▁their ▁vehicles . ▁ ▁Ehren reich ▁con cludes ▁with ▁the ▁argument ▁that ▁all ▁low - w age ▁workers , ▁recip ients ▁of ▁government ▁or ▁char itable ▁services ▁like ▁w elf are , ▁food , ▁and ▁health ▁care , ▁are ▁not ▁simply ▁living ▁off ▁the ▁gener os ity ▁of ▁others . ▁ ▁Instead , ▁she ▁suggests , ▁we ▁live ▁off ▁their ▁gener os ity : ▁ ▁The ▁author ▁con cludes ▁that ▁som ed ay , ▁low - w age ▁workers ▁will ▁rise ▁up ▁and ▁demand ▁to ▁be ▁treated ▁fairly , ▁and ▁when ▁that ▁day ▁comes ▁everyone ▁will ▁be ▁better ▁off . ▁▁ ▁Response ▁and ▁criticism ▁ ▁Barbara ▁Ehren reich ▁states ▁in ▁her ▁book ▁that ▁her ▁goal ▁is ▁to ▁" see ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁I ▁could ▁match ▁income ▁to ▁exp enses , ▁as ▁the ▁truly ▁poor ▁attempt ▁to ▁do ▁every ▁day ." ▁Nick el ▁and ▁Dim ed ▁has ▁been ▁critic ized ▁by ▁right - wing ▁author ▁Michael ▁T rem og lie : ▁" Acc ording ▁to ▁the ▁Com merce ▁Department ▁the ▁pover ty ▁rate ▁for ▁a ▁single ▁person ▁younger ▁than ▁ 6 5 ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁was ▁$ 8 , 7 0 0 ▁per ▁year . ▁Barbara ▁was ▁ear ning ▁ 1 7 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁that . ▁Even ▁the ▁Econom ic ▁Policy ▁Institute ▁states ▁a ▁living ▁w age ▁is ▁ 1 3 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁pover ty ▁standard ." ▁ ▁Other ▁crit iques ▁include ▁similar ▁projects ▁to ▁Ehren reich . ▁Adam ▁She p ard ' s ▁Sc r atch ▁Begin