Rivethead:Tales From the Assembly Line

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK! Anyone you gives it less than 5 stars is nuts!
Review: I was forced to read this book...against my better wishes, my hellish American History professor assigned this book to our class. As I read the title I remembered thinking: "how in the world is an assembly line job interesting enough to read about?" About the only thing I thought the book had going for it was the foreward by Michael Moore. It looked like I was going have to spend another weekend plodding though a boring book when I could have been spending it at the movies or out with my friends. It turned out to be one of the best weekends of my life. The books was hilarious -- It was real, gritty, sharp and wonderfully written. After reading the introduction, I was hooked: I locked myself in my room, unplugged the telephone and didn't put down the book until I was finished. That was ten minutes ago -- now I am online looking to see if he has written any other books...I was disapointed to see that he hasn't. Ben Hamper -- wherever you are -- I have joined the ranks as your loyal fan. Even though you no longer work for GM, I hope you will find another story out there and tell the world about it.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK! Anyone you gives it less than 5 stars is nuts!
Review: I was forced to read this book...against my better wishes, my hellish American History professor assigned this book to our class. As I read the title I remembered thinking: "how in the world is an assembly line job interesting enough to read about?" About the only thing I thought the book had going for it was the foreward by Michael Moore. It looked like I was going have to spend another weekend plodding though a boring book when I could have been spending it at the movies or out with my friends. It turned out to be one of the best weekends of my life. The books was hilarious -- It was real, gritty, sharp and wonderfully written. After reading the introduction, I was hooked: I locked myself in my room, unplugged the telephone and didn't put down the book until I was finished. That was ten minutes ago -- now I am online looking to see if he has written any other books...I was disapointed to see that he hasn't. Ben Hamper -- wherever you are -- I have joined the ranks as your loyal fan. Even though you no longer work for GM, I hope you will find another story out there and tell the world about it.

Rating:
Summary: Unique, sad, funny a must-read
Review: I've just finished the book - for the second time. The first time was 10 years ago. Hamper is brilliant, GM was his muse, but it burned him out - in another world who knows how many books he could have written? but GM drained his soul dry, for 18 bucks an hour. Read Rivethead and witness an amazing mind bang the rev limiter as it carries the story of the shoprats of GM Suburban/Blazer truck in Flint, MI.
Ben, if you're out there, thanks for Rivethead! I hope you're still being paid to goof off, and for as long as you want ..

Rating:
Summary: You Are What You Do
Review: Its not often that I read a book that consistently makes me laugh out loud, but Hamper was able to do so for me with every passing page in Rivethead. I read it for a class assignment, but have re-read it since then, and have also recommended it to others. Its a first-hand account of how one man took the default path in life and followed in his father's footsteps, joining the GM assembly line. Hamper goes through how he came to this profession, and the steps in his life that 'messed up' his aspirations of breaking away from such a path. But more than that, it shows how in American society, we are defined by what we do from 9-5 rather than who we are in our time off work. Hamper subscribes to this belief as a columnist while working on the assemblyline, and although we may not realize it, we may also subscribe to such a belief. Ultimately, the daily grind ends up consuming Hamper, and he is forced to take time away from 'work' and recognize the part of him that exists off the job.

Rating:
Summary: Ben Hamper tells it like it is, I was there !
Review: Life on the line comes back to haunt me with every word Ben writes. It's all true, I worked with Ben, I saw it all, drunk, high, sometimes sober. General Motors and all it's cronies couldn't keep the goodtimes from rolling down the line. Truck-in, truck-out, a drink here, a drink there, a joint here, a joint there, anything to escape.

Rating:
Summary: A book I keep buying.
Review: One of the best books I have ever read! You don't have to be from Detroit to understand the craziness of a repetitious job.--It's just so masterfully described in this book. Mr. Harper has also managed to artfully use swear words in a context that is believable and not distracting from the message. I have bought this book to give as gifts to friends from Boaz Alabama to Bangkok Thailand. It's always an amazing hit. If for some reason you should buy a copy and not like it, please send it to me and I will find an appreaciative home for it.

Rating:
Summary: The real worker's book on how to survive in the plant & out
Review: Rivethead hammers down to the real need to assemble the factory workers of today and rework their life, both in and out of the plant. This is the autobiography of a misfit fitting parts together with other misfits in a system managed by automotive nurse ratchets(or is that wrenches?). The goal is to work less, make more, and spend it all on booze and music. Friendships are born from boredom and last until the next layoff. It's a day of drudgery, whose purpose is somewhat existential with a Woody Allen twist. Finally, in the end, life is just a panic. Move on down the line and pick up this book, you just might need it before the next order comes on down from above

Rating:
Summary: Wouldn't you like to be a factory rat too?
Review: Rivethead is probably in the top five books I've ever read. In a previous review I saw that a history professor assigned it; I find that fascinating. I have been a history major and let me tell you, I found very few historians that are in touch enough to assign such an in-touch book as Mr. Hamper's (closest I can remember was "One Day in the life of Ivan Denosovich"). I check this page every few months to find out if Ben has anything else out, but no luck just yet. For those who are curious, I saw some where, five or six years ago, he was writing a book on The Mall of America. While you are waiting I would recommend "Bound For Glory" by Woody Guthrie..

Rating:
Summary: Stark ,dark and depressingly funny an interesting read
Review: The book title betrays the story in that it's more tangable and real to the modern day production worker than any other book written in recent times. The characters are ones which we have all seen and met..in fact Homer Simpson would understand this factory. The attempts to improve productivity are desparate as the introduction of 'quality cat'a man hired and dressed up in a tiger outfit is found after some weeks later slumped on the floor smoking a cigarette. Suffice to say the book makes some very important statements on the drive for profit and the effects it has on you me and everyone else.

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: This book applies to life on the assembly line or in any company in which the work is repetitive. How often do we read books to be better managers or to motivate our people in new and different ways? What do they think of our pitiful efforts? Look at Howie Makem and the other stories in this book and learn a powerful lesson. Only then can you really understand what you are up against. Then you can be a manager.