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Nickel and Dimed cover art

Nickel and Dimed

Written by: Barbara Ehrenreich
Narrated by: Cristine McMurdo-Wallis
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Publisher's Summary

This engrossing piece of undercover reportage has been a fixture on the New York Times best seller list since its publication. With nearly a million copies in print, Nickel and Dimed is a modern classic that deftly portrays the plight of America's working-class poor.

A successful author, Barbara Ehrenreich decides to see if she can scratch out a comfortable living in a blue-collar America obsessed with welfare "reform". Her first job is waitressing, which pulls in a measly $2.43 an hour plus tips. She moves around the country, trying her hand as a maid, a nursing home assistant, and a Wal-Mart salesperson. What she discovers is a culture of desperation, where workers take multiple thankless jobs just to keep a roof overhead.

Often humorous and always illuminating, Nickel and Dimed is a remarkable expose of the ugly flip side of the American dream.
©2001 Barbara Ehrenreich (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC
Politics & Government Political Science Poverty & Homelessness Business & Careers Economics United States Working Class
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What the critics say

  • Book Sense Book of the Year Award Finalist, Adult Non-Fiction, 2002
  • Alex Award Winner, 2002

"One of today's most original writers." (The New York Times)
"A close observer and astute analyzer of American life, Ehrenreich turns her attention to what it is like trying to subsist while working in low-paying jobs....Her narrative is candid, often moving, and very revealing." (Library Journal)
"Delivering a fast read that's both sobering and sassy, she [Ehrenreich] gives readers pause about those caught in the economy's undertow, even in good times." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Nickel and Dimed

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Profile Image for kyla

A must read!!!

its a must read if you care about other people, shows the real limits in this world if you are born poor.

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