Nickel and Dimed
By Corbin F., Cohasset, MA
As an experiment, Barbara Ehrenreich decides to discover the hardships of living with a low-wage job. Her courageous journalism has brought to view the day-to-day struggle that thousands of Americans endure. Ehrenreich’s book will be remembered for its eye-opening realism about life on minimum wage.
Ehrenreich goes undercover and works low-income jobs including as a waitress, maid, and sales clerk at a department store. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America is an extremely important book that deserves a large audience. The struggles she experiences to survive on low wages while keeping her stomach full are intense and bewildering.
Although these issues have been discussed in the media, never before has there been such a descriptive portrayal. The simple fact that she would go through these situations for the sake of journalism and those stuck in these conditions deserves praise. In the end, her courage pays off because she creates a compelling book that will inform many of this troublesome side of capitalism.
Ehrenreich is known for her controversial writing and Nickel and Dimed is no disappointment. This book questions the American economy and proves that it is not all fair. Even though she works as hard as the next person, she still only makes enough money to survive - barely. Her experiences create doubt about one of the world’s greatest economies.
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