The Big Squeeze:
Tough Times for the American Worker
By Steven Greenhouse
HD8072.5 .G74 2008
New Book Island, 2nd floor
When it comes to today’s news, it seems like everyone is living and breathing the economy. Conservations center around downsizing and budget cuts. The media analysts discuss and argue the global economic [insert more negative synonym for recession here]. With Governor Doyle’s proposal for dealing with the crisis, it’s becoming more real than ever. This week’s featured title looks at the experience of the American worker, from a human perspective.
At first glance, Greenhouse’s book may seem like more propaganda about the present economic situation. However, the author actually focuses his attention on the actual employees and their working conditions (obviously not factoring in current events). He examines the impacts of political, business and social trends and the effects on the American workplace over the past several decades. He contends that the employers’ ability to offer stable incomes and peace of mind for its employees has been replaced over the years by corporate greed for higher profits at any cost. Greenhouse isn’t completely pessimistic: he does laud the employee-friendly companies and also offers solutions to alleviate the strain on the work force.
