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Summaries of books by Barbara Ehrenreich:

Nickel and Dimed

On (Not) Getting By in America
Barbara Ehrenreich
The book chronicles the author's undercover investigation into the lives of low-wage workers in America, where she takes on various minimum wage jobs to experience and expose the struggles of poverty, job insecurity, and the inadequacy of social safety nets firsthand. Through her journey, she reveals the harsh realities of trying to survive on meager earnings in a society structured around economic inequality.
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Natural Causes

An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer
Barbara Ehrenreich
The book critically examines the cultural obsession with controlling the aging process and the illusion of extending life through medical intervention, wellness practices, and dietary fads. It challenges the effectiveness and motivations behind the health industry, arguing that such efforts often ignore the inevitable reality of death and can lead to unnecessary and even harmful treatments.
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Bait and Switch

The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream
Barbara Ehrenreich
The book chronicles the author's undercover investigation into the world of white-collar unemployment in America, revealing the struggles of job-seekers and the harsh realities of the job market, including the ineffectiveness of career coaching and the emotional toll of prolonged unemployment. It exposes the precarious nature of the middle-class job market and critiques the corporate culture that perpetuates insecurity and the myth of the "American Dream."
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