Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

In this book, the author, Barbara Ehrenreich, took time out of her busy upper-class life as a writer/journalist to see if she could make ends meet in the unskilled job market. It was no surprise to find out that she could not. Ehrenreich is trying to make an important point about the needs of the working poor in this country, but her approach may hurt her cause more than it helps. While reading this book, I was continually distracted by an ever-increasing dislike for its author. The author was incredibly self-aggrandizing. In her "evaluation" section, where I assumed she would be evaluating the ability of a low-income worker to survive, she spends the first several pages patting herself on the back for being such a hard worker. Although Ehrenreich is a well-received author with a PhD in biology, the author seems like a bored socialite who for whom the poor are a "hobby." Ehrenreich gives lips service to the traditional liberal ideals, but doesn't seem at all kind-hearted or giving. For example, she admits that while working at Wal-Mart she planted seeds of discontent with her co-workers not in a serious attempt to unionize, but was rather, "just amusing myself." Perhaps more importantly, the author doesn't seem to consider her audience with anything other than contempt. Who does she think is reading the book? To whom is she selling her message? Only others like her? Her insensitivity insults and alienates a large portion of the populace, and potentially clouds her message. To name a few examples, the author criticizes or ridicules Christians, midwesterners, fat people, short people, people who live in trailers, fraternity members, people who hire maids, teachers, the elderly, and my personal favorite, the mentally ill. I am amazed that the author (who has a PhD, you know) wasn't smart enough to upholster her arguments in better-smelling cloth. I myself am an ardent liberal, and agree with most of her conclusions. But my dislike for the author and her approach made me feel defensive even of Sam Walton!