Synopses & Reviews
Following its publication in hardcover, the critically acclaimed
Betrayal of Work became one of the most influential policy books about economic life in America; it was discussed in the pages of
Newsweek,
Business Week,
Fortune, the
Washington Post,
Newsday, and
USA Today, as well as in public policy journals and in broadcast interviews, including a one-on-one with Bill Moyers on PBSs
NOW. The
American Prospects James K. Galbraiths praise was typical: "Shulmans slim and graceful book is a model combination of compelling portraiture, common sense, and understated conviction."
Beth Shulmans powerfully argued book offers a full program to address the injustice faced by the 30 million Americans who work full time but do not make a living wage. As the influential Harvard Business School newsletter put it, Shulman "specifically outlines how structural changes in the economy may be achieved, thus expanding opportunities for all Americans." This edition includes a new afterword that intervenes in the post-election debate by arguing that low-wage work is an urgent moral issue of our time.
Review
"
The Betrayal of Work is the perfect accompaniment to
Nickel and Dimed. I wish Id written it myself!"
Barbara Ehrenreich
Synopsis
HOW THE UNITED STATES TURNS ITS BACK ON THE WORKING POOR An astonishing 35 million Americans work full time but do not make a living wage. They are nursing home staff, poultry processors, pharmacy assistants, ambulance drivers, child care workers, data entry keyers, janitors. Indeed, one in four American workers lives in or near poverty. Despite the great wealth of the United States, these low-wage employees have lower living standards than comparable workers in other industrial nations. Beth Shulman spent several years traveling across the country talking to those living on low wages. In writing The Betrayal of Work, she provides the fullest portrait of America's working poor, dispelling a number of myths along the way: that lower unemployment has meant better living conditions for the poor; that making bad jobs into good jobs requires insurmountably difficult reforms; that low-wage work is always low-skilled. Following in the footsteps of Barbara Ehrenreich's bestselling Nickel and Dimed, The Betrayal of Work is sure to be one of the most talked about public policy books of the year.
About the Author
Beth Shulman was a labor consultant and former vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in Washington, D.C. She passed away in 2010.