A self-proclaimed "myth buster by trade," Barbara Ehrenreich has covered an extensive range of topics as a journalist and activist, and is unafraid to dive into intellectual waters that others deem too murky. Leading off with her 1999 Harper's exposé of living paycheck to paycheck, "Nickel and Dimed," this anthology gathers the articles and excerpts that most highlight her social consciousness and wry wit. Also included are "Welcome to Cancerland" (published shortly after she was diagnosed with breast cancer), as well as "Patriarchy Deflated," "S&M as Public Policy," "The Unbearable Whiteness of Being," and "Is the Middle Class Doomed?"

"The strange and frightening world we suddenly find ourselves living in is one Ehrenreich has warned about for decades…. Her scathing take feels all but prophetic now."—Washington Post