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Description
Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York CityMeticulous . . . Nagle's] passion for the subject really comes to life. The New York Times New York City produces more than twelve thousand tons of household trash and recyclables a day. As quickly as it accumulates, it's hauled away. But who makes that happen? What's life like for the workers with careers built around garbage? In Picking Up, the anthropologist Robin Nagle takes us inside New York City's Department of Sanitation, a largely unseen and
Meticulous . . . Nagle's] passion for the subject really comes to life. --The New York Times
New York City produces more than twelve thousand tons of household trash and recyclables a day. As quickly as it accumulates, it's hauled away. But who makes that happen? What's life like for the workers with careers built around garbage?In Picking Up, the anthropologist Robin Nagle takes us inside New York City's Department of Sanitation, a largely unseen and often unloved army responsible for keeping the city alive. Nagle spent a decade with sanitation people of all ranks to learn what it takes to manage Gotham's garbage. She even took the job herself, driving trucks and plowing snow while enduring the physical aches, public abuse, and risk of injury that are constant realities of the job. Nagle offers an insider's perspective on the complex hierarchies, intricate rules, and obscure language unique to this mostly invisible world.
Not just a contemporary account, Picking Up charts New York City's four-hundred-year struggle with trash. It traces the city's waste-management efforts from a time when filth overwhelmed the streets to today's far more vigorous practices, which have made the city cleaner than it's been in decades.
Complete with vividly evoked characters and memorable descriptions of the sights and smells of the job, Picking Up reveals the vital role sanitation workers play in every city across the globe.
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Published: 03/18/2014
ISBN: 9780374534271
Pages: 280
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 0.90d
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4.4 ★★★★★
Based on 25 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 3
fair narrative, has good information
Format: Kindle
Sparta is somewhat of a mystery. This book provides the reader with basic historical data, yet it lacks deeper detail. Sparta deserves more
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Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2022
★★★★★ 5
Fabulous helpful for homeschool
Format: Kindle
Very helpful for homeschooling.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2022
★★★★★ 4
...interesting ...
Format: Kindle
Impressive research - resulting in an interesting read.
Can tend towards overboard descriptions when a more concise format would be appreciated by the reader.
The formatting could be better with regards to headings and appropriate spacing.
Lots of detail to get through.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2022
★★★★★ 5
Sparta the Greek warrior city state
Format: Paperback
In ancient Greece there was no equal to the military skills of the army of Sparta. They started training young men at the age of seven with exercises that made their weapons an extension of their body. This let them weild weapons with more precision than their enemies. This is just one of the fun facts found in this book about Sparta. As with many nations which put their focus on the strength of the military forces Sparta was constantly at war. They were suspicious of the motives of other city states and often attacked before they could be attacked. We can learn much by learning of the Greeks and their relationships with each other, their alliance systems and their causes of wars. Comparing national alliance systems and causes of wars today with those of the Greeks we can learn many lessons. We can see things they could have done to prevent the carnage and and use it to our advantage. This book also gives a glimpse into the living conditions of Sparta. It explains the social structure and the government structure of Sparta. It tells of the role of women in the Spartan culture. Many times we use the term Spartan to describe a minimalist life style. This book describes the living conditions of the Spartans showing where that term originated. All of the above and much more is well described in this book about the ancient city of Sparta. As a former history teacher I highly recommended this book to everyone. This should be available to all. It is a must read
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Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2022
★★★★★ 5
Just Beautiful!!
Format: Paperback
absolutely phenomenal—an easy five-star read for me!
This story is rooted in redemption, survival, and forgiveness, and it delivers on every level. The emotional depth of the characters really stood out, especially as we follow a journey shaped by years of guilt, pain, and hard-earned growth. Nothing felt rushed or surface-level—every layer of the story was intentional and meaningful.
I especially loved how the author tied the theme of wildflowers into the narrative. It wasn’t just symbolic—it felt like a living, breathing part of the story, representing resilience and beauty rising from difficult circumstances. That connection made the story feel even more powerful and real.
The character development was beautifully done. You could feel the weight of their choices, their struggles, and ultimately their transformation. It’s one of those stories that stays with you after you turn the last page.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2026