This is a good if unsurprising book about how rough it can be trying to get by these days on minimum wage in the US.
Barbara does a decent job showing that the world of the minimum wage worker is not necesarrily one in which people can thrive as they once did. It is no longer a living wage. Rarely do such jobs ever come with benefits worth speaking of, if any at all.
I particularly loved her portrayals of the absurdities faced by many of these people in confrontations with management. Not being allowed to take bathroom breaks when needed. Not being able to drink water on the job. Etc... Having worked some of these types of jobs myself it was nice seeing these ridiculous and petty power trips brought to public attention.
I recommend this book to any interested in a gritty and personal slog through minimum wage life. It is far from all encompassing, it deals with spot issues and only a few locations. What it does do well is give you a first hand view of the world at the bottom of the employment ladder these days. And if you do not have a feel for that reality it is hard to claim you understand how these issues can be dealt with.
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