This book is more a sociological text than a popular reader such as Ehrenreich’s books, like Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, but the book is along the same vein. It’s a look into how are trying to make it work in this “new” gig economy.

The book looks at four app based services and how well they do for the workers: Uber, AirBnB, Kitchensurfing and TaskRabbit. Other app based services are mentioned but not in the detail and the interviews were done with people who worked with one of those four services. Ravenelle uses sociological methods of a standard interview and elicits the information which is detailed and summarized in this book.

There are parts that are very readable, and a few sections that feel more like a text book, overall it’s fine. I found myself highlighting a lot in this book, because there was so much that seemed to define the work.
There are some interesting stories in here. It definitely opened my eyes up to some of these services, even though I’ve used very few. I can understand what it is like to be on the worker side instead of the consumer, or client.

The stories of the people trying to make it, to have the flexibility, and still earn a living, the personal aspect made this book remarkable.