Nickle and Dimed Review

In this book the author lives under the guise of being a member of the 'working poor" to see if it is possible to survive working for minimum wages. She holds a variety of jobs, mostly in the food service and domestic areas. She becomes friendly with her co-workers and while she sympathizes with their situations-she is still unable to empathize, because she keeps a nest egg to fall back upon.

Barbara shows that she is different than her co-workers when one, George, is falsely accused of stealing and she does not stand up for him. Those that truly live in generational poverty value relationship most and would have come to his defense. She prides herself on not employing someone to clean her home, but one must wonder what other justifications she makes to feel self-worth.

I believe this book could open the eyes of America and show that minimum wage is not a living wage. It is impossible for families to provide the basics of food and shelter, let alone medical or other expenses. When children are constantly uprooted and moved from location to location when parents are evicted there education suffers and they too can become another statistic in poverty. Middle class asks the question, "where do you live?" , those living in poverty asks, "where are you staying?". What middle class views as the social norm is so far removed from those in poverty. The "hidden rules" that exist at work, school, and even church are not known and if not known how can they be applied?

The question remains, what is our responsibility to our fellow man? How can we give a hand-up without giving a hand-out? And who are we to judge the difference?