Selling Ben Cheever: Back to Square One in a Service Economy

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is especially timely and relevant in our present economy - one in which down-sizing and lay-offs have become the norm and it becomes increasingly difficult for those who have lost their jobs to secure employment. After "surviving" several lay-offs, my husband had a number of experiences that paralleled those of Ben Cheever. I was particularly impressed with his depiction of the car sales "game" and how he found himself caught up in it. Ben Cheever is able to write in a manner that is both thought-provoking and witty. This book is definitely worth a read!

This is NOT Nickel and Dimed. Cheever admits that his wife is earning enough money to support the family, so he is not going to starve if he doesn't take these low-paying jobs. Barbara Ehrenreich was a traveler in the world of poverty-level jobs, mixing it up with the natives, living as they do, as much as was possible for a successful author with a doctorate. Cheever is a tourist, sightseeing and participating as an outsider.Cheever's book is meant, I think, to be a bit more fun than Ehrenreich's. And it is. While I admire the heck out of Ehrenreich and agree with her completely, I also appreciate looking at the light side of crappy jobs. I can remember flipping burgers and working the counter at McDonald's, and was in stiches over Cheever's stint at the sandwich shop. If you are fortunate enough to be able to look at minimum-wage jobs from the outside, I think you'll find Selling Ben Cheever entertaining. This may not be the best book to read while you are waiting to be interviewed for your next job, though.

I have the impression that "Selling Ben Cheever" was pitched as being timely, for it was written in the mid-1990's when downsizing lead to massive layoffs of white-collar workers. "... That's the American dream, then: half nightmare. The song: `America the beautiful'. The game: musical chairs. The tempo has never been so frantic."Cheever's working title was "Square One," a perfect title given the subsequent travails of some of those downsized. Since most Americans are largely defined by their work, when one of us is knocked off his pedestal - particularly one of the taller models adopted by the management- and executive-class - the victim is both stunned and set adrift. Those who are over 45 are often unable to regain their lofty perches and instead must indeed start over.In his late forties, Cheever decided he was one of these victims. He claims his lifetime output of three not-very-successful novels qualify him as a bust, at least as a writer; plus he was laid off from a high-paying executive position at Reader's Digest. While his fall is cushioned by having a successful spouse (and probably royalties from his father's books), the pain is nonetheless real. "Work is about identity almost as much as it's about cash. People without jobs are people without status. The unemployment rate is universally accepted as a misery quotient." So Ben Cheever becomes the George Plimpton of the middle-aged unemployed white collar worker. He takes a variety of jobs: security guard, sandwich maker, and salesman. Most of the book is really a collection of insights into life on the "other side of the counter," a behind-the-scenes peek into the world of those working for the minimum wage or on commission. My favorite chapters were about when he worked at CompUSA and then as a car salesman, for they illuminate the darker areas of businesses we all must venture into as customers.In fact, far from being a depressing story relevant only to a demographic not even TV cares about, "Selling Ben Cheever" is highly entertaining and brimming with insights valuable to readers of all ages and economic status.It's also exhibits some inspired writing. The fruit has not fallen far from the tree.

Page-turner may be too strong, but this book is engaging and hard to put down. Cheever is too good at story-telling; he's a master at developing character and setting scene. So it's a fun read. At the same time, this book is disturbing. Anyone counting on the security of a job needs to read this. Times have changed, and Cheever has captured it. He's ventured into the chaos of our economy with a frankness that is at once both instructive and alarming. If you're just a little bit worried about your prospects, get this one and see what you can learn...

How could a thoughtful book about downsizing and starting over again with entry-level jobs be so amusing? Like a wonderful comedian, Cheever makes his points with humor, and he's always willing to be the goat. But what stories he digs up along the way! I laughed, but I also got a brutally honest take on class in America -- and I learned a few tricks about buying big ticket items, too.