Crunch Time Paperback – June 9, 2020

At a time when unemployment is skyrocketing, Aliya Rao's book offers a powerful account of how people in the U.S. experience unemployment. She brilliantly finds that these experiences vary significantly across gender lines—with feeling stigmatized while women extract a sense of validation for the time they invest caring for their kids and doing household chores. The book is also brilliantly written. While the data was gathered before the times of covid19, the findings extend very well to these circumstances and can help us understand and plan (yes, government officials and policymakers, you totally should read this book) for the coming months and maybe even years.

Rao's book is compelling and timely. It is a great exemplar for ethnographic depth and richness, demonstrating how married heterosexual couples with children deal with unemployment depending on the race and gender of the unemployed partner. Highly recommended!

This is a solid book that highlights a puzzling differentiation. Even among well-off couples that might claim some level of equality, men and women experience unemployment differently. This book probes at the deep and important forces at play.

Very insightful especially with so many people going through this struggle right now. Put it in your cart and get it!

With COVID causing massive job loss, this book telling the story of how married couples confront unemployment is extremely relevant. The findings are a bit alarming and emphasize how important it is to better value women's paid work and address persistent gender inequalities in unpaid work at home. The author brings married couples' stories to life through excellent writing, and I found myself responding viscerally as I read. A great read.

In elegant and compelling prose, Aliya Hamid Rao analyzes how spouses have very different experiences of unemployment. Rao’s meticulous research reveals the gendered roots of these differences. As we enter what is already being called the COVID-19 “she-cession,” this book is exceptionally timely, and it is a must-read for anyone interested in gender roles, modern families and the changing economy.

Aliya Hamid Rao writes eloquently of the struggles that arise in couples when one or both find themselves unemployed, her research exposing the lingering gendered experiences women have from that of their husbands. While you read you can’t help but wonder what her follow-on research will find in this time of Covid. Next book!

Rao's expert analysis of an enduring social problem is, unfortunately, more timely than ever. Her work will undoubtedly inspire scholars, students, and policymakers alike. I highly recommend this text to anyone interested in understanding the nuances of gender inequality at home and at work.