Customer Reviews

A Working Stiff's Manifesto: Confessions of a Wage Slave

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Despite what the title might suggest, "A Working Stiff's Manifesto" is hardly a proletarian call to arms. This social commentary/memoir does live up to it's title in that it focuses on the fate of the average working "stiff" to continually tread water and the probability that there is little he can do to alter it.

The tone of this book is in harmony with Faludi's "Stiffed", Ehrenreich's "Nickle and Dimed", and Moore's "Downsize This". There is little humor here, other than that derived from irony. Levison's opinions have greatly enhanced credibility because they are based upon his own personal experiences shifting from from one low wage job to another struggling to get by.

The power of this work is in the irony it depicts. He very effectively describes how hard work and loyalty are no longer of value to employers, and the average worker is callously treated and continually reminded that he is entirely expendible. Workers are treated as if they have little intelligence and aren't worthy of dignity and respect; when initially enticed with courtesy and enthusiasm in all likelihood those lures are deceits employed to exploit or fleece them.

Levison simply presents his examples, which range from working in a "chi chi" Scarsdale gourmet grocery to an Alaskan seafood processor, in a straightforward, unembellished fashion. His depiction of the absurdity of drug tests and employment questionnaires in light of the recruitment pool drawn by the salaries is one of the many great ironies highlighted by his anecdotes.

He devotes a substantial part of the book depicting the fishing and seafood processing industry in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. His descriptions are interesting, and in some ways grimly reminsicent of "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich".

Toward the end of the book he includes a somewhat inchoate description of the impact (or lack thereof) of the internet.
While he offers some apt and interesting observations, this segment comes as almost a nonsequitur, and could have used more development.

Definitely an interesting read, with apropos observations and social commentary. If you appreciate irony this will appeal to you; however, it is not an uplifting book, but hopefully one which will instill you with greater sensitivity to low wage workers, and compell you to clamor for greater social justice.

Don't let the title fool you...this book is laugh-out-loud funny, a true glimpse into how draining it is, both financially and emotionally, to hold a low-wage job in today's economy. Levison takes on a journey through the bottom rungs of America's workforce, describing, with both humor and accuracy, the misery inherent in jobs which do not provide the workers with a living wage. His descriptions of corporate manipulation at something as innocuous as an upscale Scarsdale grocery store, or a corporate restaurant, ring true on every level, as he describes the relentlessness with which the mangement insists on pleasantness. It reminded me of the "flair" scene from the movie "Office Space."
The descriptions of the Alaskan fishing industry are both interesting and frequently hilarious. Nothing misses this writer's sharp, ironic eye.
This book is a must read for everyone who ever feels they are being manipulated or treated like a number at their jobs. Great Stuff!

I heard or read that Kalfa's buddies would howl with delight as he read them passages from "The Trial" when it was a work in-progress; likewise, prisoners at San Quenton never enjoyed themselves more than watching a performance of "Waiting for Godot." I can only recommend this wonderful little memoir as my contribution to this list. My twenties were somewhat similar to Levinson's misadventures although not in scope and insight, still I identified immediately with his odyssey. The book is well written to boot and I plan to read it every decade or so to see what more I can derive. By the way, ignore the poor guy who lambasted this book a few reviews back with comments such as "How to blame everyone but yourself for your problems." There is not an ounce of this anywhere; all Levison wants is fair play after he gets a job and his futile quest to find it is where this story gets it's motivation. If you need one line to summarize, then try this on for size: It's a story about the misuse of power done with great satire. Great read!

Please read the book for yourself (borrow it from the library if you must) rather than going with other's opinions of it. Levinson points out the aburdities of the general workplace with great wit - it may not be Nietzsche, and he may exaggerate his experiences, but the writing would be pretty dry otherwise. Those who decry him for his attitude - well, it's hard to have a good attitude when your bosses treat you like s--t, when you're nothing more than a cog in the machine; it's a nice guilty pleasure to read about his vindictive actions against his a--hole employers. The fact that he has this book published as well as a forthcoming novel just proves that he has managed to rise above his past situations of brain-dead employment.

I too wondered (as another reviewer did) why Mr. Levison, during the years he was doing these make-do jobs, didn't continue to pursue work using the writing skills he obviously has. Maybe he did, and just worked "in the meantime". I also don't recall details of his financial obligations--family, housing, education loans, etc.--which is to say, his bottom-line needs. Granted--working full time does not leave a whole lot of hours free for job hunting, and the economy and employment situations in the US has been a roller coaster ride for many years.

But there is truth within his observations, and he writes it like it is. He offers a perspective on what is the working reality for many decent, hard-working people. Work at this level has become a game (on both sides). I think it helps to consciously be aware of that. He presents these sad realities with great humor and irony! An easy, quick, entertaining and informative little book.

This has been the first book I've read cover to cover in one sitting in over a year. Like the author, I've had a hard time finding a job which paid a livable wage and didn't make me feel humiliated or exhausted at the end of every day, and, like the author, I've been to water-filter meetings.
The part where he describes the water filter meeting, a multi-level marketing scam which has trapped so many people looking for a way out, was the best written and funniest part of the book. Levison has a way of describing situations with humor, but still reminds the reader how frustrating it is to have to deal with these situations day in and day out. When I was done, I had not only laughed myself sore, I had been made to feel like I wasn't the only person who was having trouble getting any respect out of an economy which seemed to promise so much and deliver so little.

This book gives us a glimpse of the reality of low wage work which is hard, draining and keeps families near the poverty line. This is not an uplifting book and the lead charactar in this true story is not some slap happy soul. It's a painful examination of what life is truly like for those who tread this difficult existence of working the service industry jobs--working in restaurants, markets, etc--which keeps them at survival level but not much more. If for no other reason, it should be read to raise our societal awareness and concern for those living on the brink of poverty.

Near the beginning of Iain Levinson's hilarious book "A Working Stiff's Manifesto," he tells us:

"In the last ten years, I've had forty-two jobs in six states. I've quit thirty of them, been fired from nine, and as for the other three the line was a little blurry."

He labels himself a modern day Tom Joad. The only difference? Tom Joad didn't blow $40,000 on a English degree.

Throughout the book, Levinson describes his experiences at some of these jobs and introduces us to some of his former co-workers. Although the stories should not be funny, you cannot help but laugh at Levinson's self-deprecating humor. You also cannot avoid getting angry at the treatment of the workers who are underpaid and overworked.

There is a wonderful irony to this book. Levinson claims that his English degree was usless and that is why he had to suffer these jobs. Now, because of talents he probably honed in English class, he was able to write a great book.

Highly Recommended

I loved this book and have not laughed this hard in a long time. Most of us have had a few degrading jobs in our lifetime but this is quite a collection. This book is infinitely superior to Barbara Enrenrich Nickel and Dimed because the author actually survived on these wages instead of taking a few months off from a toney upper class new york lifestyle.

One star deducted because the price is awfully steep for 160 pages.

Iain Levison touches a nerve in our collective psyche with this rip-roaring memoir of life at the bottom rung of the corporate ladder. His refreshing, politically incorrect observations, hit the nail on the head. And he is right about Thoreau; any grown man who lives on the largess of his mother has no business telling us what to do. If you're fed up with perky managers in crisp uniforms who are always focussed on getting everyone to smile smile smile, this book's for you. Very little of Mr. Levison's work experiences brought him smiles, but all of it, told with his gallows humor, brings laughter.