In his new book, The Big Squeeze, New York Times Reporter Steven Greenhouse tells the stories of security guards in Los Angeles, software engineers in Seattle, hotel housekeepers in Chicago, call center workers in New York, and janitors in Houston, as he explores why, in the world’s most affluent nation, so many corporations are intent on squeezing their workers dry. The book explains how economic, business, political and social trendsÌ¢‰â”among them globalization, the influx of immigrants and the Wal-Mart effectÌ¢‰â”have fueled the squeeze. Greenhouse also examines companies that are generous to their workers and can serve as models for all of corporate America.

Steven Greenhouse has been the labor and workplace correspondent for the New York Times since 1995.