Amazon.com
The Working Poor examines the "forgotten America" where "millions live in the shadow of prosperity, in the twilight between poverty and well-being." These are citizens for whom the American Dream is out of reach despite their willingness to work hard. Struggling to simply survive, they live so close to the edge of poverty that a minor obstacle, such as a car breakdown or a temporary illness, can lead to a downward financial spiral that can prove impossible to reverse. David Shipler interviewed many such working people for this book and his profiles offer an intimate look at what it is like to be trapped in a cycle of dead-end jobs without benefits or opportunities for advancement. He shows how some negotiate a broken welfare system that is designed to help yet often does not, while others proudly refuse any sort of government assistance, even to their detriment. Still others have no idea that help is available at all.
"As a culture, the United States is not quite sure about the causes of poverty, and is therefore uncertain about the solutions," he writes. Though he details many ways in which current assistance programs could be more effective and rational, he does not believe that government alone, nor any other single variable, can solve the problem. Instead, a combination of things are required, beginning with the political will needed to create a relief system "that recognizes both the society's obligation through government and business, and the individual's obligation through labor and family." He does propose some specific steps in the right direction such as altering the current wage structure, creating more vocational programs (in both the public and private sectors), developing a fairer way to distribute school funding, and implementing basic national health care.
Prepare to have any preconceived notions about those living in poverty in America challenged by this affecting book. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
“Nobody who works hard should be poor in America,” writes Pulitzer Prize winner David Shipler. Clear-headed, rigorous, and compassionate, he journeys deeply into the lives of individual store clerks and factory workers, farm laborers and sweat-shop seamstresses, illegal immigrants in menial jobs and Americans saddled with immense student loans and paltry wages. They are known as the working poor.
They perform labor essential to America’s comfort. They are white and black, Latino and Asian--men and women in small towns and city slums trapped near the poverty line, where the margins are so tight that even minor setbacks can cause devastating chain reactions. Shipler shows how liberals and conservatives are both partly right–that practically every life story contains failure by both the society and the individual. Braced by hard fact and personal testimony, he unravels the forces that confine people in the quagmire of low wages. And unlike most works on poverty, this book also offers compelling portraits of employers struggling against razor-thin profits and competition from abroad. With pointed recommendations for change that challenge Republicans and Democrats alike,
The Working Poor stands to make a difference.
Customer Reviews:
must read.......2007-09-30
This was an excellent book. A real eye opener into a whole other world. I'm giving it to my college student daughter, to make sure that she graduates. The last book that inspired me in the same way was Barbara Ehrenreich's Nine to Five. This is journalism at its best, excellent writing, excellent research. I only hope that its message gets through.
well researched.......2007-08-06
I found Working Poor to be well-researched, and I prefer it's tone to Nickel and Dimed. Shipler was thorough and balanced in his view of the poor in America. In the various stories, Shipler takes us into the psyche of the "working poor", showing the different circumstances that allowed these individuals to remain, or get into poverty.
Phenomenal.......2007-05-14
If you've ever taken pause to consider what makes the world go round as it relates to commercial or economic pursuits, you owe it to yourself to read this book.
It's a great start, but...........2007-03-08
Let me start by saying what I liked and appreciated about this book before I go on to say what I didn't. First of all, it's great that most of the focus has been placed on individual families and circumstances. He's not just rattling off statistics; he's actually taking you to the living rooms and workplaces of real human beings and for the most part letting them tell their own story. It is also clear that Shipler does not have a political agenda; he acknowledges the failings of both the left and right to address this issue on pretty equal terms. The author is not blaming the individuals in question entirely for their situations, nor is he completely blaming society or "the system;" rather, he shows in an extrodinarily clear and sober manner the variety of circumstances which cause poverty and which continually leave those afflicted in its grasp.
The main problem that I have with this book is that I feel it left out a lot of people and a lot of problems that could have easily been addressed. For one, most of the people in the book are urban minorities, and that seems to be where most of the focus lies. There's not a lot of emphasis on the rural poor (with the notable exception of migrant farm workers) among whom circumstances are quite different and in many ways even harder than those of the urban poor. In addition, Shipler is constantly noting the lack of education among poor people but doesn't ever mention the fact that ever-rising and insane tuition costs prevent many perfectly capable *middle-class* people of getting to college in the first place, thus rendering them just as poor as the people who started out that way. (Financial aid actually favors the very poor, and the middle class are often left in the limbo of "too much income to qualify, not enough money to pay out of pocket" and the only way to go is through financially crippling student loans.)
I also wanted to say something about the Earned Income Credit, because it is something that Shipler thoroughly sings the praises of throughout the book. First of all, it's not that easy to get it. As a personal example, from 1999-2005, even though I made hardly any money and should have qualified, I did not because I was under 25 (a stipulation that Shipler neglects to mention.) This year, I am 25, but I still did not qualify because I had gotten married. (Which is another big issue Shipler neglects to mention: the marriage penalty.) If you are married you have to make an absurdly low amount of money to qualify, so if you both work full time like good Americans without taking any other government money (which you wouldn't qualify for anyway unless you have children), even if you both make minimun wage and are barely scraping by, you still wouldn't qualify. So it's really not the panacea that he makes it out to be.
There are a lot of other relevant issues that Shipler never brings up. For example, why does someone who makes $15,000 per year have to pay the same percentage of their income to Social Security as someone who makes $75,000 per year? What about all those people on Social Security, anyway? Why are people without health insurance forced to pay for someone else's Medicare? Why doesn't a high school diploma mean anything anymore? There are a billion questions that, as a poor person, I wanted answers to, which is the very reason I bought this book. But there is so much emphasis in here about one very specific type of poor person (urban minority female with way too many children) who also happens to be the most stereotypical kind of poor person, without giving everyone else who is struggling to survive a very equal voice. But like I said at the beginning, this book is a good starting point. If you are poor, or have ever been poor, you may not get as much out of it as a wealthier person. If you have a lot of money or are otherwise quite comfortable financially, please read this book. It may not give you the entire picture of poverty in America, but it will put a real human face on the problem.
YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!.......2007-01-28
This should be required reading for everyone in this country. This book does what "Nickle and Dimed" could only dream of doing. This is not some man just trying on poverty to see how it feels. Shipler gets down to the bare bones of poverty and details the web of causes and effects. Speaking as someone that's been to hell and back when it comes to poverty this book was spot on in detailing the vast array of circumstances that all rely on and influence each other. He does well to point out that poverty is a mix of bad circumstances and bad choices and that it's all a painful cycle. He also does a great job at illustrating the way the working poor live not only paycheck to paycheck, but crisis to crisis and disconnect notice to disconnect notice.
Not only does Shipler highlight all the gritty details of the life of the working poor he outlines very reasonable and more importantly POSSIBLE solutions to combat poverty. His solutions are more common sense and can be done if everyone gets on board to recognize the problem and agree to work on solving it.
We will never get rid of poverty, some people will always make the negative choices that keep them poor. But there is no excuse for such a wealthy country to build it's empire on the backs of the poor and then refuse to let them in the door.
Read this book, then pass it on. You will learn more than you ever thought you could about the people that you never thought to notice.
Book Description
Contemporary Labor Economics, 7e presents the "new" labor economics. In the past, study of labor was highly descriptive, emphasizing historical developments, facts, institutions, and legal considerations. Labor markets and unemployment was accorded some attention, but the analysis was typically minimal. This state of affairs has changed significantly in recent decades. Economists have achieved important breakthroughs in studying labor markets and problems. Labor economics is increasingly an applied field of micro and macro theory and has become a critical part of the core of analytical economics. As a result, the focus of the text is on the “new” labor economics. However, it also presents traditional topics such as labor law, structure of unions, and collective bargaining since these issues also play an important role in labor markets.
Book Description
Within 20 years -- possibly far sooner -- China will have the world's largest economy. That will powerfully impact you: your job, your company, your economic future, and your country. In The Chinese Century, Oded Shenkar shows how China is restoring its imperial glory by infusing modern technology and market economics into a non-democratic system controlled by the Communist party and bureaucracy.
Shenkar shows why China's accelerating growth differs radically from predecessors such as Japan, India, and Mexico -- and how it will lead to a radical restructuring of the global business system. Discover why the U.S. is most vulnerable to China's ascent... how China's disregard for intellectual property creates sustainable competitive advantage... and how China's growth impacts every global business and consumer.
Above all, Shenkar shows what you must do to survive and prosper in "the Chinese Century."
· Cheap labor + millions of high-skilled professionals
· How China will sustain dominance in low-tech industries as it enters high-tech realms
· Building tomorrow's Toyotas and Sonys... faster and cheaper
· Chinese multinationals: learning from joint ventures, preparing to lead
· Leveraging Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and the "Chinese diaspora"
· Bringing together the world's most powerful pool of human resources
· $2 Rolexes, and beyond
· Piracy, counterfeiting, bootlegging, and stolen intellectual property
· From economics to geopolitics: counterbalancing America
· Previewing China's increasingly assertive foreign policy
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing overall.......2007-07-05
It is rarely that I have written less than a glowing review of any book dealing with the topics of globalization, outsourcing and the ilk. As someone who is intrigued by these issues, I have found all of my reads thus far to be riveting and educative. I wish I could I say the same about Oded Shenkar's book "The Chinese Century." I am afraid that was not the case.
The book suffers from some clear flaws. First and foremost is the fact that it focuses solely on one facet of the Chinese growth story, viz. exports and imports, and that too from a largely US-centric world view. For someone who is interested in understanding the different facets of the Chinese story and its geopolitical ramifications (as can be seen today in China's relations with Sudan, Iran, and Venezuela among others), this book clearly falls short.
Second, the tone adopted by the author is one of unbridled optimism regarding China's growth prospects. I, for one, do not necessarily share the same world view. No nation has been able to eat its cake and have it too. If you want to be a modern nation enjoying all the economic benefits that come out of a free market system, you also need to be a democracy that is built on the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary, a free media and a vibrant middle class that is not afraid to speak up its mind. I am not sure China will be able to escape that painful transition at some point of time. The question is not "If", it is a question of "When". I would have therefore liked to see the author explain how China can make the transition from a communist nation ruled by a narrow clique to a modern nation without a democratic change thrown somewhere in between. I am afraid that he did not.
Finally to round off, I would also like to point out that the book suffers from typographical errors that are clearly unacceptable in a book published from Wharton School Publishing. Two examples, both from the same page (pg. 85 of the paper back edition) for the skeptics who need proof. "Finally, there is the potential liability and litigation cost when a safety-related product such as a break pad fails, and the legitimate manufacturer is implicated." Or, "The direct losses of U.S. IPR owners in copyrighted industries (such as movies) alone in China have been estimated at more than $1.8 annually." The proof reader probably needs to be told that it is not "break pads" but "brake pads" and that the losses to IPR owners are closer to $1.8 billion than $1.8!
Overall I am happy that the book finished at 187 pages. It's a disappointment though that not much of substance was said in those 187 pages.
Important Information!.......2006-12-31
"The Chinese Century" reminds us that our trade deficit with China is rapidly growing (up 20%/year from '01-'03), and also tells us that its composition is changing - the four highest categories in '03 were all technologically related (misc. manufactured articles, office machines and ADP equipment, telecommunications and sound-recording equipment, and electrical machinery). (Apparel/clothing and footwear were in 5th and 6th place, down from 2nd and 3rd in '99.)
Shenkar also imforms us that the Chinese are working to continue "moving up the food chain" via increasing the rate that overseas Chinese students return to China, increasing R&D spending within its organizations, and forcing overseas partners to provide valuable trade secrets. The percentage of American white-collar associated jobs lost in manufacturing has gone from 30% ('79-'89) to 35% ('90-'99), and is likely to increase further, shaking belief in the theorized overall benefit of job migration to more complex work, and the belief that education is good insurance against unemployment. (The unemployment rate for electrical engineers now is greater than the unemployment rate in general.)
China is often pilloried for violating intellectual property rights; Americans, however, should remember that the U.S. was also a major violator in the 19th century, and remained so until it emerged as a major producer of copyrighted/patented knowledge. Presumably China will follow a similar path. China is also attacked for not adjusting its exchange rate vs. the dollar - however, since its productivity-adjusted costs are about 12% that in the U.S., currency adjustment would not begin to solve the U.S.-China trade deficit. In addition, Americans need to remember that China needs to create 15 million new jobs/year to handle population growth, plus additional jobs to cover those lost due to closing ineffective government enterprises and rural residents wanting to move to its cities.
The book's avowed purpose is not on how to stop the tide of Chinese imports, but how to remain competitive. Unfortunately, its recommendations (more education) fall far short of what would be required, and are contradicted by its own material.
Yes, China is rising, BUT what must we do to survive and prosper in "the Chinese Century"?.......2006-11-05
It is obvious that China is rising and is impacting the rest of the world in an increasingly big way.
The value of The Chinese Century by Professor Oded Shenkar lies in its concise and vivid summary of China's rise and impact. As such, the author has achieved one of his goals he set out to achieve by writing this book.
However, the author clearly has not delivered what he promises to deliver in the Synopsis: "Above all, Shenkar shows what you must do to survive and prosper in "the Chinese Century"."
Indeed, as a business person, you might get even more dazzled after reading this book simply because this book gives you an academic snapshot of the China business scene (although with some vivid examples) rather than insights into and wisdom about what to do in order to succeed.
To know the latter, you have to read Dr Wei Wang's The China Executive: Marrying Western and Chinese Strengths to Generate Profitability from Your Investment in China.
Highly practical, The China Executive brings to light the highest essence of any business in the age of globalisation. It is also characterised by integration: integration of theory and practice, integration of analysis and intuition - integration, in other words, of all major concepts and ideas related to business. These include history, soceity, politics, economics and culture; management and leadership; operation, personnel, finance and marketing; organisation, market, industry and strategy; and human being, philosophy and humour.
In short, if you, as a business person, want to know what to do (as well as how to think) in "the Chinese Century", buy and read The China Executive.
Current and Comprehensive.......2006-10-15
Author Oded Shenkar provides up-to-date information, specific
details, and perspectives about the current and future ascension of
China. It is and will affect us locally and globally. This book
focuses on generalities and will be helpful to those who plan on
doing business in China or want to learn more about the "macro"
affects of the PRC's growing influence. Perhaps too obvious to state
(again) is China's coming economic, political, and military role in
our world. By now, this concept is cliche. Yet the question is
relevant, and now, moreso than ever before. The "Chinese Century"
largely focuses on the next 100 years. Surpassing the U.S.
economically, is predicted to happen within the next twenty years.
Many American companies have been complacent and industry leaders
were caught of guard by China's massive growth. Lackadaisical?
fixed, mind-sets? Competitors in neighboring countries (e.g. Korea)
started losing out to China in the 1990s.
Some of the common questions and discussions that Shenkar addresses
are: "How will China's economic ascension will affect its region and
the entire world?" "How will it impact and transform the U.S.
economy?" "How will it change you?" The author notes the transition
of the American economy to a service-sector economy.
Domestically, the more challenging aspects for the CPC and Chinese
society are how to lessen and/or resolve the Income Gap between
Eastern cities and rural areas (and within these cities themselves).
Those in the eastern China are living in a radically different world
than those inland. Both of these groups are aware of the differences
between them as status symbols, faster-paced life, and incessant
conspicuous consumption propel attitudes, the economy, and egos.
There is quantifiable alienation between the "have-nots," who
outnumber the "haves" by hundreds of millions. Confrontations over
water and land-use, and eminent domain, are frequently reported.
Stealing Intellectual Property:
The Chinese can produce - but they cannot create. "Creativity" and
"ingenuity" are the new buzzwords of the government. Creativity may
or may not happen. If it is ever achieved to some degree, it will
take time (generations) and will require changes to the cultural
mindset and education system.
Implementing Foreign Policy Interests:
The U.S. acts upon its own self-centered interests like many dominant
nation-states. America's economic might promotes its diplomatic and
trade interests in the international world. Often these strengths
reinforce and complement one another when pressuring countries to "go
along" with the current administration in Washington, regardless of
who is in power.
The Chinese may do this too, if they choose to "go international."
I believe Chinese foreign policy will become more direct and
unilateral.
Economic might brings diplomatic, political, and potential military
might (if China continues its high military spending). Westerners
should realize that there's no motivation nor reason for the Chinese
people to want the values and beliefs of liberal democracies of the
West. To think they would, is culturally-centric arrogance.
Corruption:
Corruption exists in many countries of the world. In China it's an
epidemic from the bottom ranks to the highest levels of society. It
has to be dealt with. Even reducing it may take more than one or two
generations. Morality is also an issue. Hu Jintao recently outlined
the "8 honors and 8 shames" in 2004. Meant for the Chinese people,
but specifically geared towards party members. It's a general and
idealistic message. Will it be followed? This reinforces the fact
that rampant corruption, greed, and selfishness is a primary obstacle
to economic and political stability. Throughout East Asia
competition outweighs cooperation in business and social
interactions.
What will China be like when it has the economic power to promote its
interests?
The Chinese understand and realize they are "producers." They are
not "creators." They're not "individuals." However - if - they ever
become creative, adaptable, and individualistic, beware.
Incidentally, anyone who thinks that a market-based economy promotes
or is conducive to forms of "democratic representation" is completely
misinformed. The pairing of these two is the exception, not the
rule.
The U.S. derides Cuba for it authoritarianism and refuses to do
business with Cuba, while at the same time it's in bed with China,
which is far more brutal, oppressive, and venal.
A good book. Recommended.
Insightful and well-written .......2006-05-31
China is a quickly rising economy on the world stage and many liken it to another Japan on the horizon. However, there are as many differences as there are similarities between the rise of the Chinese economy and the rise of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong. These differences are critical if you are going to understand the impact this will have on the American and world economy. What is the legacy of China's history and how is that impacting their current economy? How is China dealing with (or not dealing with) the problem of piracy and bootlegging of legitimate products on the world market and how will that affect their position on the world market stage? The author deftly covers opportunities and challenges in the China market and in United States Chinese market. The Chinese Century is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to understand the Chinese market and the implications of that market for the United States.
Book Description
Drowning in student loans? Can’t afford to get married, buy a home, have children? Up to your ears in credit card debt? At last, a book for the under-35 generation that explains why it’s not their fault, and what can be done about it.
Strapped offers a groundbreaking look at the new obstacle course facing young adults. Getting ahead, argues commentator and policy maven Tamara Draut, is getting harder. A college degree is the new high school diploma–and costs a fortune to obtain. Good jobs are scarcer thanks to stagnant wages and disappearing benefits. And, the cost of everything–starter homes, health coverage, child care–keeps going up. Witty and wise, Strapped brims with ideas for fashioning a new kind of America in which every young person can go to college, buy a home, and start a family. The future starts here.
Customer Reviews:
Review.......2007-10-22
Very well written. It gives an eye-opening account of why people are so strapped by debt.
Good Story, Bad Conclusions.......2007-09-29
The first 2/3 of this book is basically well researched and many of the author's assertions are quite convincing, particularly about the evils of the credit card and college loan industries. The last 1/3 of the book is abysmal. The section "Creating More Good Jobs" is horribly inadequate, and the main point is just that more people should unionize. When did that ever CREATE jobs? The section "Spread the Wealth Incentives" suggests eliminating tax deductions for mortgage interest, property taxes, IRAs, 401(k) plans ... and instead making taxpayers give young people tax refunds (even if they do not pay taxes) and matching their home down payments. Another recommendation is that taxpayers should give $2 for every $1 that a young person saves. The section "Building a Family Trust" demands universal child care and 6 months of paid parental leave paid for by - you guessed it - taxpayers. The author particularly falls short in her "solutions" for college. What exactly (page 219) is the "American ideal of college for everyone"? You can imagine her solution ... taxpayers should fork over their hard-earned money to any young person who wants to go to college. If the author is so interested in having the Government solve all the problems experienced by young people, then perhaps the Government should establish a quota system for college degrees. Too many young people suffer from college debt because colleges tricked them into paying for worthless degrees - political science, anthropology, psychology, lesbian studies, journalism, sociology - when the Government should have been protecting these hapless young people by disallowing them from college. People thereby allowed to attend college would be able to pay back their loans, since they would be able to get jobs with their "real" degrees, and the author's lust for Big Government intrusion would be satisfied.
Good book, but doesn't focus enough on specific point.......2007-08-24
I just finished reading this book after a few hours (I am a voracious reader), and wasn't surprised at all by its revelations, rather, I am disturbed by the prospects of the future. I had already heard that many people I'd known from workplaces in the past and present (age ranges from about twenty to thirties, or even mid-thirties), were heading to other states, Texas and the South especially, because of the extremely high cost of living in my city. Most could not afford housing here. Most could not "make it," unless somehow supported by parents who were either already rich or just very unusually generous; some moved back in with their parents or cohabitated with groups of others around their age range in small apartments and dingy little houses. Most of us in this age range went into serious debt; this happened to me during my last year at a private university; I certainly didn't receive enough money from student loans either, so I had to survive on credit cards. This is all very familiar to me from Draut's book (which looks like she autographed it herself). Thank God I don't have kids or else I'd probably have to kill myself! I mean, the state we're in right now is just deplorable. Even after we get our entry-level jobs, we're stuck with incredibly high car loans and rental fees, not to mention paying back student loans (mine is more than $30,000 right now). In sum, I truly understand what Draut is writing about here, but I have more to add to what she's telling us. Unlike others, I have been somewhat politically aware and trying to be involved, but then I noticed that no one else really seemed to care! This can be a bit unnerving, but I guess I understand the reason for complacency -- why fight what you can't win against? In the end, I think the entire problem lies in greed. The baby boomers have been typically typecast as being greedy, wanting more more more, at our expense too, at their own childrens' expense. Just take a look at all of the products and surgical procedures for anti-aging -- they'd do anything to stave off death and look young forever by purchasing Creme de la Mer at $300.00 an ounce or getting some plastic surgery instead of helping out their own kids. They want us to grow up (and we're trying) but they refuse to do so. And take a look at who voted for Bush! Was it people from our age range? They also want more when they retire. I'm interested to see how things will turn out, despite the fact that I'm a bit terrified to see how things are going to be for those who can't even afford to buy new houses and save money for their own children, retirement or savings -- still, the b.b. generation *will* expect those who can't afford these things to support them in their retirement years. As one example, Draut writes about communities of "grays" who don't want younger families around, so prices soar and younger people move away! Is that humanity? God, that's awful. I treat animals better than these people treat eachother! I know my review will garner hatred from those in the b.b. group, but let it be known that the truth speaks louder than words; while doing a search for "baby boomers greedy," I came upon many articles of the same nature. As one noted: "Boomers have destroyed much of America . . . They will go down in History as the worst generation ever." Another said, "Sorry but as a Generation X, I don't need to see the media portray the boomers, I have seen it first hand and it is not pretty. My parents are boomers and turned out great luckily, but most have not."
Not A Self-Help Book.......2007-02-06
Tamara Draut's main assertion (I think it's actually more of an observation, really) seems fairly inarguable: things have gotten tougher, economically, over the last few decades. And not just for youthful big-spenders with an unhealthy sense of entitlement, an incorrigible narcissism resulting from being spared the rod as children and a subsequent inability to adapt vigorously enough to market forces. I'm not sure if any of the negative comments take issue with Draut's description of the fundamental economic differences between 2006 and, say, 1976.
The negative reactions seem to circle around the question of whether or not "Strapped" is a self-help book. It's not. It's clearly not a book about how to get ahead, win friends and influence people. There are no doubt plenty of more rewarding tomes on how to increase one's net worth and raise children with impecabble moral values. Which is why harping on Draut for not offering more strategies for success seems curiously beside the point. Personally, I prefer Horatio Alger, Emerson's "Self-Reliance" and a few old, eminently-cherishable Hopalong Cassidy paperbacks.
Will there be financially successful individuals in every generation? Indubitably. Does this tell us anything about general economic forces, patterns and trends? Afraid not. That is, unless you believe that some collective attitudinal sea-change is responsible for the income polarization that we've seen over the last 25 years and the skyrocketing cost of unthinkable luxuries like tuition and health care.
Individuals will adapt to these changes of course. How could they not? Draut chronicles some of these downwardly-mobile, not terribly sympathetic, predominantly middle-class individuals who have moved back in with mom, cut up their credit cards etc. The cross-section doesn't seem particularly broad, in either racial or class terms. Whiny? Perhaps. Take it or leave it. There aren't first-person interviews in picturesque, thriving Appalachia or deep in the bowels of the Lower Ninth Ward.
And the title? Whine-r-riffic!
Let's take a walk on the supply-side. Conservatives and libertarians would have you believe that property taxes are somehow the root of worsening income inequality and America's global economic decline, that it's imperative that we starve the left hand of the government (social "entitlements" like Medicare and Social Security) to feed its right (military, corporate welfarist) hand. That the seemingly unstoppable rightward drift of American politics and economic policies over the last few decades hasn't contributed to a growing sense among Americans that something is dreadfully, systematically wrong.
As for solutions, Draut is indeed a liberal animal, proffering what would have seemed like commonsense solutions to restore the equality of opportunity (socialist? hardly) available to some during the long post-WWII boom. Whether or not set the clock back or forward (toward more ambitious goals perhaps) is obviously beyond the scope of Draut's book, but I think these are questions worth pursuing regardless of the fact that a little elbow grease, entrepreneurial spirit and delayed gratification might potentially improve individual financial outcomes.
Mixed feeling but good read!.......2007-01-27
I have 3 Gen X kids and relate to this book, it's right on the big current issues. But I hope readers will try to figure out how to save themselves, I see don't any message but the politicians letting us down. The problem Tamara covers however may not be a political issue as much the dawn of a new competitive generation of global competition raising standard of other countries as our economy and government deals with the problems of international trade and our own internal problems. Which is wonderful for business but hard on average workers. How can our society do more for the people when the real problem may be a bigger age changing event?
Tamara needs to follow up this book with a "How young people can make the system work for them in spite of problems" and not count on the government for entitlement because that is not going to happen in our lifetimes. It's not a good time for young people, not a good time for Democrats, and not a good time for Republicans. We need new thinking in our government and were not getting it because all we have is the old guard career politicians in-fighting and bashing of each other to get votes. Politicians are more intent on getting re-elected and satisfying big campaign contributors rather than watching the store and helping our young people get a leg up.
But I think this book has relevance! I recommend this as a good read. Tamara is a talented writer and has done her homework. Just think for yourself how not to become a victim of things that you can not control.
Amazon.com
As much as 10% of the American economy, and perhaps more, is comprised of illegal "underground" enterprises, according to author and Atlantic Monthly correspondent Eric Schlosser. And while this segment is never discussed in the newspaper business pages, Schlosser tackles it with the same in-depth analysis and compulsive readability that made his Fast Food Nation a best seller. Reefer Madness spotlights marijuana, migrant labor, and pornography, three of the most thriving black market industries, and analyzes the often-tenuous place each holds in society as a whole. While each of the three could be the subject of its own book, Schlosser keeps his scope narrow by concentrating on the lives of the participants in the underground economy, especially Mark Young, an Indiana man given a life sentence for participating in a marijuana sale, and Ohio porn magnate Reuben Sturman. At just 21 pages, the treatment of migrant laborers in the California strawberry fields is dealt with more briefly but is just as compelling thanks to the first-person narrative of Schlosser's investigation. In telling these stories, which are both personal and universal, Schlosser deftly explores the manner in which his subjects are treated (and punished) compared to others in more above-ground ventures. Along the way, he asks hard questions as to what that treatment says about America. Schlosser writing is passionately opinionated, but this is no mere opinion piece: his perspective is amply supported by extensive research and clearly reasoned interpretation of data. His direct and forceful writing style makes the impact greater still. After reading Reefer Madness, readers are likely to be shocked, appalled, and flat-out bewildered by what's happening in the cracks and crevices of American business. --John Moe
Book Description
In Reefer Madness, the best-selling author of Fast Food Nation investigates America's black market and its far-reaching influence on our society through three of its mainstays -- pot, porn, and illegal immigrants. The underground economy is vast; it comprises perhaps 10 percent -- perhaps more -- of America's overall economy, and it's on the rise. Eric Schlosser charts this growth, and finds its roots in the nexus of ingenuity, greed, idealism, and hypocrisy that is American culture. He reveals the fascinating workings of the shadow economy by focusing on marijuana, one of the nation's largest cash crops; pornography, whose greatest beneficiaries include Fortune 100 companies; and illegal migrant workers, whose lot often resembles that of medieval serfs. All three industries show how the black market has burgeoned over the past three decades, as America's reckless faith in the free market has combined with a deep-seated puritanism to create situations both preposterous and tragic. Through pot, porn, and migrants, Schlosser traces compelling parallels between underground and overground: how tycoons and gangsters rise and fall, how new technology shapes a market, how government intervention can reinvigorate black markets as well as mainstream ones, how big business learns -- and profits -- from the underground. With intrepid reportage, rich history, and incisive argument, Schlosser illuminates the shadow economy and the culture that casts that shadow.
Customer Reviews:
Reefer Madness - A Must Read.......2007-04-23
Reefer Madness is divided into three chapters. The first is about marijuana, the second is about cheap labor with illegal immigrants and the third is on [....]. The author writes this book based on the United States "black market". He gives somewhat of a biography on these 3 topics, which I feel is helpful for those, like myself, who are not aware of their history.
The first chapter is focused on marijuana. Schlosser provides interviews with many people who have had encounters with marijuana. Living in California, I have found it amazing to hear the penalties for marijuana use in other states. In chapter one for example, a man was arrested for possesion of 1.6 grams of marijuana, enough for a large joint. Living in Michigan, he received 14 months in jail. The second section is focused on cheap labor, or illegal immigrants in Guadalupe, California. Schlosser focuses on harvesting strawberries:the difficulty of it and hard labor that is being underpaid. The third and final section was the longest of the three. It focused on an underground [...] king Reuben Sturman.
I very muched enjoyed reading this book. If you liked Fast Food Nation, than Reefer Madness is a must read.
Don't Judge the Book By The Title!.......2007-04-16
"Reefer Madness", by Eric Schlosser is written in three main sections. There is a section on the underground marijuana trade, the migrant labor trade and the porn industry.
Unlike many reviewers, I think the author made a wonderful point. All three activities are illegal, yet they thrive and produce copious amounts of profits for the people involved. Often that profit is taken at the expense of the workers, and they do not share in this bounty. His theme is that if these activities were legalized, or regulated, they would produce income for the country at little harm to society.
I do think the author made a mistake in incorporating the three subjects together in the same book. While well written, the thread that holds the three together in tenuous, at best, and he would have made a better choice by examining each of the subjects, in more detail, in separate books. That is the reason I gave the book only three stars.
The writing is clear, and the research is unmistakably that of Eric Schlosser. I would recommend the book if you want to learn more abut each of these underground activates or if you are a fan of the author. It is also a good boo to be used to stir up discussion on any of the three subjects, or all three at once.
What an eye opener.......2007-01-10
This book makes some really great points about the underground economy and how much it affects this country.
Fascinating.......2006-11-30
Don't be fooled by the title. This is not some hippie counter culture drug book. It is a beautifully written scholarly examination of the underbelly of the American Society.
The main theme of the book is centered around the underground economy. The author argues, by examining the underground economy of any society, one can see a more accurate and telling picture of the society as a whole. Just as individuals have public and private personas that are often in conflict, so can a society. The book focuses on the American culture and legal system.
It is broken up into three essays: first an examination of the history of marijuana use and the war on drugs; second, an examination of the treatment of migrant workers; finally, an examination of pornography and obscenity laws.
The threads tying these seemingly disparate subjects are sometimes blatant, sometimes subtle, but always telling. By examining how the American society deals with these issues, one can draw clear corollaries to better understand how we deal with other controversial issues facing our nation including abortion, abuse of government powers, privacy, the war, etc.. It is the examination of the rationality (or lack there of) of our policies regarding these three topics, and the ethics with which those policies are implemented, that we are left with a scathing commentary on the seemingly schizophrenic nature of the American culture and value system.
Putting a magnifying glass up to American society........2006-06-11
What are three of the perpetual hot button issues of 21st century American politics? Commercialized sex, illegal drugs and cheap labor would probably common choices of many citizens. Eric Schlosser examines the magnitude, origins, visibility, commonality and manifestations of these three mainstays of the American scene.
The book is divided into three chapters, each dedicated to one of these hot-button topics. The chapter on commercialized sex examines the history of prostitution, pornography, and the recent spread of nudie bars and topless bars in the USA over the last 100 years plus. Schlosser examines the origins of peep shows, the first girlie magazines pre-Cold War, goes over the founding of Playboy and Penthouse, and the current spread of pornography over the Internet. The chapter on drugs examines the history of marijuana primarily, with some side notes on the meth plague, cocaine, and other drugs to have swept thru the American street scene. The chapter on cheap labor examines migrant and illegal labor including child labor and sweathouse labor. Both industrial and agricultural labor are included. This chapter is a natural extension of Schlosser's first book: Fast Food Nation, in that it covers the practices of slaughterhouses and farms, and extends into factories not related to food.
Overall, a good book and worthy reading. Anyone in high school or above should find this book accessible, and enjoyable.
Amazon.com
Tax credits, childcare benefits, school vouchers, flextime for parents, parental leaves--all have spawned what journalist Elinor Burkett calls a "culture of parental privilege." The Baby Boon charts the backlash against this movement and asks for a reevaluation of social policy. Burkett's cause isn't served by her sarcasm, which leads so easily to exaggeration and strained humor. She proposes, for example, that there exists an unwritten but widely understood "Ten Commandments of workplace etiquette in family-friendly America," which includes items such as "Thou shalt volunteer to work late so that mothers can leave at 2:00 p.m. to watch their sons play soccer" and "Thou shalt never ask for a long leave to write a book, travel, or fulfill thy heart's desire because no desire other than children could possibly be worth thy company's inconvenience." Burkett is more convincing when citing real-life examples, such as a legal secretary who applied for flextime and was told that benefit was available only to parents, or the case of Sarah, a childless travel agent in Seattle who invented a fake daughter, put her picture on her desk at work, and proceeded to take long lunches ("trips to the pediatrician") and leave work early for "family emergencies." Ironically, as Burkett describes, it was the search for equity that inspired the various pro-parent benefits of the "family-friendly workplace." A new attention to childless workers does seem to be in order--permitting them to substitute some benefits for others, for instance, or to receive bonuses instead, and to work in environments that support their choices not to have children. --Regina Marler
Book Description
Who stays late at the office when Mom leaves for a soccer match? Whose dollars pay for the tax credits, childcare benefits, and school vouchers that only parents can utilize? Who is forced to take those undesirable weekend business trips that Dad refuses? The answer: Adults without children -- most of them women -- have shouldered more than their share of the cost of family-friendly America. Until now.
"Equal Pay for Equal Work" is one of the foundations of modern American work life. But workers without children do not reap the same rewards as do their colleagues who are parents. Instead, as veteran journalist Elinor Burkett reveals, the past decade has seen the most massive redistribution of wealth since the War on Poverty -- this time not from rich to poor but from nonparents, no matter how modest their means, to parents, no matter how affluent. Parents today want their child and their Lexus, too -- which accounts for the new culture of parental privilege that Burkett aptly calls "the baby boon."
Burkett reports from the front lines of the workplace: from the hallowed newsroom of The New York Times to the floor of a textile factory in North Carolina to a hospital in Boston. She exposes a simmering backlash against perks for parents, from workers who are losing their tempers and fighting for their rights. She spells out how tax breaks for families with six-figure incomes are not available to childless people earning half as much. And she tells the dramatic story of how pro-family conservatives and feminists became strange bedfellows on the issue of pro-family rights, leading to an increase in workplace and government entitlements for parents -- at the same time as the childless poor lost their public benefits.
Americans are on a demographic collision course between the growing numbers of mothers in the workforce and the swelling ranks of a new interest group: childless adults. Armed with hard data and grassroots reporting, Elinor Burkett points the way to a more equitable future. With an inside look at what some companies are already doing to redress the grievances of childless workers and a hard assessment of what the truly needy -- children and adults -- require in order to survive, Burkett fires the first shot in the battle to come.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant, But With An Achilles' Heel.......2007-09-26
Elinor Burkett is my favorite "issues" writer. She maps the connections between policy, ideology and activism like nobody else. She can be likable and funny and even respectful while debunking the pretensions and prejudices that stand in the way of social justice. And it almost goes without saying that she is pretty fearless: she's a grand, politically incorrect narrative-buster in an age when more and more of the media seems to be resorting to tired pieties of all stripes. All of which makes it doubly disappointing when her message seems to stray into the same emotional, impossible-to-defend territory that she punctures in others.
The dual premise of this book is that "middle-class" mothers are greedily taking resources that should be used for poor mothers and children, AND that the people they are receiving these resources from are childless middle-class women and men who would be willing to offer these resources to the poor, but not to other middle-class mothers.
The idea that poor women and children are somehow not only deprived of financial support but specifically deprived by middle-class mommies is just wrongheaded. Those reliant on social services -- welfare recipients -- are a burden on society primarily because they don't form two-parent households. Having worked in social services for twenty years, I can't think of many welfare recipients I've met who don't maintain relationships with their childrens' fathers but also don't formalize those relationships -- by choice -- so they can continue living off tax dollars instead. If you're going to write an entire book about the needs of poor families, it's willfully blind to ignore this reality, unpleasant as it may be. And if you blame somebody else in these parents' steads, that's just scapegoating.
As a childless person, I certainly do resent having to pay more than my share. I'm not denying that childless people get short shrift. But it's the social, and medical, and crime-related problems created by the underclass that actually impacts my community, my quality of life, and my assets. Furthermore, I don't know many so-called middle-class people today who have health insurance they can count on, or afford -- yet the families on welfare I see have excellent and more-accessible healthcare than I do. We've created a system that benefits only the wealthy and those who won't support themselves: anyone in-between is getting screwed. Why blame this on middle-class mothers? I gave the book high marks anyway because the discussion is compelling. But its foundational economic argument simply doesn't ring true.
It's Growing On Me!.......2007-05-16
I very much have a love/hate relationship with The Baby Boon as in I loved the second half and hated the first. Burkett explores an immense list of how the childless are "cheated" and if nothing else it's great food for thought. The politics in the book are definitely slanted and in more than 200 pages of how the government misaddresses these family issues she only mentions the Christian right three times (the same amount of time she happens to mention father's raping daughters). Overall, the book targets how family progressive taxes, fundings, and institutions target the middle class (who for the most part parent by choice) who really don't need the help compared to the poor. And that a good chunk of the support for the taxes, fundings, and institutions come from the childfree - a hugely growing part of the American population. I do confess that my relationship with this book really began to flounder 50-pages in when I saw the ever lovely Ann Coulter featured on the back for "advance praise."
I find the book problematic because much of the research is simply lousy. For example, in the first half of the book she visits a textile factory in North Carolina that had one one of the best child/daycares available for parents. To display how unwanted this is and what a burden some workers find this to be (as without the daycare everyone would roughly make a $1 more per hour, and Burkett insists that the poor and people of color don't ever use the day care) she goes to an unnamed grocery store and speaks with four unnamed women. In the world of research, I'm not really buying into this and couldn't get over why couldn't she have found four people willing to give their names or at least be able to back up the claim through attending some form of union or auxiliary meeting. At times like this the research really seemed to lack substance.
After the research, a point she belabors through the book is how parental tax breaks targets the middle class and doesn't help those who most need it (i.e. the poor). While a good point she never provides any examples or goes into it more than this. Instead, she discusses how childfree professor are cheated because those professors with children can enroll their children for free. The question: why can't childfree professors utilize this free enrollment as well for nieces and nephews, or even to give away as a scholarship? Certainly an interesting question but what percentage of childfree people does this effect and unless these scholarships would specifically go to the poor - what about them?
Because of the research and choice of examples it was difficult reading but half way in I increasingly found myself pleasantly surprised. Burkett started to provide more substance and cultivated her argument within the second half. She begins to explore the social stigma of being childfree, certain workplace activities that are clearly biased, as well as a list of companies that have remedied certain politics to be more considered of the childfree. One idea throughout the whole book was the concept of family and what exactly it means. A problem she discusses is that the nuclear family is still privileged in comparison to any non-traditional family. At times I was concerned the book was taking on an anti-family edge but it was salvaged by the end. Not a bad read, but a lot of technical and statistical information that I honestly don't trust to be 100% accurate simply based on some of her research.
Baby Boon book.......2007-04-11
Book in very good condition, priced nice and low. Used for a book club. I enjoyed viewpoint of author but not everyone in our book club did even though none of us have or plan to have children!
Missing Pages!.......2007-01-17
This is an excellently crafted book, but there are two places in which the printer left out pages, for instance I see page 54 after reading page 51. This amounts to four missing pages. When I complained to Amazon about the missing pages, they just sent me another copy -- with the same error. I'm keeping it to pass on to someone else, even though they will be charging me for it.
Well-crafted, well-researched and fair-minded........2006-05-11
Ms. Burkett's main issue is with handouts based solely on procreation, without regard to income. Even if you beleive in the socialist ideal of giving according to one's need, and therefore handing money and higher benefits packages to parents, Ms. Burkett makes you think twice about how our current structure gives those perks to the wealthy, at the expense of the childless of all income levels. Even socialism cannot justify that.
Book Description
The economic boom of the 1990s created huge wealth for the bosses, but benefited workers hardly at all. At the same time, the bosses were able to take the political initiative and even the moral high ground, while workers were often divided against each other. This new book by leading labor analyst Michael D. Yates seeks to explain how this happened, and what can be done about it.
Essential to both tasks is "naming the system"
the system that ensures that those who do the work do not benefit from the wealth they produce. Yates draws on recent data to show that the growing inequality
globally, and within the United States
is a necessary consequence of capitalism, and not an unfortunate side-effect that can be remedied by technical measures. To defend working people against ongoing attacks
on their working conditions, their living standards, and their future and that of their children
and to challenge inequality, it is necessary to understand capitalism as a system and for labor to challenge the political dominance of capitalist interests.
Naming the System examines contemporary trends in employment and unemployment, in hours of work, and in the nature of jobs. It shows how working life is being reconfigured today, and how the effects of this are masked by mainstream economic theories. It uses numerous concrete examples to relate larger theoretical issues to everyday experience of the present-day economy. And it sets out the strategic options for organized labor in the current political context, in which the U.S.-led war on terrorism threatens to eclipse the anti-globalization movement.
Customer Reviews:
The "No Logo" of anti-capitalism.......2006-05-08
Yates' book "Naming the System" is a valiant attempt to explain the failures, contradictions and problems of modern globalized capitalism in terms understandable to every layman. By and large, he has succeeded, though there are some flaws.
His strongest point is reconciling the arguments against the orthodox neoclassical theory of "more free markets = better" with the 'facts on the ground', in the form of valuable statistics and examples from practical experience. He enthousiastically destroys the reformist view of capitalism as followed by many social-democrats and current-day labor union leaders just as much as the libertarian approach. In addition to that, he gives a worthwhile overview of the Marxist interpretation of capitalism and why it is better able to explain certain commonplace phenomena in firm practice than the neoclassicals. Finally, he gives a non-too-critical overview of the great variety of leftist anti-capitalist movements in the world today and some general perspectives on their success, though all this is very vague.
The books great benefits are the easy to understand ways in which he shows the workings of capitalism in the many kinds of injustice felt by (young) leftist-inclined people, giving them a more solid ground for their critiques. However, this accessible approach is also the big downside to Yates' work: "Naming the System" is not in-depth at all, its wording is a little simplistic and childish sometimes, and it is virtually useless to those who already have a basic Marxist understanding of the capitalist world. Nevertheless, the book is worth four stars for its excellent utility as an education book on the Marxist approach for young people (high school and students), much like Naomi Klein's book was for the anti-branding movement.
An accessible and serious economic presentation.......2003-10-19
Leading labor analyst Michael Yates successfully strives to explain why the economic boom of the 1990s benefitted the wealthiest segment of business and society while doing little for the hard-working masses in Naming The System: Inequality And Work In The Global Economy. Aptly discussing a series of related issues including the inequalities that riddle the economic system of capitalism by its very nature (both within and between nations); unemployment and underemployment; contradictions within capitalism; and means for social change that battle for a better world, Naming The System is an accessible and serious economic presentation which has self-evidently been deftly researched and is skillfully argued. A welcome addition to personal and academic Economics Studies reference collections and reading lists, Naming The System is especially recommended to the attention of anyone wanting to understand the rationale behind the importance of placing limits and regulations to ensure a prosperous future for labor and management alike.
Even economists smoke crack.......2003-09-16
This man lives in a world od distorted reality. Economic equality and poverty is bound to exist reguardless of the mode of production. Capitalism allows democracy, which is the most important issue to me. He talks about Cuba in this book... The have to give up freedom and live in poverty, but their literacy level is the same as our's; which system sounds better? Tjis was a well written book wth ample information, so I probably should have rated it better. However, I hate the message that it sends.
But, some of my best friends are economists.......2003-08-16
I am not an economist, but some of my best friends are. And much of my work as a labor law professor, has involved dealing with ideas couched in economic terms. Even so, there is a lot about economics as it is really practiced, that comes as a surprise. Several years, when the news was full of predictions from leading economists about the effects of a new policy on the economy, I asked a group of economists whether these sorts of predictions were based on studies of effects in the world. The economists told me that these predictions none of these predictions were ever tested. All that was ever done was to create simplified theories about how the economy worked and then use those theories to make predictions. No one ever checked to make certain those theories were valid.
Imagine what healthcare would be like if doctors and scientists operated this way. Actually, we don't have to imagine. This is how life was in the Middle Ages when doctors tried to balance the body's four humors, and everyone knew the sun revolved around the earth. The models got more and more complex as reality did not jibe with theory.
So all of us have our fates determined by economists whose methods are no more up to date than the 16th century. Consider Alan Greenspan, the hero of the Fed. He and his colleagues for years were convinced that the only way to fight inflation - and inflation had to be fought at all costs - was to raise interest rates any time unemployment fell below 5.8%. The effect was that higher interest rates increased unemployment. In the early 1990's, unemployment began to fall below this danger level, but no inflation appeared. Pressure was put on the Fed not to raise interest rates, enough pressure that they held off. Unemployment plunged ever lower with no inflation. Did the economists admit that their theory had to be discarded based on the evidence/ Of course not. They responded that they needed to refine the theory to account for this aberration from the theory, but the theory was still solid.
Michael Yates does a much better job at leading the reader through classic economic theory and exploring the many ways in which those theories stand unproven - and yet they still rule the world. Yates provides a fair and balanced look at the claims of classic economics for economies and for global trade and demonstrates that there is no evidence to support those claims.
There is no question that Michael Yates is passionate and has strong opinions. He does nothing to hide his views and is fair and open with the reader as he presents his arguments against classical economics and his ideas as to what should replace those disproven theories. I won't even try to summarize the. Yates deserves to be read and his arguments digested in full.
Yates is a wonderful writer and educator. He should be. He had a long teaching career at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, among prisoners, and with unionists. He is clear without ever talking down to his audiences. Over the years he has opened up the world of economics to many of us, and through this book will reach even more. I recommend it strongly.
I am not an economist, but some of my best friends are.......2003-08-11
I am not an economist, but some of my best friends are. And much of my work as a labor law professor, has involved dealing with ideas couched in economic terms. Even so, there is a lot about economics as it is really practiced, that comes as a surprise.
Several years, when the news was full of predictions from leading economists about the effects of a new policy on the economy, I asked a group of economists whether these sorts of predictions were based on studies of effects in the world. The economists told me that these predictions none of these predictions were ever tested. All that was ever done was to create simplified theories about how the economy worked and then use those theories to make predictions. No one ever checked to make certain those theories were valid.
Imagine what healthcare would be like if doctors and scientists operated this way. Actually, we don't have to imagine. This is how life was in the Middle Ages when doctors tried to balance the body's four humors, and everyone knew the sun revolved around the earth. The models got more and more complex as reality did not jibe with theory.
So all of us have our fates determined by economists whose methods are no more up to date than the 16th century. Consider Alan Greenspan, the hero of the Fed. He and his colleagues for years were convinced that the only way to fight inflation - and inflation had to be fought at all costs - was to raise interest rates any time unemployment fell below 5.8%. The effect was that higher interest rates increased unemployment. In the early 1990's, unemployment began to fall below this danger level, but no inflation appeared. Pressure was put on the Fed not to raise interest rates, enough pressure that they held off. Unemployment plunged ever lower with no inflation. Did the economists admit that their theory had to be discarded based on the evidence/ Of course not. They responded that they needed to refine the theory to account for this aberration from the theory, but the theory was still solid.
Michael Yates does a much better job at leading the reader through classic economic theory and exploring the many ways in which those theories stand unproven - and yet they still rule the world. Yates provides a fair and balanced look at the claims of classic economics for economies and for global trade and demonstrates that there is no evidence to support those claims.
There is no question that Michael Yates is passionate and has strong opinions. He does nothing to hide his views and is fair and open with the reader as he presents his arguments against classical economics and his ideas as to what should replace those disproven theories. I won't even try to summarize the. Yates deserves to be read and his arguments digested in full.
Yates is a wonderful writer and educator. He should be. He had a long teaching career at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, among prisoners, and with unionists. He is clear without ever talking down to his audiences. Over the years he has opened up the world of economics to many of us, and through this book will reach even more. I recommend it strongly.
Book Description
The sixth edition of Contemporary Labor Economics focuses on the "new" labor economics and provides updated material on a range of public policy issues. Chapter summaries and listings of key terms increase the book's accessibility.
Campbell R. McConnell is a University of Nebraska professor emeritus.
Stanley L. Brue teaches at Pacific Lutheran University.
David A. Macpherson teaches at Florida State University.
Customer Reviews:
Great Labor Book.......2006-02-02
I used this book for a Labor Economics class in college. While at first Labor Economics seemed kind of boring to me, after reading this text and taking the class, I became really excited about Labor Economics. Not only does the book present itself very well with depth to the concepts and graphs and data to help solidfy the points being made by the author, it is also written by David Macpherson. David Macpherson is a professor of economics at FSU and he heads the yearly debate between the Post Office and the unions. So, it comes to no suprise when the book gets into unions that it shines. I would highly recommend this textbook to anyone. After reading the first four or five chapters in this book, the reader can procede to any chapter that they want to, that is how well the book is laid out. Again, if you want a good labor economics book then this is it, you could purchase the 7th ed. but I think the data is just updated a bit. Save yourself about 60 bucks and get this edition instead.
This is a good book for labor econ students.......2000-05-27
This book was written well and the ideas expressed in this book happen to be easily understood from a student's point of view. The graphs and charts in the book really help to explain the concept, so that most people can understand what the authors are attempting to explain. The chapter summaries are done well b/c they go over the major points and attempt to wrap it all up.
Average customer rating:
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The Pension Fund Revolution
Manufacturer: Transaction Publishers
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Binding: Paperback
 Economic Conditions
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ASIN: 1560006269 |
Customer Reviews:
The unseen revolution.......2000-07-02
Obviously, I liked the book. Drucker describes the pension fund industry and it's growing importance in the capital markets. But remember this is just a new edition of the 1976 classic "The unseen revolution" by Harper & Row (with a new preface)...
Book Description
An emerging spokesperson for a new generation passionately and persuasively addresses the grim state of young people today-and tells us how we can, and must, save our future.
The nature of youth is to question. So when twenty-four-year-old Anya Kamenetz started out as a journalist, she began asking hard questions about her generation for which no one seemed to have good answers. Why were college students nationwide graduating with an average of more than $20,000 in student loans? Why were her friends thousands of dollars in credit-card debt? Why did so many jobs for people under thirty-five involve a plastic name badge, last only for the short-term, and not include benefits? With record deficits and threats to Social Security, what kind of future was shaping up for the nation's kids?
Kamenetz became one of the youngest ever columnists for The Village Voice, where she earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her reporting on the new economics of being young. In Generation Debt, she talks to experts in economics, labor markets, the health-care industry, and education, and amasses a startling array of evidence that building a secure life, let alone surviving, is harder for young people today than it was thirty years ago.
Like Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed, Generation Debt is a compelling day-to-day look at the life experiences behind a massive economic shift. Like Naomi Klein's No Logo, it is a deeply researched, rousing manifesto that will get you thinking in new ways about American values-and about America's future.
Customer Reviews:
Trivial and full of banals.......2007-09-27
The book is partly obvious and mostly poorly researched. Nota bene, what really interesting and insightful about the financial side of life can someone write just two years after graduating from college? What's more, Miss Kamenetz writing style is stiff, repetitive and the final procuct boring. So, save yourself $14 and few hours of time possibly wasted on reading this opus.
An Unfortunately Terrible Book.......2007-09-16
The arguments set forth in this book are often poorly reasoned, the research is inadequate, the people interviewed by the author are far too similar ... but worst of all, the book is horribly unbalanced in terms of the (liberal) political bias of the author. And speaking of the author, readers will rarely have encountered such a self-absorbed promoter of ideas she clearly has not taken the time fully to understand. I don't know how many times she interjects that she went to Yale. Who cares? She suffers the delusion that affects many (young/second-rate) journalists, which is that anybody cares about the personal opinions of journalists. This is a great topic for a book, and Kamenetz accidentally blunders upon a few good points, but it is unfortunate that the subject matter is done such a disservice ... the only redeeming quality is that she quotes a few other authors who actually have something to say.
Must-read for parents.......2007-08-26
Anya Kamenetz' book is a must-read for parents. If you set aside the polemical aspects of the book (such as what policies or societal influences are to blame for the pressures the current generation faces, a topic where the author treads lightly) you will find an excellent primer on how to prepare your children for their future.
Ms. Kamenetz crystallizes the following points:
College students are responsible for a larger share of their educational costs than ever before
Federal grants have given way to student loans
A college degree is no longer a guarantor of higher income
The workforce is no longer a guarantor of benefits, pensions or long-term security
If we don't inculcate our children with a value system and personal responsibility, they will fall prey to the temptations of easy credit and debt
I don't agree with Ms. Kamenetz' solutions, which rely too heavily on redistribution of wealth. I was taught in Economics that whenever you subsidize something, the costs go up. I did enjoy reading the refreshing suggestion of "De-Schooling" in the chapter on "Waking Up and Taking Charge". Our system of higher education has become too costly, probably due to all the subsidies we throw at it, and does not provide skilled, trained workers to face the shifting demands of the workplace. I like the notion of breaking the monopoly on education.
To ask the question, "who is to blame," for these challenges facing the current generation, is to completely miss the point. The book would be worth twice its price if Ms. Kamenetz asked one of her contemporaries who was commiserating on their excessive credit card debt why they didn't tear up their credit cards, get a second or third job, then save up enough money to get out of debt and pay cash for night school. Our society has many freedoms, but also has many trap for the unwary. If you are savvy and make astute financial decisions, no one may write a book about you, but at least you can sleep at night.
It is difficult to write a book with the subject "Woe is we" without sounding querulous; however, for the most part, Ms. Kamenetz adroitly avoids the finger-wagging that would otherwise dilute her message - it's time to turn off the TV and the XBox, sit down with your kids, look them in the eye, and have a serious talk on how they can survive and thrive in the brave new world.
The elite impersonating the oppressed.......2007-08-10
I am the demographic this book was written for. I am of the generation she is talking about. I come from humble people; I'm the first person in my family to go to college, yet I managed to get a Ph.D. -in physics even (meaning, unlike some of the nincompoops interviewed in this book who got degrees in imaginary subjects, I had to do real work in school). When I got out, I was in debt up to my ears, and I had to take a job which didn't allow me to express my unique genius. Yet, I remain unmoved by, contemptuous even of her screed. Perhaps this is because I studied addition and subtraction in my long and sordid eduction, and fully realized that, if I took out loans, I'd have to pay them back. I also never needed the money to survive: it was all play money. Like Miz Kamenetz and the people she interviews, I spent my loan money on exotic vacations and baubles to make my life more comfortable. You can in fact, survive on very little money in america: even in expensive places like Berkeley or New York City. Yes, credit card companies are evil. Don't do business with them. Yes, higher education has become much more expensive. Make sure you get your money's worth. Take courses that can get you work.
Miz Kamenetz of course comes from a privileged background. Her parents were professors, well connected in the publishing industry, and she went to Yale (!). On her website, she describes not making her credit card payments for 3 months, while on a trip to Europe. Making a few guesses about her age and the exchange rates in the last few years, I'd say that was a pretty unwise decision, even if it did net her a marriage proposal from a google employee, and an eventual position giving finance advice for Yahoo. It is also symptomatic of a privileged generation, whining, essentially about its good fortune. 30 years ago, only people like Kamenetz would have been able to go to Yale, get credit to buy very nice things they can't afford, and take ill considered trips to europe. I don't know which generation she's talking about which had it better than ours: any such generation I can think of had considerably less access to both coll
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Bait and Switch : The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream
Class Matters
One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All
American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare
