America has long been billed as the land of opportunity, a place where the streets are paved with gold and anyone who is prepared to work hard enough can buy themselves a part of the American dream. "I grew up hearing over and over, to the point of tedium, that `hard work' was the secret of success," Barbara Ehrenreich writes. "No one ever said that you could work hard - harder even than you thought possible - and still find yourself sinking ever deeper into poverty and debt." On 22nd August 1996, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act brought about major welfare reform in the US. Couched in terms of promoting ...  Read the complete review

I heard about this book from email friends in the US and was astonished that a book on low pay had gained so much attention. I'm very glad it did and I hope it inspires some of its readers to joining in the pursuit of change. A US journalist and writer, with a good income and comfortable standard of living, Barbara Ehrenreich became a low paid worker in 3 sectors in different US cities, taking the jobs and trying to make ends meet on the wages, with the intention of writing about her experiences. One of the dangers of a book like this is that it can appear patronising. And how can someone who's only sampling life as a poor person really know ...  Read the complete review