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A review by zade
Class Matters by New York Times
3.0
Although it is now several years out of date, the patterns described in this book still hold true and the human faces it puts on people of all classes remain an engaging reminder of how much people have in common, no matter where they fall on the class scale. It's not always pleasant reading--the inequities described make even this lower-middle-class reader uncomfortably aware of her privileges--and the statistical chapters can be dry even as they are informative--but the education is worth the time and effort.
I recommend this book for anyone who thinks America has achieved a classless society. It will also be of interest for readers of [a:Barbara Ehrenreich|1257|Barbara Ehrenreich|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1395953641p2/1257.jpg]'s [b:Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America|1869|Nickel and Dimed On (Not) Getting By in America|Barbara Ehrenreich|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442378091s/1869.jpg|1840613] and [b:Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream|24450|Bait and Switch The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream|Barbara Ehrenreich|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442666785s/24450.jpg|2366544], and books like [b:Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America|21944886|Hand to Mouth Living in Bootstrap America|Linda Tirado|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1408924415s/21944886.jpg|41248987] and [b:$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America|23719398|$2.00 a Day Living on Almost Nothing in America|Kathryn Edin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421139939s/23719398.jpg|43328922]. In fact, I recommend all of the above-mentioned books for anyone interested in the topic of class and for anyone who, like me, grew up securely positioned in the middle class or above.
I recommend this book for anyone who thinks America has achieved a classless society. It will also be of interest for readers of [a:Barbara Ehrenreich|1257|Barbara Ehrenreich|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1395953641p2/1257.jpg]'s [b:Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America|1869|Nickel and Dimed On (Not) Getting By in America|Barbara Ehrenreich|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442378091s/1869.jpg|1840613] and [b:Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream|24450|Bait and Switch The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream|Barbara Ehrenreich|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442666785s/24450.jpg|2366544], and books like [b:Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America|21944886|Hand to Mouth Living in Bootstrap America|Linda Tirado|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1408924415s/21944886.jpg|41248987] and [b:$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America|23719398|$2.00 a Day Living on Almost Nothing in America|Kathryn Edin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421139939s/23719398.jpg|43328922]. In fact, I recommend all of the above-mentioned books for anyone interested in the topic of class and for anyone who, like me, grew up securely positioned in the middle class or above.