““Someone should do some research on this.” (Ehrenreich, 2001). During the final course of her 30:00 lunch with Louis Lapham, editor of Harpers, Barbara Ehrenreich wondered how anyone could survive on a minimum wage. She would soon eat her words when Lapham pointed at her and said, "You." Initially reluctant to do the research, Ehrenreich eventually capitulates and begins life as a minimum wage worker in America. The main idea of ​​his experiment was to spend a month in each location and earn enough to pay the second month's rent (p.5-6). He wonders if he will find some special techniques that poor people use to survive. He discovers that there are no secret economies, people simply do the best they can with what they have available. Ehrenreich gives himself some rules (p.5), for example, he will always have a car. He will never go hungry, he will not use his education as an advantage, and he will find the safest and most private housing he can afford. These are parameters that the truly poor do not have and she freely admits that all her rules have been broken at some point. Ehrenreich also finds that it is usually necessary for a single minimum wage worker to have two jobs to afford the bare minimum of housing. In each location, Ehrenreich follows the same basic formula. Look for accommodation and then start your job search. Interviews are similar, generally conducted by someone without formal interviewing skills. There is usually a psychological test of some kind and often a drug test as well. As for transportation, Ehrenreich uses his own car in Florida. In Maine and Minnesota rent. He avoided taking the bus, as many low-wage workers do, because it wouldn't be very interesting to read a...half a sheet of paper...writing a book about their misery. In this, his Marxist worldview is at odds with his capitalist behavior. In this book, we take just a look at some aspects of the life of a low-wage worker. We never read about car repair problems or meet anyone who uses public transportation to get to work. We also never hear about childcare issues, often a big problem for single mothers. Overall it was an interesting read. However, anyone can learn much of this same information and more simply by talking to the “invisible” people who serve us every day. Works Cited Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and blacked out. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC. Gorski, P. (2010/2011). The myth of the culture of poverty. Annual editions: Social problems 10/11, pp. 67-70. Sachs, J. D. (2010/2011). Is it possible to eliminate extreme poverty? Annual editions: Social problems 10/11, pp. 71-75.