2 comments about A City in Terror: Calvin Coolidge and the 1919 Boston Police Strike.

1. This book is great for anyone interested in Boston history, labor history or American history in the period following WWI when labour unions were striking all across the country and fear and violence were shaping politics in America.
   
   The riots, and the politically shrewd actions of Goverenor Calvin Coolidge led to his election as President in a time when the handling of unions and strikes was as important of an issue as any in modern day politics.
   
   I highly recommend this book if you are interested in seeing what life was like in 1918, what happens when the police force of a large city strikes, and what chain of events can propel a man to the highest political office in the world.



2. I would have liked to have seen a greater number of references and footnoting for the book. While a very good history, it lacks what I would consider a true scholarly outlook. I do not doubt the research, but I have a problem with not being able to follow up on the research.
   
   Overall, this book is an excellent resource for the Boston Police Strike, especially in lieu of the results (the First Red Scare).

5 comments about The Union Steward's Complete Guide: A Survival Guide.

1. A new, updated and expanded edition was published in 2006; the original was published in 1997. Be sure you're seeing the latest version.



2. This is a great resource for old and new stewards alike. Everything is broken down into easy to look up categories that give information from health and safety to conducting a meeting. I highly recommend it.



3. This book is a good reference tool for the novice Union Steward, and I recommend it to anyone who is currently a Union Steward. Lots of insightful tips!



4. A MUST for the new Stewart, and very helpful for the experienced Stewart, as a refresher.



5. Easy to read and a must have pilled with information. Don't take all of it litteraly because every union uses parts of this book in different ways.

5 comments about Coyotes: A Journey Across Borders With America's Illegal Migrants.

1. This story rivets the reader to the writer's acceptance (guarded) by poor Hispanics as he seeks to be an Imbed with them when they cross the border at a couple of different sites. There was the interception by Mexican border police and their payoff; then life beyond the border on the way to nearby farms serviced by Coyotes (travel guides and job finders) and potato fields of Idaho (serviced by the same dependable families year after year).
   It gives many glimpses of that struggle to pass on a better life to the kids.
   
   The writer may influence many who would become investigative reporters.



2. This is one of a handful of books recently written where the author joins a group of undocumented workers crossing the border in attempt to gain employment in the United States. The interesting twist here is that the author, though apparently fluent in Spanish, is white. He also attempts to work in the fields himself, as opposed to simply observing and writing about the work of others. This leads to a number of unique experiences and observations on race relations that are rarely discussed in this context. It also allows the reader to better understand what life is like for many undocumented workers in this country. Kudos to Ted Conover for making a sincere effort to better understand the lives of those that would not otherwise be recorded.



3. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in the immigration debate and particularly those hard-liners who would exoriate the Democrats for their solutions that give a measure of "amnesty," or Sen. John McCain for saying, "These people need some of our love and compassion."
   This book seems to become only more relevant with time. Ted Conover, as well, is one of the best contemporary journalists, if not the best book-length writer of journalism in this era. He writes from the margins of society with great insight and compassion. You won't be disappointed in anything he's set to paper.



4. I purchased this book for my book club, and although I was a bit perplexed by the choice (living in New England where the immigration problem is not so obvious), I was actually pleasantly surprised.
   The topic is one that should be on everyone's mind with respect to the immigration problem in our country.
   However, this fresh, personal perspective does give us a "birds eye view" of the life of the Mexican immigrant culture, and how difficult and complex it is. I especially found the book interesting having grown up in California, and observing first hand, what a complicated economic and social problem immigration really is for the immigrants and natives alike.
   Although a bit slow in parts, it did give a refreshing insight to the culture that may not have been captured by a mere casual observer. On the other hand, I found the chapter set in the airport quite fascinating and entertaining!
   I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Hispanic immigrant culture.



5. As good as a journalistic effort can get...
   
   Like Orwell's Down and Out in London and Paris, times TWO!
   
   Should be on the shelves of anyone with an opinion on immigration, pro or con.
   
   Should be on the shelves of and journalist to teach them what it is all about.
   
   Thanks for this seminal work.
   
   God Bless Humanity and this Earth

4 comments about The Legal Rights of Union Stewarts.

1. I've been a steward for 2 years and heard of this book from a fellow steward. It has been very informative, helpful, and it is in a condensed format thereby making it user friendly.



2. This book should be the first thing any new union officer reads and as a long time union officer I read it at least once a year to refresh myself. As president of my local union I make sure all of our officers and stewarts have their own copy to read and refer back to as they have need to. "The Legal Rights of Union Stewarts", answers many questions and provides a knowledge base for more indepth learning.



3. This is a very good book. It gives a lot of insight into labor laws and issues, and rights of the union stewards. It is a definite must buy for every union steward or aspiring union steward.



4. I think this is an excellent book for an individual who is new to the union and becoming a shop steward. I also enjoy the fact that the book is a very easy read and is effortless to comprehend.
   This book gives you a step by step extensive approach of what to do, when and how to do it, where to seek information, and how to pull it all together.
   I HIGHLY recommend The Legal Rights of Union Stewards, 4th edition by Robert M. Schwartz.

5 comments about The Wages of Whiteness: Race and the Making of the American Working Class, Revised and Expanded Edition (Haymarket).

1. This book tackles the difficult subject of race relations among the working class of America. The time frame for this book is generally fom 1800 through the Civil war, as America was turning from an agricultural society to an industrial society. Slavery was drawing to a close, immigration had increased, and the urban populations of American cities were growing. All of these elements combined to create an urban working class complete with racial tension. Within this context, David R. Roediger defines the attitudes of race and race relation in a manner that is unique to most histories of urban studies. He not only records the developments of a racial identity, but he also examines the reasons why the white community defined itself as well as how the white community defined other groups. This book will probably stir a lot of controversy, but it will also answer many questions. Any historian or urban studies major can benefit form this book, but beyond college level readers, anyone interested in racial identities and racial differences can also appriciate this book.



2. This book challenges white male racism, proving once again that white males are racist not only when they are affluent, but when they are "working class", a term that bears some scrutiny, because even if a Black person recieves the same wages, they are of course subject to the horrors of racism. When *will* white males ever figure this out???



3. David Roediger examines the growth and social construction of racism as it was related to the working classes of the ninteenth century. His scholarship earned him the Organization of American Historians Merle Curti Prize for US Social History in 1991. This work is brief, but dense in analysis, argument and scholarly interpretations.

   The book basically explores how white workers (with an emphasis on Irish Americans) sought after a "wage" for their color, by placing on Black Americans the mantle of "other", objectifying and stratifying blacks into an object of prejudice and discrimination.

   After a lengthy discussion of the historiography of labor and race issues, Roediger writes eloquently of the cultural formation of words such as slave, servant, hired hand, freeman, white slave, master and boss. All of which, he argues, were used to diferentiate between blacks and white laborers. He is careful to point out that it was the workers themselves who created the terms as a means to divide the races and elevate whites on the hierarchy of social status. It is a convincing arguement. The text concludes with an enlightening discussion of "black face" and the social struggles of the Irish, whom many felt in the majority viewed as "white negroes."

   This book is scholarly and a read that demands one's attention.




4. This book is yet another attempt at degrading the white race. There is nothing wrong with being white, just like there is nothing wrong with being black. If you want to hear someones idea on whats wrong with being white instead of looking at the facts then you should read this book.



5. A small but very significant difference in terminology prevented me from getting far with this book. Roediger refers to black persons as "Black" (capitalized) and to white persons as "white" (lowercase) throughout his entire book. This rather meaningful difference in terms is utilized in every single instance that a cursory glance through the text revealed these words appearing either as nouns or adjectives. Thus the white person is consistently devalued in contrast to the black individual, solely by the word used to designate him or her. Since this racial devaluation of the white indiviudal is the premise upon all of what follows is based, why bother to read further? Almost before the introductory sentence, we already have a good sense of the bias inherent in the whole book, a bias which puts the author's fair reporting of facts or interpretation thereof into serious question. Is it just a stupid joke, or an example of white self-hatred, or both, that Roedinger would write nearly 200 pages making a case about how whites advanced themselves in the workplace by collectively devaluing blacks, while himself using language which consistently devalues whites?

3 comments about The Essential Guide to Workplace Investigations: How to Handle Employee Complaints & Problems.

1. One of the responsibilities of employers is to insure a safe and secure workplace. This necessitates dealing with employee accusations of harassment, discrimination, workplace violence, employee theft, and other challenges to the workplace security of employees -- whether the problem is perceived from emanating from management or other employees. Lisa Guerin, an attorney specializing is resolving workplace issues, has written "The Essential Guide To Workplace Investigations: How To Handle Employee Complains & Problems", a 350-page, 'user friendly' instruction manual for managers, human resources professionals, and business owners, on investigating and resolving common workplace issues in a manner that is fair, effective, and in adherence to federal laws and state regulations. Enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM with forms, sample polices, checklists, and other resources, "The Essential Guide To Workplace Investigations" is an informed and informative, offering step-by-step instructions on deciding whether or not to investigate a complain; taking immediate action if deemed necessary; selecting an investigator; planning the investigation; interviewing; gathering evidence; evaluating the evidence; taking appropriate action; documenting the investigation; and doing follow-up to insure future compliance. Simply stated, "The Essential Guide To Workplace Investigations" is an essential and basic reference for anyone charged with the responsibility of providing employees with a conflict-free work environment.



2. "The Essential Guide to Worplace Investigations: How to Handle Employee Complaints and Problems" should have a place in your HR library. The book is easy to read and offers common sense approaches to tackling most employee issues. It would benefit novice HR persons, as well as operational managers. Overall, a great guide to handling tough issues.



3. Amazon.com as always was prompt and the book was in mint condition. Needless to say they have the best prices and quality of any online book seller.

5 comments about The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage.

1. The China Price does a really good job explaining what goes on in China's factories and, in particular, the whole system that has been built up in China for avoiding monitoring by Westerners. Ms. Harney's thesis is that in many cases, Western companies producing goods in China know the prices they are paying make fair employment and decent environmental standards impossible. I recommend the book to anyone interested in how China has managed to achieve the China price and what the societal and environmental costs of that price has been. I also recommend it to anyone thinking of doing any manufacturing in China, be it on your own or through outsourcing. This book will teach you what really goes on in China manufacturing.



2. Discussions of free trade sing its virtues, while the reality is something different: the unequal terms of that trade, especially vis a vis China and the United States, where two sets of rules are at work. One result is the 'China price' and the growing imbalance in trade relationships. The larger picture shows the other side to globalizaton: the exploitation of cheap labor, disregard of environmental law, and the generally totalitarian nature of this mutant form of capitalism. This book usefully presents the information absent from most public media discussions of the issues of free trade and is an eye-opener. However, the portrait given is of an unstable situation that can't last forever, whatever new mutation lies down the road. Residents of the United States have been caught up in an ambiguous contradiction, the destruction of domestic industry, and the addictive temptations of Walmartization. As the wheel turns from this unstable new development in global capitalism to the next combination, some awareness of the disinformation created by 'economics' discussions in the United States is needed to correct the long-term destructive character of this confused, yet to some very profitable, constellation of capitalist trickeries.



3. This book gives an in-depth look at the human cost of cheap merchandise from China, both to Americans and to the Chineese workers that make them.



4. If you're interested in reading more recent reviews and commentary about The China Price, please see my blog at http://thechinaprice.blogspot.com and the book's website at http://thechinaprice.org. There are links on those sites to purchase the book through Amazon.com as well.



5. China is not so different after all. Their economy develops more or less along the same trajectory as many mature markets have gone before her. First, the trading of goods fueled by low labour costs. Technologies are copied and pirated to build up internal capability. Along the line, some threshold is reached and low wages for PhDs to work in factories just doesn't make sense anymore. Then came the value-added phase where quality and knowledge capitals becoming increasingly valuable. Volume and price alone is no longer the driving force behind the growth. Innovations and the beginning of the service sectors accelerate as the economy climbs up the value food chain. These aren't sequential steps, varying degree of each element are fighting for positions all the time. Japan went through the same path, so did Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea. Even Hong Kong, with its relatively small population, have followed similar paths with their clothing and toys industry. What is unique in China's case, is the sheer size and speed at which this is happening. Unlike previous markets, many Chinese cities with the population of smaller nations did not want to wait for the rest of the country to catch up. Viewing China as one single economy may be deceptive.
   
   Against this backdrop, Harney put a human face on this picture. She lives in Hong Kong, and speak both Japanese and Mandarin. The China Price is an intimate account of her journey to understand the competing forces at play, the duality of the nation's conscience and its place in a world of globalisation. It was not so much of an expose. The questionable accounting practices, the phony audits, the frustrating emphasis on personal relationship and the need to be in the inner circles and many other ills are well documented. Harney's ability to build trust with the factory peasant girls, with the widow of a gemstone worker who carried her husband on her back to seek daily medical care, the amputee worker's advocate who setup a legal advisory service with virtually no professional training except sheer gut and determination, makes this a unique business book. Wal-Mart features prominently in the book. Rather than spending millions on audits and feel-good trainings, Wal-Mart and others should examine their procurement strategy. Can extreme low cost manufacturing be sustained in the long term ? Are consumers addicted to China price like a drug ? Is this fueling consumer debt, dangerously ? May be the millions spent could be better utilised by helping the Chinese companies to move up the value chain. Those who understand the need of China to move to a more knowledge based economy will reap the benefits for decades to come.

5 comments about Create Your Own Employee Handbook: A Legal & Practical Guide (3rd edition).

1. This is a complete kit for making your company's own employee handbook. There is legal information, state specific information, resources to follow for your specific needs, and then, the best part of all, there is CD that comes with this that has everything you need already typed for you. All you have to do is insert the CD and save the files, which are in MS Word, and voila - you have it. The only thing you have to do is decide which policies you want for your company, fill in a few blanks, change the TOC and you are ready to print it out! A very practical and easy way to create your own employee handbook! I was quite impressed.



2. I used the book for a class and found it full of a lot of helpful and useful information.



3. I am very pleased with this book. I was placed in charge of writing an employee handbook for a small office and this book (and accompanying CD-ROM) made my job very easy. The CD-ROM allows you to easily cut and paste most of the general verbage of the handbook - and customize to your needs. It is also very helpful in educating on laws. I highly recommend this for anyone taking on the task of creating an employee handbook.



4. This book has all the major policies and considerations for an employee handbook. I appreciate its clear concise language. It points out the policy considerations in choosing between options. It is current. (Laws change enough each year that I wouldn't suggest anyone buy a legal text over 5 years old or even a couple of years old in some cases.) The CD is easy to use. I'm a lawyer and was curious about it so I bought it. I was pleased with its thoroughness. If you are in a unionized environment remember that you can't just implement many of the policies therein without negotiating with your union. It would, however, give you language to discuss and the pros and cons of the alternatives.



5. This guide takes you step-by-step through writing a well-organized handbook. The computer files are RTF format and load perfectly in MS Word. It's easy to cut and paste in blocks of text. Make no mistake, you'll have to rewrite many sentences for your company, but having the text is still faster than a full retype.
   
   Absolutely delivers on the promises it advertises. Weeknesses are present. Could be a little more indepth on the legal side. Has many great tables about laws where you can look up your state's laws specifically but also is missing several tables that would be nice, and refers you to your state labor website instead...understandable, but could be more complete.
   
   Uses "you/we" language in its text templates, which has a really large corporate stuffy feel to it, even if the language is kept simple. "We require you..." sort of feeling. I changed all 'we' to name of the company and while less 'personal' it actually sounds more team oriented. It's not hard to do since every sentence just has to be gone over anyway. Still, don't get the idea it's 'difficult,' using the templates is handy in many ways, quicker than retyping, and enforces a great outline organization for your handbook.
   
   You can build a complete and good handbook with this and proper research within your company and about your state's laws. As they say, a lawyer will be a necessary part at some point if you want to be careful, but you may not need to pay one to read the whole thing, just to consult on sticky parts for your business or your state.
   
   We'll finish our handbook within a month. I've heard of some small companies taking a year to complete one. I know this book has helped tremendously.

1 comments about Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW, and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century.

1. Beyond the Fields follows in the tradition of Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States by providing little known history about the UFW, its organizing tactics and its profound legacy on political activism in America over the past four decades. The book provides a historic overview of the UFW, its leaders-- particularly Cesar Chavez--, its achievements and the lasting impact of tactics developed and used by the UFW on political organizing around the country. Many of the stories of post-UFW social justice struggles in the book are riveting, including the Justice for Janitors campaign in Miami and a history of the national movement for immigrant rights. The book is particularly timely now because of the use of UFW organizing strategies in the ground game to elect Barack Obama. Great as it will be to have Obama in the White House, Obama's election isn't a magic solution to the country's many and deep social problems. Shaw's book provides valuable history to guide activists in the battles to come.

4 comments about Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy.

1. As the mother of five that relied on childcare during the many years of single parenting I think we tend to concentrate too much on the elite and their need for childcare. The notion that this childcare contributes to the foreign exchange is a little off base when in reality it contributes to an underground economy because the salaries are mostly off the books and taxes are not paid in any form. Safety issues also arise when you consider that most of the illegeal aliens caring for our children have never had childhood immunizations, and refuse the TB test. This may sound unimportant and nit picking but the reality is diseases we thought were erradicated like whooping cough can be traced to the unimmunized worker. Leaving your children behind to take care of mine is something we as a nation should give more thought about.



2. ...Nevertheless, this book gives the reader valuable insight into the impact and opinions of women migrant workers in the service trades. All of the anthologized authors write in an accessible style free of academic jargon. I was particularly interested in the articles which did not have an American viewpoint and which presented the views of the women (and occasionally men) involved. For example, in various essays we get to meet Dominican women in the sex trade hoping to form relationships with European men; a college-educated Vietnamese women entering into an arranged marriage with an immigrant man holding an unskilled job in the U.S.; Filipina household workers laughing about the rules proposed by prospective Hong Kong employers; and a Sri Lankan man taking over the traditional woman's role to assist migrant relatives working in Saudi Arabia.

   There are some gaps here, such as the lack of first-person narratives and the views of Eastern European women working in Western Europe, but no anthology can be all-inclusive. This book is a good start and will be an intersting learning experience for most readers.




3. In brief essays, the authors present generally unbiased academic discussions of the globalization of female workers. Though hardly a new phenomenon, it has dramatically increased in the last 50 years and is a topic that is deserving of this type of examination. The topics are clearly delineated between domestic workers, cheap labor and the sex trade - however, there are unfortunates whose experiences range from one to the other out of necessity, desperation or coercion. This harsh reality of the vulnerability of these women is discussed with jargon-free, scholarly precision. Excellent for libraries, research and the well-read individual.



4. Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy, edited by Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Russell Hochschild, Metropolitan Books, Holt & Co, 2002.
   
   Most of us are well aware of the patterns of illegal immigration which bring numerous undocumented workers to the US and other developed countries from less developed countries. Those who work in agriculture, lawn care, and low paying jobs like janitors are well known. This book takes a detailed look at female migrant workers. These include maids, nannies, nurses, those who care for the young and elderly and extends to those kidnaped or sold into the sex slave trade and those who seek marriageable partners in developed countries to obtain visas. A single mother can earn enough in a developed country as a nurse, a nanny or as a prostitute to leave her children behind in the care of a relative and pay for their education and daycare. This process gives her children access to a better education that can lift them out of poverty.
   
   This book is a collection of essays authored with assistance of researchers from numerous third world countries. The sociological aspect is consistent with Ehrenreich's usual works--always rich with social commentary. This time she functions as editor and provides one chapter from her earlier experience at Merry Maids as told in Nickeled and Dimed. Hochschild is professor of sociology at Berkeley.
   
   The major migratory pathways for women are described generally as from south to north. In the US, African American women accounted for 60% of domestics in the 1940s. They have now been replaced by Latinas mostly from Mexico and Central America. In Europe migrants come from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. In the oil rich Mideast, many come from Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Phillippines, and Sri Lanka. In France, they now come from Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria; in Italy, from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Cape Verde. Generally, migrants have replaced those who once came from poor rural areas of their own countries.
   
   Several chapters on nannies and their problems are especially informative. The hours are long, overtime is seldom paid, time off it minimal, workers are sometimes farmed out to other families, or required to travel with the family on "holiday." The children often become attached to the nanny as part of the family, but this can result in jealousy on the part of birth mothers. Many nannies leave abruptly after an argument.
   
   Various aspects of the sex trade are explored. In the Dominican Republic, married women may voluntarily go to the larger town of Sosua to work as prostitutes in the sex tourist industry. This good money is used to pay the family bills, but husbands sometimes spend the funds on alcoholism and gambling when the wife is away. Some prostitutes hope for a marriage proposal from German tourists. In Thailand, in the less prosperous mountain districts, daughters once were sold into sex slavery when the economic survival of the family required it. Now, rapid industrialization and rising standard of living have created major growth in sex tourism. Industrial workers have more money to spend on prostitutes. Mountain Thais now are more willing to sell their daughters to fund the purchase of electronics and other consumer goods.
   
   In Viet Nam, the war killed many males and a disproportionate number of males were able to migrate to the US after the war. This has resulted in an over abundance of females. Educated females become un-marriageable. Arranged marriages with US citizens is one solution to this problem.
   
   This book provides perspective on another aspect of the woman's rights movement in developing countries. Apparently several previous books have issued, but this subject has received little attention in the overall scheme of immigration policy. I saw no discussion of how these problems should be addressed. Presumably better laws are needed as well as a willingness to enforce existing laws in the case of the sex slavery and sex tourism. Different solutions seem appropriate in the case of licensed nurses who are aided in getting visas to fill a real shortage. The presence of undocumented migrants working as nannies and domestics is yet another problem. Perhaps different solutions are needed for each group. Mixing all of them in a single volume confuses the issues. The book lacks the impact it could have had.
   
   This book is nicely done and thought provoking, but the absence of proposed solutions is a major omission. A collection of charts provide details of the female migrations. Notes. Bibliography. Index.