minimum wage

Author Barbara Ehrenreich relates her experiences from 1998 to 2000, during which time joined the ranks of the working poor as a waitress, hotel housekeeper, cleaning woman, nursing home aide, and Wal-Mart clerk to see for herself how America's "unskilled" workers are able to survive on only $6 or $7 an hour.

Journalist Gabriel Thompson recounts his time spent working alongside undocumented workers in lettuce fields, at a poultry plant, and in the kitchen of a restaurant, examining the sociocultural and economic difficulties and complexities experienced by his coworkers at each of the demanding and low-paying jobs.

The author describes his personal experiences after giving up his white-collar job to experience a life that is supported by a minimum wage salary, and includes his time spent as a pizza deliveryman, a construction worker, an emergency room technician, and more.