Barbara Ehrenreich was the author of books including “Nickel and Dimed,” in which she shared her experiences living on minimum wage.
- Died: September 1, 2022 (Who else died on September 1?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospice center in Alexandria, Virginia after a stroke at the age of 81.
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Writing career
Ehrenreich had a background in science, receiving her PhD in cellular immunology. Yet she pursued a writing career rather than working as a scientist, often focusing on inequality. Ehrenreich had written more than a dozen books before breaking through to a wide audience with 2001’s bestselling “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.” In it, she described a two-year period in which she deliberately took low-wage jobs including waitressing, housecleaning, and working at Walmart. She found it was nearly impossible to survive while working a single minimum-wage job. The book became an important piece of the conversation on sustainable wages in America. Ehrenreich followed the success of “Nickel and Dimed” with “Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream,” focusing on her undercover experiences trying to get a white-collar job. Her other bestsellers included “Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America.” Ehrenreich was also known for her activism, including serving on the boards of the Democratic Socialists of America and NORML.
Notable quote
“In every job, in every place I lived, the work absorbed all my energy and much of my intellect. I wasn’t kidding around. Even though I suspected from the start that the mathematics of wages and rents were working against me, I made a mighty effort to succeed.” —from “Nickel and Dimed”
Tributes to Barbara Ehrenreich
Full obituary: The Washington Post
