The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker

"The Mind at Work is an reassessment of American labor. Testimonials to physical work have always celebrated the dignity, economic and moral value, even nobility of blue-collar labor, but rarely the thought required to get the job done right. The lightning-fast calculations of the waitress, the complex spatial mathematics of the carpenter, the aesthetic and diagnostic acumen of the hairstylist - our failure to acknowledge or respect these qualities has long undermined a large portion of America's working population. Mike Rose sets the record straight by taking a long, hard look at the intellectual demands of everyday work." The Mind at Work raises basic questions about the way we define intelligence, determine what counts as valid knowledge, and classify each other by the work we do - all of which have important implications for economic and educational policy and for the kind of society we create for ourselves.