Working in the Shadows

Working in the Shadows (2010) by Gabriel Thompson. The full title of this book is "Working in the Shadows: A Year of Doing the Jobs (Most) Americans Won't Do." Thompson, true to his word, spent a year doing jobs that are mostly performed by immigrants, many of them illegals. He cut lettuce in a field in Yuma, AZ, worked in a poultry processing plant in a small southern town, and worked as a restaurant delivery boy in New York City. There's no denying that he picked some hard jobs to work at, and although, strictly speaking, he didn't do it for a year (he spent two months each at three jobs) I think he stayed true to the promise of his book title. Also impressive is that Thompson speaks Spanish, so he was able to communicate with many of his fellow workers who didn't speak English. Ultimately, this book ends up being an impassioned plea for immigrants' rights, and it's hard to argue that they shouldn't make a decent wage working in a safe workplace. This was a good book, a quick read, and very educational. Grade: B+