Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream

Barbara Ehrenreich

Overview

Barbara Ehrenreich returns undercover to investigate the precarious working lives and the challenges faced by the white-collar unemployed. Armed with a professional résumé, she attempts to secure a middle-class job, navigating career coaching, personality tests, job fairs, and networking events. The book details her repeated rejections despite possessing qualifications and skills.

Ehrenreich highlights individuals who have followed the prescribed path to success yet find themselves vulnerable to financial disaster. The work reveals a lack of social support for these disposable workers and an absence of honest societal reckoning, often leading the jobless to internalize blame.

Who it's for

• Individuals interested in economic realities and the changing nature of work.
• Readers who appreciate investigative journalism and social commentary.
• Those seeking to understand the challenges of job searching in a difficult economy.

Key features

• Language: English
• Pages: 272
• Binding: Softcover
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Year: 2006
• ISBN: 9780805081244