Ehrenreich, Barbara. “Serving in Florida.” Nickel and Dimed, On (not) getting by in America. New York: Owl Books Henry Holt and Co, 2002.

A widely published columnist, essayist and author of twenty books, Ehrenreich’s interest in political activism takes her into the world of the unskilled working class woman. In this book she documents her experience of trying to survive on the low wage jobs available.

Working as a waitress in Key West, Florida, she documents the transformation of her former affluent mindset and attitudes. The difficulties of trying to find affordable housing combined with the hard physical work of waitressing for low wage quickly changes her persona from an observing scientist to a woman trying to survive.

She shows the constant conflict of the need for the job and the “wage slave” resentment of the workers through her insight of the logic of the smoke break, where “work is what you do for others (and) smoking is what you do for yourself.” She details that the little acts of autonomy waitresses have, that shows up in the “covert distribution of fats” in extra butter or whipped cream, is not only a poke at the establishment but is also a part of the psychological motivation that help one cope with the job. It becomes the expression of humanity in the service to others.

She writes of the human connections and conflicts in this new reality and how this base level of survival alters her view of what is important and how brave or trusting one can afford to be. Her storytelling is engaging and as a former waitress myself and soon to be back out on the job hunting track as well, I found many of her insights and feelings right on the mark.