Barbara Ehrenreich
American writer and activist (1941 to 2022) who wrote Nickel and Dimed.
At a glance
Main ideas
The working poor, Against positive thinking, Women's health
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Witches, Midwives, and Nurses, Fear of Falling, Nickel and Dimed …
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Michael Harrington and Nickel and Dimed
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- Ehrenreich was a journalist, essayist and socialist activist with a PhD in cellular immunology who wrote 21 books.
- Her best-known, Nickel and Dimed (2001), recounted her attempt to live on minimum-wage jobs.
- She wrote on health, class, women and the positive-thinking industry.
- She was a prominent figure in the Democratic Socialists of America.
Why it matters
- Nickel and Dimed made the hardships of the working poor vivid to a wide audience and inspired a genre of immersive reporting.
Key facts
- Born
- 26 Aug 1941, Butte, Montana1
- Died
- 1 Sep 2022, Alexandria, Virginia, after a stroke1
- Education
- Reed College, chemistry (1963); PhD in cellular immunology, Rockefeller University1
- Coined
- "Professional-managerial class", with John Ehrenreich, in 19771
- DSA
- Honorary co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America from 2013 to 20171
- Founded
- The Economic Hardship Reporting Project; United Professionals (2006)1
- Awards
- Lannan Literary Award; Erasmus Prize1
Main ideas
Books to start with
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Connections
Links
Sources
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How recent
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