this has a lot of good info in it but the way it's delivered is so repetitive in its structure that it made reading this quite a slog. the author is a former gawker writer and his internet journalism voice really shows as each chapter felt like i was reading an extended article. the way each interviewee is introduced (name with one or two physical details described (nearly always one being about their hair color or length) and maybe a location added in) especially began to grate three chapters in. sometimes there'd be 10+ people introduced per chapter so it really adds up! there's also only a handful of points to make, so these get repeated ad nauseam as well. i also didn't really like how COVID was discussed in this book, as i felt it was downplayed in the amount of deaths it caused which would add to certain numbers tossed around (especially the decrease in people in labor unions).

im still glad i read this to get a grasp on the current state of labor in the USA. there's also a lot of inspiration to be drawn from the people interviewed in this book and it can be quite empowering (despite the depressing state of major labor organizers) so i think it's worth a read if you can handle the writing style.