She's my #1 hero in history. ( )

A shocking account of the lives of working families in the USA and how they were ruthlessly exploited by their Wealthy bosses.
A Story of workers oppression, forced losses of health, dire working conditions, narrow lives created by the likes of Rockerfeller who did not care for his workers.
An eye opener. If you think we don't need Unions read this book. ( )

Mother Jones was one of the first union activists, focusing primarily on miners. She was not a writer. But it was interesting to read her words about her activities. It's amazing that she lived to be so old--I would have expected someone from the mine companies to have killed her early in the game. But I guess they realized, as she did, that the miners thought so highly of her, and her agitating would be nothing compared to the uprising that would come if anything happened to her. There is included a lengthy introduction by [[Fred Thompson]] "to help the reader find documented descriptions of the events in which she had been involved," which is very helpful. She was a determined woman, a bit crazy and foolhardy, but probably a key reason for the eventual success of miners' unions. ( )