 Fink's third book, 1998's "Progressive Intellectuals and the Dilemmas of Democratic Commitment," drew attention in the field of history for its focus on the tension which arises when educated historians study relatively uneducated workers.Using biographies of some of the top labor historians and intellectuals in the field of labor studies, Fink illustrated the problems which can arise when historians try to learn from workers at the same time that they attempt to advise them.In 1999, Fink established the "Listening for a Change" initiative at the Southern Oral History Program.