The Great Labor Quotations: Sourcebook and Reader

Rating:
Summary: learn a lot
Review: This book delivers a lot more than a collection of quotations about work and the labor movement. Quotations are divided into 17 chapters that cover work issues in everything from Politics and Union Organizing to professional Sports. There's 19th century drawings, photographs and current cartoons that address the issues covered by the quotations. Visually, the book looks like a labor of love--each page is outlined with quotation graphics, and drawings and photos are handled well. To summarize, this book is a great source for quotations; they're easy to track down through 3 different indexes. But what is surprizing is all the history that's presented through the quotations, citations, author comments, and biographies of labor leaders. It's great fun and a very rewarding book. I savored it a few pages at a time.

Rating:
Summary: inspirational
Review: This book is a wonderful source of inspirational quotations. Through the words of plain folks and great thinkers, you are continually reminded of the spirit of hope and the advancement of the state of working people. The first chapter, This Working Life, has quotes beginning with the Bible and continuing with voices throughout history and from all over the world. The other 16 chapters are more prominently by Americans and about the labor movement. There is a lot more here than quotations. There are short biographies of labor leaders. Photographs and cartoons illustrate issues like unemployment, global competition, and working conditions. The book is a great reminder of how far the average worker has come in the last 100 years, how the fight for a decent living never ends, and how these issues effect all of us. Union members will find the resource directories helpful in finding many more information sources. Overall, a very well thought out book that's captivating and a good resource.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent historical insight
Review: This book is more than just interesting quotes. I gained much more insight into the history of the American labor movement. People's words can be very effective in giving later generations a sense of what really happened. This book offers much to think about. I was struck by the contrasts of courage and pain, strength and cynicism that were evoked by the quotations of real people.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent full-spectrum labor quote reference.
Review: This is a labor quotation sourcebook and provides an intriguing survey of issues of work and labor drawn from the experiences of the American labor movement. Writers and speakers will find this packed with quotes organized by topic, from civil rights, economics, politics and the law to the corporate world and unemployment. An excellent reference.