I've long been concerned about the rough way that many workers are treated and I picked up The Big Squeeze at a friend's recommendation. I was impressed -- and angered -- by The Big Squeeze; it lays out better than anything I've read exactly what's happening to the nation's workers. Sad to say, wages are going nowhere for millions of Americans, pensions are going down the drain and in this age of Blackberries, everyone seems to be working more than ever. The best thing about this book is that it tells the tales of individual workers -- some are written like nimbly told short stories -- to explain the way that many workers are being dragged down by trends like offshoring white-collar jobs to India, factories moving to Mexico and the two-tier wage schemes that are hammering many twentysomethings as they enter the workplace.
Books about economics or about work can often be heavy-handed and hard to read, but I was pleasantly surprised at how readable this book was. And Greenhouse tries very hard to be balanced and fair-minded as he treads through some difficult terrain about globalization, labor unions, corporate culture and immigration. It's good that Greenhouse writes about the good and the bad, about Wal-Mart and other corporations that brazenly flout the law in how they treat their workers and about corporations like Costco that do right by their workers, companies that we can all learn from and that more companies should seek to imitate.
The Big Squeeze does a terrific job explaining in a very human, readable way the many painful things happening to the nation's workers. I think it's the best book on American workers since Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed.

I read a review of Steven Greenhouse's new book, "The Big Squeeze" in "Business Week," and looked forward to reading what insight he had into the corrupt and eggregious self-serving behavior of America's corporations. Not until reading Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" did I realize how oppressive corporations could be to their workers. Modern-day corporations like those depicted in "The Jungle," like Walmart, make my blood boil. So, I want to make it clear that I went into reading this book with a clear dislike of America's greedy corporations. To the end that Greenhouse focuses on the corrupt and evil nature of these businesses, his book is a success. However, it's when he veers off into the "root causes" of the plight of America's workers, that he alienates and at times infuriates his readers. Let me save you time--according to Greenhouse, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan are responsible for every single unjustice and unfairness that occurs today in the American workforce. When he relates an anecdote of a Walmart worker, let's call her "Sue," making paltry wages, having her overtime cut, and being unable to afford health insurance, he places EXCLUSIVE blame on Bush, Reagan, and Walmart. Were Greenhouse intellectually honest, he would admit that odds are that Sue got pregnant in high school, subsequently dropped out, had four children with four different men, two of whom are in prison, didn't go to college, smokes five packs of cigarettes a day (funny how Americans can always afford cigarettes, but can never pay their mortgage), and is on government assistance. Studies are irrefutable...those who go to college and earn even an associates degree, make two, three, and even four hundred thousands dollars more in a lifetime than those who don't. Ultimately, there is no room for personal responsibility in Greenhouse's diatribe against Republicans and "evil" corporations. His argument falls apart completely on page 43, when--attempting to demonstrate how Reagan obliterated the Roosevelt's "social safety net"--he lists statistics, attempting to convince us that we were far better off economically as a nation before Reagan became president. I was six years old when Carter was elected president, and I can still recall hearing my parents fight about high food prices. I can still recall waiting in mile-long gas lines, while my parents were sweating because the car was overheating in the line. I still remember watching the famous Carter "malaise" speech on the nightly news. Try as he might, Greenhouse will never be able to convince anyone...ANYONE...that Americans were better off financially before Reagan became president. Before Reagan, my family had to rely on my grandmother to survive, and that was in a run-down duplex at best. After Reagan, my family was elevated into the upper-middle class, and I have never looked back.
Finally, when Greenhouse isn't blasting Reagan and Bush, he's criticizing our educational institutions for not educating more of the "disadvantaged" among us. He must be kidding. I am a college English professor. I can state unequivocally that nothing...nothing can prevent any American, regardless of age, from obtaining a college education. Nothing. If the disadvantaged aren't attending college, that is THEIR choice. When you consider all the grants, scholarships, and, even as a last resort, the government student loan program, funding is available for anyone who wants an education. Like anything else in life, an education takes hard work and strong will--two things that those on the welfare rolls are notorious for not willing to give, since being on the dole has programmed them to such a degree that they know the meaning of neither. Yes, it's true that high-income students are more likely to graduate from college than low-income students. How, exactly, is that the blame of our educational institutions? I am politically right of center. However, I still do believe that government can and should serve a purpose in our lives. Government can be an influence for good for those in need. I'm not saying that we should turn our backs on those in need. What I'm saying is that instead of providing the lower-class a litany of scapegoats, why don't we find a way to empower them to recognize the benefits of an education and hard work? Quite simply, government cannot be, is not, and never will be able to do anything for those who aren't willing to do it for themselves. So, blame Bush and Reagan all you want, Greenhouse, but by limiting your criticism to Republicans and big business, and excluding all other logical and viable factors for the plight of the US worker, you alienated a huge percentage of people, like me, who are just as fed up with the Walmarts of the world as you are.
In the end, what Greenhouse does by his unabashed liberal bias is alienate someone who was originally an eagar listening ear. I'm amazed that Greenhouse fails to practice what I long ago learned in English 101--if you want to persuade your audience, provide both sides of issue and let the reader decide. Greenhouse, like so many on the journalistic left, are innately incapable of being intellectually fair and honest.

this is still the biggest economy in the world. With globalization, outsourcing, downsizing in manufacturing jobs, the unemployment rate (UR) should be 10 percent or more. Government UR showed only 5%.

The underground economy is thriving. Mexicans and illegal aliens are working in construction, cleaning, restaurant, nannies, casino, etc.
With the population 310 million (25-30 million illegal aliens), and everyone is working in the underground jobs, therefore the real UR is probably 3 percent. In the European Union, UR is 10 percent.

China, even with all the exporting and foreign direct investment, the average person makes only $5000 USD per year! Indians make $3000 USD per year. Americans are making $40,000 per year.

Why does every book give you the complaint? Number one, it sells the book, a good marketing strategy.

Americans spent too much. Every kid has a cell phone, PDA, and eats super burgers. Parents continued to drive SUVs, hummers, etc. People lived in the McMansions, and saved no money. People making $100,000 per year, but has no money left. It all has to do with education and self-discipline.

The pessimist like the Greenhouse talked about these issues that existed for 20 years. There is nothing new in this book.

This book add to the growing number of titles lifting the shroud corporate media have wrapped around the economic realities of our time: ripping out 'labor' from the economic legs of 'land, labor and capital.' Think of it as the Gilded Age 2.0,complete with neo-robber barrons, thanks to laissez-faire corporate globalization.

As Matt Taibi wrote in "The Low Post," "One of the biggest purveyors of this dreck is arch-capitalist spokesmodel Thomas Friedman, who has spent the last ten years trying to talk himself into the position that having to compete with Chinese and Indian industrial slaves is somehow a good thing for America. Nothing makes Friedman happier than being able to appear before a bunch of old ladies in some cobweb-strewn Midwestern library or Jaycees hall and deliver his favorite faux-homespun platitude about the new global economy, a clunky tale about advice he often gives to his daughters. "Girls," his story goes, "when I was growing up, my parents used to say to me, 'Tom, finish your dinner. People in China . . . are starving.' My advice to you now: 'Girls, finish your homework, people in China . . . are starving for your jobs.' "

"Well, that makes sense. According to The New York Times, what we need to do to compete with China economically is adopt commensurate "homegrown business practices" that will enhance our performance.

"What do they have in mind? Eliminating the freedom of speech? Outlawing free trade associations? Legalizing child labor? Eliminating all environmental regulations and letting workers roll around in hazardous chemicals for fifteen hours a day for ten cents an hour? Ending all forms of corporate transparency? Come to think of it, we could solve our juvenile delinquency program and our trade competitiveness problem at the same time -- let's just lock up our high school dropouts in toy factories, get those little bas*#!*s making radioactive Lego sets six days a week for a buck a shift. Imagine the profits!"

It's going to be tough breaking through corporate media's stranglehold on information. But there's hope for light on this subject thanks to this book and Aronica and Ramdoo's The World Is Flat?: A Critical Analysis of New York Times Bestseller by Thomas Friedman Wake up America! [...]

If you find yourself wondering, "Is this all I'm worth?" when you look at your paycheck, meager benefits (or lack thereof), other poor job opportunities or rising gas, college and home costs, and the increasingly unattainable "American Dream", you are not alone...
This book is an excellent primer for those of us who want to know why American jobs are so much less fruitful than those of our parents or grandparents generations (for 20 or 30 somethings). It is a sociological eye-opener on par with "Fast Food Nation". It emboldens us to get more politically involved, and helps us form opinions on many of todays very relevant pressing issues(health care, illegal immigrants, the minimum wage, dwindling union support, offshoring and job security, education costs and standards, corporate greed and corruption).
The Big Squeeze covers several case studies sprinkled with analysis and history of all parties involved in our mighty economy. Greenhouse makes a very well informed argument for adapting to changing and new economic pressures and in the end of the book lays out his proposals (albeit too idealistic for this administration or any like it) for solving many of the problems he has dissected. I commend him for tackling such a huge subject with so many variables and attempting to pull it all together into a comprehensive book that educates the lay person (who is not an economist) on what is happening in this country. He makes the reader aware that this is truly an epidemic and raises the red flag.
While this book is not "light" reading, it does tell positive tales of employers doing the right thing, and of immigrants who have succeeded and injustices that have been unveiled so as to balance the overwhelming sea of pessimism and hopelessness that these types of books tend to hold between their pages.

This book gives a highly detailed look at individuals who suffer from losing jobs as a result of corporate greed. It contains much useable reference material.

The book is both an overview of the deteriorated state of affairs for American workers as well as a few up close and personal looks at some of those so affected. For one brief generation after WWII, American workers empowered through union contracts, achieved a somewhat harmonious status with their employers, which included good wages and benefits and expectations of job security. And the government provided support as well, especially for veterans. But that's not the way things are now.

As the author so well examines, employees are now viewed as mere factors of production and can be subjected to egregious capriciousness. They now can be fired arbitrarily, forced to work off the clock, have their time sheets altered, forced to work as so-called independent contractors or part-time, etc. Employee wages have been flat for over thirty years, despite increasing productivity over those years, while CEO pay has skyrocketed. The labor movement is a mere shell of its former self with private sector union membership being at the same density as one hundred years ago. Advances in computers and telecommunications have facilitated shipping even high tech jobs overseas; trade agreements have enabled establishing production off shore for intra-corporate trade; and immigration is having profound impacts on jobs and wages domestically. Those left behind after downsizing have to redouble their efforts with apparently little appreciation by many employers. The traditional way to advancement, education, is increasingly becoming out of reach for many because of the costs. American workers have truly become an afterthought or invisible.

There really is nothing in this book that has not been discussed repeatedly in the electronic media, books, and newspapers over the last several years. The Wal-Mart model has become pervasive. Occasionally an organization will come along like Costco that demonstrates that workers can be treated well despite the demands of the retail world, but they are an exception.

US corporations are ascendant; they have a great deal of control over media content, they dominate the political process, and they hide behind the mantra of competitiveness to squeeze American workers for higher and higher profits. The author, more hopefully than convincingly, calls for a return to kinder times. But there will be no voluntary relinquishment of power. There has to be a realization on the part of American workers on the realities of excessive corporate power and a willingness to assert political power to transform the process in favor of workers. This book clearly shows that American workers are now being squeezed almost beyond imagination with no end in sight.

Mr. Greenhouse provides a thought provoking look into the changes taking place in the American workplace. While much of the research appears to have been used in New York Times (NYT) articles over the last several years, having it all in one place as a sort of "one stop shop" of Mr. Greenhouse's findings is rather nice. This aspect of the book was the biggest disappointment for me as a regular reader of the NYT. However, the use of real people to flesh out the statistics provided was a wonderful touch that really drives home the main points Mr. Greenhouse is making. This style also keeps the book readable and engaging.

A well-researched, well-written, gripping documentation of the deteriorating status of the American worker at all levels of the economy, by a veteran New York Times reporter who certainly knows the turf. Many readers will relate to the human stories recounted in this book. Those who don't will have their eyes opened and their thinking changed. Kudos to this author, who has done a good deed by telling this story.

Came to Amazon.com to order the book after listening to a riveting interview with the author on [...] (April 28, 2008). I was born in 1952 and these workplace trends are like climate change: slow paced but catastrophic. The comparisons between conditions for American workers versus European workers really shook me up. The presidential primaries suggest we may be seeing a tipping point towards economic populism. If so, this book maps the issues and causes undermining workers of all generations. (My 4-star rating is based on the author interview; I have not yet read the book.)

I enjoyed reading this book so much. People might think this book would be all about statistics and chastising the American way of life. Well, you can take rest it is not that type of book.

This book is very personal and emotional that tells a very human tale about the American way of living in our lifetime. The author, Steven Greenhouse, gives justice to the ordinary and average American workers who are being mistreated and exploited here in the U.S. The book contains several stories about the personal struggles of individuals who were all just searching for a better treatment at work.

What I gained reading from this book is that this is The United States of America the nation that ended child labor, gave women the right to vote, equality to all, and a bright future for everyone. So, why can't we maintain all of those and strive to better our work environment/salary/life? It is very apparent that our wages are not raising along with the expenses we incur in our livelihood. It is time for the corporation to raise wages and stop messing with our healthcare plans because these are the very things that made the USA the greatest and wealthiest nation around the world from the 1950s onward to the 1990s.

Well, I encourage people especially in Business Ethics courses in college to read this book. Also, I'm looking at you UCF Cornerstone course if you want your students to learn more about how to manage workers in business then this is one of those books students should read about in their classes.

I enjoyed reading this book so much. People might think this book would be all about statics and chastising the American way of life. Well, you can take rest it is not that type of book.

This book is very personal and emotional that tells a very human tale about the American way of living in our lifetime. The author, Steven Greenhouse, gives justice to the ordinary and average American workers who are being mistreated and exploited here in the U.S. The book contains several stories about the personal struggles of individuals who were all just searching for a better treatment at work.

What I gained reading from this book is that this the United States of America the nation that ended child labor, gave women the right to vote, equality to all, and a bright future for everyone. So, why can't we do it all over again? It is very apparent that our wages are not raising along with the expenses we incur in our livelihood. It is time for the corporation to raise wages and stop messing with our healthcare plans because these are the very things that made the USA the greatest and wealthiest nation around the world from the 1950s onward to the 1990s.

Well, I encourage people especially in Business Ethics courses in college to read this book. Also, I'm looking at you UCF Cornerstone course if you want your students to learn more about how to manage workers in business then this is one of those books students should read about in their classes.