false 24450 0805081240 9780805081244 1230 216 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167529573m/24450.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24450.Bait_and_Switch_The_Futile_Pursuit_of_the_American_Dream 1257 Barbara Ehrenreich 38240 3021 4 0 false Sat Oct 20 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Feb 01 00:15:45 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 01 14:44:32 -0800 2008 Nickel and Dimed, she actually worked at the jobs she covers in the book and she also discusses her co-workers and her bosses. In Bait and Switch, Ehrenreich takes the same approach with white collar professionals looking for work. The prospects, as Ehrenreich finds through empirical research (the same kind employed in Nickel and Dimed), are grim for those who “did everything right.”

As Bait and Switch progresses, the author meets various people in her research. Ehrenreich skewers those who prey on the hapless jobseekers (career coaches/motivational speakers, resume editors, and ministries seeking to give hapless job seekers Jesus instead of better job leads). One of the more entertaining parts of the books is when she tries to turn the tables on a career guru. On the other hand, she is more sympathetic to the professionals having difficulty finding the jobs they’re qualified for, only to get caught up in self blame.

Bait and Switch is a definite must read for our economically troubled times. Barbara Ehrenreich continues to follow up on labor issues on her blog. Since some of her recent posts have covered topics such as law temp agencies and adjunct teaching, I can only hope for such a book from her in the future.3]]>