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Intern Nation

How To Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy
by Ross Perlin
Intern Nation: How To Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy. Verso, dist. by Norton. May 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9781844676866. $22.95. BUS
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Does the world really need a book-length essay on the treatment and (non)payment of interns? Surprisingly, it might. Perlin's comprehensive narrative, well supported with interview material, research, and insights from his personal internship experiences, ostensibly highlights abuses of interns' indentured labor by corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government offices, but it also tells the broader story of an economy increasingly dependent on and confounded by all things "free." Perlin opens by describing the Disney Program (which employs 7000–8000 interns annually) and focuses on its minimum wages, menial tasks, and enforced company housing. Subsequent chapters provide a history of the Fair Labor Standards Act, university collusion with companies offering internships, the practice of "selling" internships (whereby individuals pay a company to find them unpaid work), and the racism and classism inherent in this system.
VERDICT The subject matter may seem too specific to appeal to a broad audience, but Perlin's writing is engaging and the questions he raises are valid ones in an increasingly competitive job market. Those interested in fair labor practices and recent college grads looking for employment may be curious about—if frightened by—this book.
Reviewed by Sarah Statz Cords, The Reader's Advisor Online , Apr 15, 2011
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