Anyone read these books?

[noahmijo]

"2014" A modern take on Orwell's 1984. Seems really interesting I especially like the rewritten constitution.

"Nickel and Dimed" a woman sees what it's like surviving on just minimun wage jobs and also deals with the hassles of being harassed as a worker at Wal-Mart ect.

I plan on reading these next two books for pleasure. Anyone have any ratings?

[punpirate]

1. Haven't read...

... 2014, but Nickel and Dimed is excellent. You'll be a bit surprised by her conclusions about what the biggest problem is with working low-wage jobs.

[ihaveaquestion]

2. I've read 2014 - it's pretty good.

I plan to read Nickel and Dimed - don't know when I'll have time though.

[bertha katzenengel]

3. _Nickel & Dimed_ is excellent, but a tough read for pleasure, because

it made me so angry. The "lower class" in the U.S. has a very, very, very hard life.

But I still recommend it. An excellent read.

[noahmijo]

5. yea I'm sure it will make me angry too

but it seems too interesting to pass up. We all hear stories of what goes on but who really knows unless either you lived it (as I partially have here I am going back to school almost penniless despite my college degree in Info Technology from the UofA because I don't have enough training) or you get a person like the author who has the means to try this experiment and put it in well written words.

NB

[bertha katzenengel]

6. Maybe it's wrong, but reading her book not only made me angry

and very sad but grateful, extremely grateful, for what I have. I was doomed to a gutter life of shit and was fortunate to have the *whatever it took* to bootstrap out of it. I really feel for people who don't even have bootstraps. I don't know what to do about it.

Anyway, you'll enjoy the book.

[noahmijo]

7. well kudos for getting out of the rut....

The truth is the only reason you don't see me being a penniless college grad on the street right now is because my parents are helping me out. I still live at home and they don't charge me rent they're the type that believes that if you're busting your ass whether at work or school then you deserve whatever break you can get.

I'd love to be able to get my own place problem is when you search for work for a year and only find temp jobs with no long term value well you can't pay rent very well.

[bertha katzenengel]

8. Your parents sound like good people to me.

You'll make it, noahmijo. Don't despair of that - you'll make it. Hard work usually is enough at least to get by.

I wonder what a freeper would make of this thread? To freepers we're all freeloaders. The most insulting bumper sticker I've ever seen reads "VOTE DEMOCRAT - IT'S EASIER THAN WORKING." :eyes:

[noahmijo]

9. Yea no kidding

My parents overall are good people whatever differences I may have with my father on politics he's always been there for me so has my mom.

Yea those infuriate me to no end. The fact of the matter is most people on the left of center angle are in fact people who bust their asses in jobs that the ignorant freeper would never survive in for more than a day.

I've worked all kinds of such jobs and I am sure you and probably every other person on this board has worked before. That is why we don't feel all too sorry for corporations or rich people when they whine about taxes.

I'm 23 and every single Republican I've ever met in my age group never worked half the jobs I worked or any minimum wage type job for that matter. In fact they wouldn't believe me when I told them stories as to how certain jobs in Arizona completely violate the labor laws and force employees to work on their lunch breaks or reprimand them when they take a 10 minute break just to sneak in a sandwich in a back room after they've worked for 7 hours straight. Mommy and Daddy made sure to furnish them with a new apartment as they embark on their 10 year plan to graduate with a BA. (They never study they spend more time partying and boozing it up like their hero did)

[MadHound]

4. Highly recommend Nickel and Dimed, wonderful book.

I haven't read 2014, but it sounds interesting, and I will now probably look it up.

[deadparrot]

10. Nickled and Dimed is really good...

though, as others have said, hard to read. It takes a hard look inside the lives of America's working poor.