Book Description

Reviews (3)

Fact-filled, careful study
In brief essays, the authors present generally unbiased academic discussions of the globalization of female workers. Though hardly a new phenomenon, it has dramatically increased in the last 50 years and is a topic that is deserving of this type of examination. The topics are clearly delineated between domestic workers, cheap labor and the sex trade - however, there are unfortunates whose experiences range from one to the other out of necessity, desperation or coercion. This harsh reality of the vulnerability of these women is discussed with jargon-free, scholarly precision. Excellent for libraries, research and the well-read individual.

Good Overview of Female Migrant Workers
...Nevertheless, this book gives the reader valuable insight into the impact and opinions of women migrant workers in the service trades. All of the anthologized authors write in an accessible style free of academic jargon. I was particularly interested in the articles which did not have an American viewpoint and which presented the views of the women (and occasionally men) involved. For example, in various essays we get to meet Dominican women in the sex trade hoping to form relationships with European men; a college-educated Vietnamese women entering into an arranged marriage with an immigrant man holding an unskilled job in the U.S.; Filipina household workers laughing about the rules proposed by prospective Hong Kong employers; and a Sri Lankan man taking over the traditional woman's role to assist migrant relatives working in Saudi Arabia.

There are some gaps here, such as the lack of first-person narratives and the views of Eastern European women working in Western Europe, but no anthology can be all-inclusive. This book is a good start and will be an intersting learning experience for most readers.

nannies and sex workers in same title is offensive
As the mother of five that relied on childcare during the many years of single parenting I think we tend to concentrate too much on the elite and their need for childcare. The notion that this childcare contributes to the foreign exchange is a little off base when in reality it contributes to an underground economy because the salaries are mostly off the books and taxes are not paid in any form. Safety issues also arise when you consider that most of the illegeal aliens caring for our children have never had childhood immunizations, and refuse the TB test. This may sound unimportant and nit picking but the reality is diseases we thought were erradicated like whooping cough can be traced to the unimmunized worker. Leaving your children behind to take care of mine is something we as a nation should give more thought about. ... Read more

Book Description

Now doing to IT what the Japanese did to cars, India's rapid emergence as the West's back office, favorite location for white collar jobs and most recently as a hot medical center for Americans needing surgery(!) is shaking up the world.

From CBS's "60 Minutes" to the front cover of BusinessWeek, India is headline news. Not just another argument against exporting jobs to poor countries, Rising Elephant documents the surprising economic power of the world's largest democracy. Could India be the next empire? This is the early scoop on the balance of military and political power for this fast-moving phenomenon.

Ashutosh Sheshabalaya was born in India, educated in India and the US and lives in Europe. This is his first book.

Book Description

Discover a unique resource on the "what," "why," and "how" of mutual aid in group settings!

While an impressive body of professional literature attests to the central role of mutual aid in social work practice with groups, what has been lacking is a single source that links the description of mutual aid (what it is, exactly) with practice prescriptions (how to help it come about and flourish in various settings). This book does just that.

This updated edition of the pathbreaking original contains four entirely new chapters that address:

single-session groups
short-term groups
open-ended groups
very large groups

In addition, this book will help you to better understand and make use of mutual-aid perspectives on:

pre-group planning
early group goals and norms
the significance of time and place, and the role of the group worker
individual problem-solving
authority, conflict, and evaluation

Each chapter of The Mutual-Aid Approach to Working with Groups: Helping People Help One Another, Second Edition describes and discusses how to catalyze mutual aid in different settings and systems—including generic and specific obstacles to overcome; offers implications for practice and identifies group-specific skills for reaching each system's full mutual-aid potential.

This new edition of The Mutual-Aid Approach to Working with Groups provides a foundation for practice, examining theories, concepts, and practice principles specific to mutual aid. Readers are directed to ample study resources in key areas via recommended reading lists at the end of each chapter. Case examples are used to help bridge the gap between theory and practice in an immediately useful manner, and handy tables and figures make important points easy to access and understand. ... Read more

Book Description

In the 1990s, democracy and market freedom are often discussed as though they were synonymous or interchangeable.What the experience of workers in the United States actually reveals is that as government became more democratic, what it could do to shape daily life became more restricted.This original and significant work examines the relationship between workers and government by focusing not on the legal regulations of unions and strikes, but on popular struggles for citizens' rights.The extent and failures of workers' efforts to exercise power through political parties provide insights from the nineteenth century to guide our thinking about the twenty-first. ... Read more

Book Description

This authoritative guide to labor law in the private sector is written from a union perspective and emphasizes the issues of greatest importance to unions.It covers the essential information needed to acquire a basic understanding of labor law and how it pertains to the workplace.Federal Regulations ofLabor<45>Management Relations.The Collective Bargaining Unit.Union Organizing Rights and Election Campaigns. The Duty to Bargain. Strikes, Striker Rights, and Lockouts. Union Regulation of Work and the Antitrust Laws. Enforcement of Collective Bargaining Agreements and the Duty to Arbitrate. Rights and Responsibilities of Union Members. The Duty of Fair Representation. Equal Employment Opportunity. Federal<45>State Relationships in Labor Relations. For union officers and representatives or anyone else who needs to review or learn the basics of labor law. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent referral source.
Excellent referral source. Solid information with background information in clear concise format.

Simply essential reading for labor-side representatives!
This text gives us an impossibly clear overview of labor laws from labor's perspective. The sections on organizing and the legality of different kinds of strikes are particularly helpful. A must-read for all BA's, Organizers and Union Officers. --Michael Murphy, Washington College of Law (formerly of Food and Beverage Workers Union, Local 32) ... Read more

Book Description

The ultimate dream of many people is to work at home and still be actively involved in a growing business.Now that dream can be a reality.This new guide shows how to set up, run, and grow a home-based business.Included are explanations of laws affecting home-based businesses, tax rules, how to turn a great idea into a great home-based business, and how to market the business.Forms and glossary included. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A casual and informative presentation of a serious topic
The three (3) most important areas of any book are its content, writing style, and organization. Weltman's book is superb on all three counts. It is a detailed, succinct, point-by-point introduction to a growing and popular topic in today's fast-paced, changing society.

Each chapter begins by explaining what you will learn, then explains key concepts at least twice in the middle, and finally summarizes the least you need to know about each aspect of the home business.

The book itself is divided into six useful parts, plus appendices filled with helpful information. Each part focuses on a particular aspect of running a home business, such as: your reasons for wanting your own business, the types of businesses you can run (franchises, ready-made businesses, existing businesses, or your own pet project), financing the home business, setting up the home office, running the home office, and finally common personal issues unique to running the home office and scaling up.

Broadly speaking, Weltman devotes an equal amount of space to each topic. However, some topics, such as taxation (any advanced student should keep a copy of that particular info very close by) receive a lot of attention, while others, such as planning and budgeting the start-up, are clearly de-emphasized. The book also includes a lot of useful information in little boxes on every other page such as entrepreneurial statistics, key business terminology, added information (based on experience) to help perform a particular aspect of your business better, and things to avoid while in business.

In terms of content, the book is packed with plenty of information to get you started. Though the book is very comprehensive, more advanced readers may find it to be a bit redundant at times. Key terms, concepts, and absolutely need to know information are repeated often ( for the quick learner, ad nauseum) in each chapter. This use of repetition, however, does not weaken the book, as repetition is a proven method of learning new concepts.

The book is heavily laden with useful contact information and resources. Weltman presents the essentials, the absolute bare bones structural framework for the typical home-based business. The book's major strength is its presentation of key issues in very general, easy to understand terms. You are not inundated with a lot of excess, useless resources and you are slowly and casually guided through each phase of your start-up. Weltman also thoughtfully includes good federal and state resources one can actually use.

For the initiate, everything is discussed simply and clearly, as if the author is sitting right in front of you chatting over a delicious cup of Seattle's Best Coffee (sorry folks, but Starbuck's just doesn't cut it), but the more clever may find the book a slow and plodding read (this is a thick book, folks). Now, the book's major weaknesses lie in its utter lack of information on selling methods, management techniques (classic, coordinator, or craftsman), structuring employment contracts (especially for independent contractors), scheduling, getting and keeping customers, and operating a global business (my personal interest) from home.

Weltman skillfully introduces all the things one should consider when starting a home based business. It is the approach I would take with those who want to start a business but have no idea as to how to start. Those who are really serious about starting their own home business should not stop with Weltman's book. Look to other books to present you with the meat on such topics as contracts, selling, and managing employees. More advanced readers can skip this book and start with Karen Cheney and Lesley Alderman's How to Start a Successful Home Business. ... Read more

Book Description

Whether you work with Americans face-to-face, communicate with them by telephone or e-mail, or interact together in a virtual team, Americans at Work reveals the subtle and the not-so-subtle aspects of American culture in the workplace. Learn about straight talk, American style, and how Americans aren’t always as direct as they say they are. Find out why Americans are deeply conflicted about power: they crave it but hate to be caught craving it. See how Americans view outsiders. Gain tips for succeeding in the American work environment. Finally, get the basics of work-related etiquette: conducting meetings, giving feedback, nonverbal communication, e-mail rules, gifts, taboo topics and so on. ... Read more

Book Description

In The Corrosion of Character, Richard Sennett, "among the country's most distinguished thinkers . . . has concentrated into 176 pages a profoundly affecting argument" (Business Week) that draws on interviews with dismissed IBM executives, bakers, a bartender turned advertising executive, and many others to call into question the terms of our new economy. In his 1972 classic, The Hidden Injuries of Class (written with Jonathan Cobb), Sennett interviewed a man he called Enrico, a hardworking janitor whose life was structured by a union pay schedule and given meaning by his sacrifices for the future. In this new book--a #1 bestseller in Germany--Sennett explores the contemporary scene characterized by Enrico's son, Rico, whose life is more materially successful, yet whose work lacks long-term commitments or loyalties. Distinguished by Sennett's "combination of broad historical and literary learning and a reporter's willingness to walk into a store or factory [and] strike up a conversation" (New York Times Book Review), this book "challenges the reader to decide whether the flexibility of modern capitalism . . . is merely a fresh form of oppression" (Publishers Weekly, starred review). ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Todays changing workplace
Richard Sennetts book entitled The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consquences of Work in the New Capitalism is a well written and informative book about the economic changes and conditions going on in America's workplace today. Sennett uses examples in his book about janitors, IBM workers, and Boston bakers as case studies to get some of his points accross. He paints a picture of how each of these professions has changed over the years. These examples are deeply thought out and explained in detail. He even makes the examples so easy to understand that even a young adult can follow along. The only downside to his book is that the author gives no soloutions to the problems inour changing workforce. He just explains why things are the way they are. If you are intrested in learning about the changes in our workforce, this is a book for you.

Humanistic insight into the changed world of work
This is a highly readable book, informed by academic insights but not over scholarly. Its merit is that it makes you think-particularly by the chapter segmentations. Its scope is wide for a small book-employment,the nature of jobs, the career..Throughout Sennett provides a powerful counterblast to the rhetoricians of the right and also demonstrates the indifference of big business and politicians. His perspective on the Davos summits is beautifully written and acute. While respecting the advice of another reviewer concerning Hezenberg et al, I do not believe the books should be compared. 'New Rules' is a book largely about employment and does not attempt to assess matters of meaning and identity at work. Sennett does this admirably. I think his target audience is the layperson not the academic and reading this book can be a rewarding experience

Superb Resource for College Seniors
A book that helps college seniors understand the shifting patterns of employment, but also the shifting meaning of employment in peoples' lives. The book remains very readable, even entertaining, as it presents the historical background on how the meaning of work changed from the 1700s forward, and sociological data on current work and employment patterns. It makes the world of work come alive as a place of opportunity, risk, and disappointment. By its vivid narratives, it helps college students understand that their uncertainty and anxiety are appropriate to the world they are entering, but also encourages them in a spirit of healthy adventure. Super

Antidote to Who Moved my Cheese
Thankfully, after browsing in a bookstore through the huge and often intellectually bankrupt variety of management, success and business books the thoughtful reader may find solace by stumbling upon a book by Sennett.
In Corrosion of Character, Sennett exposes the reality on new capitalism and how its emphasis on flexibility has changed the nature of work. flexibility is being encouraged to fight the rigid bureaucracies of the past - and typical of public sector jobs. The 'Career'is a thing of the past. Sennet shows how the emphasis on flexibility is affecting character as expressed by loyalty and committment and ultimately the decline of values and personal traits that are desirable in society. This book is moving in that it shows the negative repercussions of the present - ideologically unchecked - renegade capitalism are eroding human character and life. It is also a warning to those societies that have yet to leap in the totality of the Reagan-Thatcherite economy to resist making the leap.
You might find yourself humming the Internationale and appreciating the color red more after finishing this easy to read book.

"Corroded" and proud of it!
According to Sennett, I am one of those "soul-less, disposable employees with no stability and no career." I never worked anywhere for more than 18 months, and in fact can not remember off hand how many times I changed jobs. Some of my former companies no longer exist; others have turned over completely, with no original people left.
And guess what? I like it this way. I enjoy what I do, and love to learn new things. I make no long-term career goals, and it would be a folly to try since nobody knows what the world will be like in 20 years. When I am not learning anything new, it is time to leave. Does it make me selfish and disployal? Not at all, because my loyalty is to individuals - colleagues, and even more importantly, FORMER colleagues, - not to an abstract entity called a "company". When they need help, such as new business contact, I help them, and they help me. I a word, I am a Free Agent, knowing my own own worth, and negotiating the best deals with those who need my services. (Actually, a consulting company does the negotiations, bargaining not being my strong suit.) And contrary to the "greedy workaholic" image, "best deal" does not necessarily mean "more money". Some weeks I work only 30 hours, to spend more time with my family. And no, I do not believe that delayed gratification is necessarily virtuous (although often necessary). "Live as if you were to die tomorrow, study as if you were to live forever." Sennett seems to yearn for the world of yesteryear, where one went to school, joined a company (and a labor union), rose through the ranks, then went on pension and died. All your life company took care of you in exchange for being an obedient wheel. I suspect only someone who spent his whole life in academia can admire the mind-numbing stupefaction of such "traditional career".
For a balanced view of the changing nature of workplace and the real power of skilled individuals, read "Free Agent Nation" by Daniel Pink. ... Read more

Book Description

The most significant domestic issue of the 2004 elections is unemployment. The United States has lost nearly three million jobs in the last ten years, and real employment hovers around 9.1 percent. Only one political analyst foresaw the dark side of the technological revolution and understood its implications for global employment: Jeremy Rifkin.

The End of Work is Jeremy Rifkin's most influential and important book. Now nearly ten years old, it has been updated for a new, post-New Economy era. Statistics and figures have been revised to take new trends into account. Rifkin offers a tough, compelling critique of the flaws in the techniques the government uses to compile employment statistics.

The End of Work is the book our candidates and our country need to understand the employment challenges-and the hopes-facing us in the century ahead. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Great Compilation Of Labor History inAmerica
I must admit that when I read this book, I was a bit dissappointed at the lack of new information. As a student of labor history, I had read previously many of the ideas and concepts that Rifkin expands upon in several other books. I only wished I had picked up this one book, prior to reading all the others. It would have saved me much time and money.

In short, Rifkin decribes the transition of the worker from pre-industrial revolution, through the era of machines and mass-production, and the advent of the information age in which he predicts there will be fewer and fewer workers. His analysis describes how this effects the worker, organizational make-up, employment relationships, and even how government has been forced to change to accomodate the modern economy.

I believe that anyone interested in the dynamics of technology and globalism on the workforce will find Rifkin's work very interesting, well-written, and easy to read.

A worthwhile read...
Rifkin's work, with a foreword from perhaps one of the most socialist mainstream economists of our day, Robert Heilbroner, of the New School for Social Research, addresses squarely the problems caused by technology replacing labor in today's rapidly changing globalized economy. Since only educated Americans read these days, fully 75%-85% of the U.S. population will never be exposed to the author's insights. Therefore, the solutions presented by Rifkin will fall on deaf ears; and perhaps, they should. Technology as the driving force for social change, as in every other epoch of modern human history, is carving out a niche for the technologically informed individuals. For the sociologists out there, is a new "class" (heaven forbid) being constituted? I think so. What will be the political, economic, and sociological result? Most likely not much different than the impacts of the past epochs: capital/wealth concentration to those individual and institutions who own and control the "means of production" (my apologies to those made nauseous by Marxist arguments) or, in this case, those who control the creation and production of information- or knowledge-based technologies (read Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Time Warner, Disney, GE, Westinghouse). Capitalism has survived in various forms (despite Mr. Marx's assertions) for thousands of years whether in the form of feudalism, mercantilsm, imperialism, corporatism, or today's state-sponsored global corporatism. Therefore, a suggestion to all of those of the laboring classes: Why not give in? Accept benevolent corporate benefactors in the best case, or non-wage-based, total private corporate slavery in exchange for room and board, minimal disease care, and survival. Why struggle and compete against your neighbors, friends, and family members, when wage slaves can never "win" the battle against technological advancements and corporate-statist, social organization? Technologically-disenfranchised wage slaves of the world unite! Instead of the public welfare state of the last half of the twentieth century, financed primarily by regressive payroll taxes levied against the working class, accept defeat; demand benevolent, corporate socialist slavery!

Rifkin is a neo-Malthusian
This book was ok in that it did a good job in describing workplace dislocations caused by new technology, but in many ways, its the same old situation. If one is looking for a very clearly articulated portrayal of these dislocations in the modern time, then one will like this book. I disagree with all of the doom and gloom, however. This sort of doom and gloom reminded me of the Malthus's writings about overpopulation and fears of machinery in the late 19th century, both of which I view as very discredited observations.

There will always be dislocations as result of technological progress; and as tragic as it is, one cannot progress without rendering something obsolete. But we are nowhere near a post-market nor a post-scarcity era.

Everyday more relevant.
Amazon does not allow to scale a book differently for the message and for the way the message is brought. For the message I would give a 5 , for the way a 4, for the solutions a 3.
The theme brought is one of the principal societal trends of today and debit to the current economic crisis. The decline of the working middle class and work as the core of wealth, is becoming inescapable for anyone reading the economic pages in the newspapers or making a living by working in a corporation (I am an ERP consultant). A book written before 1995 has become even more actual in 2003, the temporary relief during the 4 bubble years 98-01 notwithstanding, the economy is a Medusa raft. Why Gore was not allowed or not finding funding to make it a campaing theme is a perfectly understandable drama.
The way it is brought: most of the evidence and working out of the theme is anecdotal and circumstantial, that makes for interesting and fast reading but leaves you without the solidity of scientific proof. There are no statistics, no graphs, no formulas, nothing of the kind. I did not need convincing of the truth of what is happening and those who are not will not by statistics or facts alone, but I like scientifically verifiable facts and figures.
The solutions: undoubtably the non-market sector, guaranteed annual income and income transfers will have to play a role and Rifkin sites a wealth of names and studies supporting this. What I want to see are figures showing how it all adds up: how much redistribution, what are the required tax levels, what are the income levels needed to sustain a 'volunteer' middleclass, what are the permissable income gaps to make it work ?

My Radical Point of View
The title of this book should be My Radical Point of View. Although I did enjoy this book and the decade by decade review of the history of the American workforce and its laws, I found Mr. Rifkin's views quite radical even in the post 9/11 economy. It is very difficult to believe that the world will become a workerless society as the author would like us to believe. There will always be the need for people to fix the machines that Mr Rifkin believes will replace humans. He also does not address one of the largest employers of people that will never be in the technology age, the healthcare industry.

Our society and economy will always have its ups and downs, but it has always recovered. Since 9/11 most of the jobs that were eliminated were technology positions. This is in direct contrast with the main idea of the book. It would be naive to believe that technolgy has not replaced humans because of the advances in machinery and computers, but to the extent The End of Work would like us to believe is foolish.

Hopefully there will be a sequel to this book in 20 years to see how correct Mr. Rifkins views are, but I would tend to believe we will still all have jobs and not be out of work. ... Read more

Book Description

As the current recession ends, many workers will not be returning to the jobs they once held--those jobs are gone. In The New Division of Labor, Frank Levy and Richard Murnane show how computers are changing the employment landscape and how the right kinds of education can ease the transition to the new job market.

The book tells stories of people at work--a high-end financial advisor, a customer service representative, a pair of successful chefs, a cardiologist, an automotive mechanic, the author Victor Hugo, floor traders in a London financial exchange. The authors merge these stories with insights from cognitive science, computer science, and economics to show how computers are enhancing productivity in many jobs even as they eliminate other jobs--both directly and by sending work offshore. At greatest risk are jobs that can be expressed in programmable rules--blue collar, clerical, and similar work that requires moderate skills and used to pay middle-class wages. The loss of these jobs leaves a growing division between those who can and cannot earn a good living in the computerized economy. Left unchecked, the division threatens the nation's democratic institutions.

The nation's challenge is to recognize this division and to prepare the population for the high-wage/high-skilled jobs that are rapidly growing in number--jobs involving extensive problem solving and interpersonal communication. Using detailed examples--a second grade classroom, an IBM managerial training program, Cisco Networking Academies--the authors describe how these skills can be taught and how our adjustment to the computerized workplace can begin in earnest.

... Read more

Book Description

The history of scenario planning is rich and varied. Throughout the ages people have tried to make decisions today by studying the possibilities of tomorrow. When that tomorrow was more predictable and less fraught with uncertainty, those possibilities had a good chance of being the right ones. Now, however, the only given constant in a world of complexity is change itself. In an environment where information technology is driving an information revolution, and where the rules can be rewritten with breathtaking speed, planning can seem more based on luck than foresight.

There are methods for coping with unpredictability. The Scenario planning techniques described in this book will help to think about uncertainty in a structured way. Based on Gill Ringland's previous book Scenario Planning: Managing for the Future, this updated and expanded version focuses specifically on scenarios in public policy. The use of scenarios to create a framework for a shared vision of the future, by promoting discussion and building consensus outside a business environment, is examined. Ringland also looks at the similarities between organizations which have used scenarios successfully - such as the importance of communication via storyline and image.

Scenarios in Public Policy and its companion, Scenario Planning in Business are both practical paperback books that each expand on specific areas of Scenario Planning. They will appeal to managers looking to learn about and apply a particular aspect of scenario planning.

Reviews of Gill Ringland's prevoius work:

"Nobody can ignore the future. This book is a must-read for any manager aspiring to put scenarios into practice."
Arie de Geus, Former Director of Shell International Petroleum and author of 'The Living Company'

"(Gill Ringland) offers us a mechanism by which to bring structure to information technology and other forms of complexity, offering us the vital ability to understand the dynamics of change."
Oliver Sparrow, Chatham House Forum

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Clear and useful
This is a very straightforward guide to scenario planning and scenario thinking in the development of public policy and in the public sector. It is relatively short, clearly written, and has excellent references to material on the Internet as well as a good bibliography.
It has four parts. The first two provide case studies of the use of scenarios in public policy and in public sector organizations respectively. Part 3 is a step-bystep guide to the process of scenario planning. Part 4 is titled Scenario Thinking and describes the role of scenarios in catalyzing organizational learning. ... Read more

Book Description

The collapse of Britain's powerful labor movement in the last quarter century has been one of the most significant and astonishing stories in recent political history. How were the governments of Margaret Thatcher and her successors able to tame the unions?

In analyzing how an entirely new industrial relations system was constructed after 1979, Howell offers a revisionist history of British trade unionism in the twentieth century. Most scholars regard Britain's industrial relations institutions as the product of a largely laissez faire system of labor relations, punctuated by occasional government interference. Howell, on the other hand, argues that the British state was the prime architect of three distinct systems of industrial relations established in the course of the twentieth century. The book contends that governments used a combination of administrative and judicial action, legislation, and a narrative of crisis to construct new forms of labor relations.

Understanding the demise of the unions requires a reinterpretation of how these earlier systems were constructed, and the role of the British government in that process. Meticulously researched, Trade Unions and the State not only sheds new light on one of Thatcher's most significant achievements but also tells us a great deal about the role of the state in industrial relations.

Book Description

In the tradition of Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed and Studs Terkel’s Working, The Mind at Work is an illuminating reassessment of American labor. Testimonials to physical work have always celebrated the dignity, the economic and moral value, even the nobility of blue-collar labor, but rarely the thought required to get the job done right. The lightning-fast organization and mental calculations of the waitress; the complex spatial mathematics of the carpenter; the aesthetic and intellectual dexterity of the hair stylist—our failure to acknowledge or respect these qualities has undermined a large portion of America’s working population. In The Mind at Work award-winning writer Mike Rose sets the record straight by taking a long hard look at the intellectual demands of common work.

Integrating personal stories of his own working-class family with interviews, vivid snapshots of people on the job, and current research in social science and cognitive psychology, Rose draws a brilliantly original portrait of America at work. As he probes the countless decisions, computations, and subtle judgments made every day by welders and plumbers, waitresses and electricians, Rose redefines the nature of important work and overturns the "hand/brain" dichotomy that blinds us to the real contributions of working people. ... Read more

Book Description

About 34 million Americans—nearly 24 percent of the labor force—earn less than $8.70 an hour, not enough to keep a family of four out of poverty, even working full-time.Most of these workers lack a college degree, limiting their ability to get ahead in today’s labor market.Low-Wage America is the most extensive study to date of how the choices employers make in response to economic globalization, industry deregulation, and advances in information technology affect the lives of tens of millions of workers at the bottom of the wage distribution.

Based on data from hundreds of establishments in 25 industries—including manufacturing, retail sales, telecommunications, hospitality, and health care—the case studies presented in this volume document how firms’ responses to economic restructuring often results in harsh working conditions, reduced benefits, and fewer opportunities for advancement. For instance, increased pressure for profits in newly consolidated hotel chains has led to cost-cutting strategies such as requiring maids to increase the number of rooms they clean by 50 percent.Technological changes in the organization of call centers—the ultimate "disposable workplace"—have led to onerous monitoring of operators’ work performance and eroded job ladders.Other chapters show how the temporary staffing industry has provided paths to better work for some, but to dead end jobs for many others; how new technology has reorganized work in the back offices of banks, raising skill requirements for workers; and how increased competition from abroad has forced U.S. manufacturers to cut costs by reducing wages and speeding production.

Although employers’ responses to economic pressures have had a generally negative effect on frontline workers, some employers manage to resist this trend and still compete successfully.The benefits to workers of multi-employer training consortia and the continuing relevance of unions offer important clues about what public policy can do to support the job prospects of this vast, but largely overlooked segment of the American workforce.Low-Wage America challenges us to a national self-examination about the nature of low-wage work in this country and asks whether we are willing to tolerate the profound social and economic consequences entailed by these jobs. ... Read more

Book Description

Third Editions-Revised and Expanded.

Based on the top-selling Best Home Businesses for the 90s, here is a completely updated, comprehensive look at the leading businesses for small and home-based entrepreneurs in the 21st century.

This invaluable guide provides comprehensive profiles of more than one hundred hot new businesses that promise the top opportunities for small-business people in the future.

Paul and Sarah Edwards explore the best opportunities for self-employment in the next century--ranging from being a business-network organizer to running a transcript-digesting service--and provide expert, step-by-step advice on:
-- the skills and knowledge needed to startup;
-- the start-up costs, pricing, and potential earning;
-- the best ways to get new business;
-- the advantages and disadvantages of each business;
-- the hands-on advice of those already in the field.
In addition to the nearly one hundred businesses profiled, an expanded section on "The Best of the Rest" explores dozens of additional top businesses to watch for.

The Best Home Businesses for the 21st Century is the smartest, most complete book available for anyone looking for right ways to make it on their own. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The BEST BOOK
As with all of their books, Paul and Sarah Edwards have added another excellent resource for anyone who is looking to set up a home based business. My suggestion to anyone looking at getting started in a home based business is to grab all of their books. There is so much information..They are certainly the ones that we can rely on.

Visit A Bookstore First
As a home business owner myself, I felt this book could have been better organized and more detailed with certain sections.

Although I do admit there was a great deal of information and resources. If you are still starting out, make sure you have some idea what your interests/strenghts are before persuing this book.

Excellent book packed with VERY useful information
This is not your ordinary "work at home idea" book. The authors really packed a lot of information in this one. And it is valuable information. For instance, in each home business idea they describe, they include pros/cons, REALISTIC salary expectations, potential clients, alternative businesses that are similar, etc. It is great information and really goes beyond the "outline" that most other books give you. If you are looking for ideas on what home business to start, this is the book you need!

Don't bother
Its a waste of time and money. Totally not worth it. I am retuning it tomorrow.

A fantastic source of information.
I thought this book was absolutely awesome. Each business idea comes packed with information. A general synopsis of each idea, knowledge and skills you'll need, advantages to the business, disadvantages, a range of start up costs, a range of pricing, potential earnings, an estimate of what the market will be, the best ways to get business, the first steps to take to start the business, and where to turn for additional information and help, including organizations, courses and training, books, magazines and news letters, manuals, video and audio programs, software, and referal services. Overall a great book for the price. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent overview of how headhunters work, but in mind 90's
As a novice in the recruiting/headhunting industry doing research for a business plan, I found this book to be very informative. It has input from a lot of real time headhunters, so you get to understand how they work on an industry level and on a day to day basis. However, in spite of vast research the authors have put into this book, most of the research was carried out in mid nineties (although the book was published in 2002) so the word "internet" comes up only twice (or a few times) in the book. One gets an impression that the resume/candidate database is one of the most important assets for a headhunter, but I wonder to what extent that is relevant given that a few resume databases such as monster, careerbuilder, hotjobs (some of these sites are mentioned only once or not at all) will give anyone access to a greater number of resumes' than someone who has been in this business for a long time and relies on the resume's in their own database.
But, is in any industry, certain things always remain the same, even with the influence of the internet, and this book does a great job of shedding light on how headhunters work in the marketplace.

A Must Read For All Headhunters
This book is really excellent. The authors have captured the essence of what it is to be a headhunter. Absolutely accurate. A must read for all headhunters, corporate recruiters, employers and employment professionals. This book is filled with perceptive insights, analysis and conclusions that accurately portray how and why headhunters do what they do. Headhunters, as well as people who use headhunters, will benefit greatly from this information. After reading this book you will know more about headhunting than many headhunters themselves. ... Read more

Book Description

This book addresses the intricate relationship between the public and the private sector, covering why and how government intervenes in the economy and how business can respond. It provides analysis from both perspectives, presenting the ways that government policy affects the activities of the modern corporation and the key responses on the part of business.The volume provides an outline of government regulation of business, the global marketplace, government promotion of business and the future of the corporation.For Government Relations Officers, Public Relations Officers and Business Planners. ... Read more