in jobs like that in the book puts you in a position to be at the mercy of psychotic and plain mean people who know you need that job and work you to death and try to take away your dignity as if this were a parlor game.

REQUIRED READING in MHO.

[cally]

8. My 15 year old read it

and made her think and understand how folks live day to day. Her journalism teacher required it. She gave it to me and it's next on my list. I listened to an interview with the author awhile back and I will read the book.

[mkregel]

9. I heard about this on NPR

Think I'll pick up a copy today

[maxanne]

10. yup

great book. I've never worked at WalMart, but I've done plenty of waitressing and some chambermaiding. I did what I had to to get the rent paid and feed the kid.

[madfloridian]

11. On Hannity tonight, a NC university student was protesting it.

I was just surfing, and said whoa when I saw this smart mouth teen. He is one of the NC students at some university who condemn everything not right wing.

He called this person a socialist, condemned the reading of the book, and was totally quite obnoxious.

Can't think of the name of the group.

[Rick Myers]

12. Incredible book!!!

Must-read for all progressives/liberals/voters/Americans/etc!!!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. I read it when it first came out

It's a great book and to think she had the gts to LIVE it while writing it. That book coupled with Joan Didion's "Political Fictions" explains far better why the status of political participation is as it is in this nation. People aren't disinterested so much as worn out or disgusted.

[LearnedHand]

14. I read an excerpt...

...The Atlantic published when the book was new -- mid-90s, maybe? She got lots of criticism in the letters to the editors over the next couple of months because she "always had that big double salary to fall back on" when she needed a break. Nevertheless, I've not see ANY book try to take on what it's REALLY like in this most wealthy of nations for a single mom to JUST GET BY.

[BurtWorm]

15. I read it last year and recommended it to a bunch of people

It's being challenged by wingers at the UNC for being required reading to every incoming freshman. Presents too many uncomfortable truths about the working poor for the Libertarians of tomorrow, I guess.

[NightTrain]

16. An excellent book!

I bought it in hardcover when it first came out, around two years ago. Read it in two sittings!

As a college drop-out who has spent his entire adult life working nothing but low-paying, no-esteem jobs, there was little in Ehrenreich's book that I found particularly eye-opening. Still, I was glad she wrote it as the book gave a voice to a growing segment of American society that even the Left all too frequently ignores!

[Aristus]

17. Excellent book. Great read.

My step-daughter read it and is starting to pull away from the right a little. Hooray!

[REP]

18. I Love Barbara Ehrenreich

Read Nicked and Dimed when it came out.

An essay of hers, Welcome to Cancerland, which first appeared in Harpers can be found at http://www.bcaction.org/Pages/LearnAboutUs/WelcomeToCancerland.html Though it's about breast cancer, a lot of it applies to anyone with any serious chronic illness. I too have been told to "get therapy" because of not being delighted tohave been diagnosed with a life-threatening chronic disease.