The book is a collection of essays from the past four decades, with a focus on poverty, inequality, and the struggles of the working class. The author's dark wit and sincere activism shine through, making the book both thought-provoking and engaging.
Barbara Ehrenreich's 'Had I Known' is a compilation of her essays spanning four decades. The collection is mostly familiar to readers of 'Nickel and Dimed,' focusing on themes of sexism, health, science, religion, and the growing poverty and inequality in society. Ehrenreich's writing is characterized by her unwavering radicalism and dark wit, which makes the book both thought-provoking and engaging. She discusses her experiences as a journalist and her transition into a more affluent lifestyle, which allowed her to write about issues she cared about. Her sincere activist efforts are evident, and her critique of the neoliberal order is both harmful and absurd. The book is a testament to her expansive curiosity and her commitment to social justice.
Quick quotes
Ehrenreich has written about her experiences as a breast cancer patient (“Bright-Sided,” “Natural Causes”) and as a sullen teenager who was desperately searching for meaning (“Living With a Wild God”).
The number of established outlets was shrinking. News sites may have proliferated online, but they didn’t pay much, if at all.
The reigning neoliberal order, she argues, is not only harmful but absurd; just as some pharmaceutical companies profit from pesticides that arguably contribute to the cancers they offer to treat, Silicon Valley stokes attention disorders while piously peddling mindfulness apps.