Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

I am not going to lie. If it wasn’t for Introduction to Sociology, I would have never picked up this book. However, I am glad I had the chance to read this interesting criticism. The book was a thoughtful experience. I found myself saying things like “wow”, “I KNEW IT!”, etc. I am not the best writer in the world, but I am going to give a small critical response on this book. Ehrenreich wanted to know how it felt to be a low-wage worker, and how to survive off minimum wage. She decided to start her low-wage journey by escaping everything/everybody from her middle-class life. Ehrenreich even had a “starter kit” (a car, money for a down payment/ first months rent).  I like to think of it as an honest consumer review. Firstly, the book was broken into 3 segments (each segment based on the authors location). It was her responsibility to find a job, food, shelter, etc without using her prior work experience or educational background. As a result, she was able to work at several locations: Walmart, Hotels, Maid-Service, etc. I am a low-wage worker myself, which is very interesting. So although she was physically able to determine what it takes, I don’t think her mentality was creditable. How are you rich enough to be poor when convenient? It is so easy for her to go back into a big comfy house (which she mentions in the book), but when you are poor you do not have that peace of mind. You could find out if a person could survive on minimum wage with a calculator and the internet. But a poor man’s life had to be lived in order to understands- not staged. However, even though I don’t feel the author has an accurate experience, it was still a joy to read.