The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker
by Steven Greenhouse
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 71)
Read in June, 2008
I read this book for a discussion group at work, and I have to admit I wasn't too psyched to read it. I was afraid it would be another diatribe against Wal-Mart, and while I agree that Wal-Mart's labor practices are deplorable, I didn't feel the need to read another critique of them. But I was pleasantly surprised that the author went far beyond Wal-Mart to show that there are serious labor issues across multiple sectors and multiple levels of jobs. I was also pleasantly surprised to find tha...more
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I think this book is a good overview of what's happening in our country, particulary to workers. It has the usual Wal-Mart is evil stuff (plus a bunch of other companies). He gave a lot of information and statistics about what workers are experiencing, from layoffs, low wages, workplace fraud, to expensive costs for higher education and health care. He also highlights some companies that are doing it right and pointed out that economically they're not worse off. Greenhouse also discussed the...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone
It's an amazing book. It really made me angrier than usual when you see how every American and immigrant worker (legal or undocumented) in America is treated. I start to wonder what would happen if say a company in a country in Europe (with universal healthcare) were to start seeing how valuable the American workforce could be and started to import some of it's workers. Which would hopefully lead to more people leaving.
I mean they should seriously think about it. Why should we be loyal to a ...more
I mean they should seriously think about it. Why should we be loyal to a ...more
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Very depressing. A good look at the way corporations treat workers... A lot of the "good" jobs have left the country and the ones that are left are very low paying. Lots of individual stories about how companies are squeezing our workers. Also explores how immigrants are working a lot of the jobs we stil have left over here, working at jobs that American workers don't seem to want to do. A good read!
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Read in June, 2008
Get out your jumbo markers and start working on your protest sign, because this book will fire you up to just the perfect combination of anger/vindication. It's like Fast Food Nation and Michael Moore's "Sicko" combined, but for all of us overworked zombie yes men/women, who are so tired by the end of the day that it's hard to even realize what's wrong with the system that makes us feel this way.
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Read in July, 2008
Disturbing stuff. Presents a well-researched indictment against big businesses who funnel more and more money to their shareholders at the expense of the common worker who is barely scraping by even while working more and more hours and doing more and more tasks. The corporate greed exposed here is appalling. Hello Wal-Mart, which is one reason I absolutely REFUSE to shop there.
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Greenhouse does a particularly good job of blending numbers and anecdotes in this story about how workers in America from housekeepers to upper management are getting squeezed in the perpetual quest for shareholder return. It gets a little thick in parts, but is well-worth the read in the next year or two. I found it a great follow-up to Thomas Friedman.
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There's a lot of information in The Big Squeeze, but it's not written in what I would call a popular style ... case studies are interesting, but the only "conclusions" are in copious footnotes.
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Tharmas by:
Pelham Democratic clubrecommends it for: jon
Good reporting on the connection between a harsher world of work and Wall Street & globalization. Terkel or Ehrenreich with a necktie. Don't read at bedtime, it will make you mad.
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Another downer on the American economy, but I still learn from these types of books.
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