Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America

My family was by no means rich, but growing up middle-class I was privileged enough not to learn that poverty is one of the most expensive lifestyles one can have. For most people, poverty is less an uphill battle than it is a never-ending labyrinth, as the Barbara Ehrenreich experiences first-hand, over and over again. Very grateful to this author for opening a door I never saw with a voice I'd never heard.

This excellent example of undercover reporting reveals the truth behind the working poor. Researched and written in the late '90s, it is even more relevant today. The author, a journalist, chooses three cities in which to try out the life of someone working at minimum wage. The book chronicles her struggles to find employment, housing and food and maintain the energy to keep going every day. She comments on the function of pre-employment pers...read more

The thing that drove me crazy about this book is that she got mouthy with her employers and lazy at work. She's hardly the best representative of the poorest people.