I quite enjoyed the book Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, which encouraged me to compare my thoughts with contrasting ones. The review I found, located at http://brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/5/Nickel%20and%20D.htm seemed like the perfect source to do this. The review is extremely opinionated, which I would usually criticise, but the writer of this particular piece does a fantastic job of justifying his largely negative responses to the themes and ideas presented in Nickel and Dimed. Although the criticism is well justified and thought out, the political bias is so strong that it occasionally drifts form the point and becomes an attack at left wing Politics. For example, after presenting an intelligent set of ideas concerning the self-indulgent nature of Ehrenreich, which I will come on to, the writer irrelevantly states how 'this is really the key understanding to why both Marxism and Welfare failed'. This leads us to believe that the writer may be more interested in exposes the problems of left wing Politics than analysing the book. This is particularly recognisable in the last three sections of the review where the writer rants about Politics and even offers his own 4 step plan to solve the economic problems! This arguably leads to the views losing their substance.
As I have previously mentioned, the self-indulgent nature of Ehrenreich narrative is frequently addressed by the writer. Before reading the review I hadn't identified this, but after reading it I don't understand how I didn't. It is explained that, in the text, 'all we are left with is Ehrenreich. Ehrenreich at work or Ehrenreich in a hotel room. The rest of the working poor are merely a backdrop.' This idea is extended and backed up when the writer continues, pointing out that, in reference to the poor in America, Ehrenreich 'doesn't participate in their lives, neither individually by visiting their homes or having them over, nor communally by doing the types of things they do in their off hours'. This suggests that we are presented, by reading the both, with an incomplete interpretation of working class life in various areas of the USA. It isn't centered around the people Ehrenreich is working with. Instead it centers around her experience, meaning that perhaps we don't gain a true first hand view of the situation, as a result of a lack of deep interaction with those around her on Ehrenreich's behalf.
Another real flaw that is pointed out by the writer is the lack of opportunities taken by or referenced by Ehrenreich. This is first highlighted in the review by the reference of her ignorance during the one time she spends any real off-the-clock time with anyone. The writer explains how the outstanding piece of advice given to Ehrenreich, "Always find a Church", by the woman, who has actually experienced life in the American working class with children and a bad string of jobs, is ignorantly ignored. The one time she does attend a church revival service 'she's only there to make fun of the service'. These points lead us to believe that Ehrenreich's complaints about the lack of opportunities for the poor are unjustified. It also, once again, brings up the idea that perhaps Ehrenreich isn't getting the accurate experience of working class life that she claims. This can be supported by the fact that, in the introduction of the book, she spends a page talking about all of the things she won't be taking part in, which could enhance her experience.
It isn't fair for us to label Ehrenreich's efforts as fruitless or unsubstantial, as her work gives us a real insight into the working class situation broadly. However, in order to obtain an in-depth, personal idea of what it was like, Ehrenreich should have spent less time talking about her money struggles and her difficulties with work load, and more time speaking to those people that have had to deal with the situations she is facing every day. With this in mind, it is evident that the explorative journalistic method Ehrenreich had in mind, something she made clear as early as the first and second pages, hasn't been fully achieved.
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