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     SPECIAL TOPICS

The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker

by Mike Rose
Published by Penguin Books, 2004, 249 pages

Reviewed by:
Jessica A. Hale (jhale15@wccnet.edu), Orientation Advisor, Washtenaw Community College

 The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker, written by Mike Rose, 
provides a fresh look at the work that comprises our daily lives. A faculty member of the UCLA 
Graduate School of Education, Rose wrote this book as a wake-up call for educators and policy 
makers, challenging some commonplace assumptions about the link between intelligence and 
the nature of work in America. As our nation turns its attention to training an eff ective 
workforce, Rose’s book is a call to action for America’s decision makers to rethink “education, 
job training, and the conditions in which people make a living” (p. xxxii). This review will 
provide background information on the author, an overview of the text, an analysis of its 
applicability to new student programming, and a conclusion with recommendations. 
 Rose was born into a working class family: “I come from a family of immigrants who, 
with two exceptions, did not finish high school, and who worked blue-collar or services jobs 
all their lives” (p. xi). As a result, he was profoundly aware of the assumptions made about 
members of the labor professions from a young age. In his current role as professor of social 
research methodology, Rose has found a way to combine “personal material with scholarship, 
matching it, each providing a check on the other” (p. 222). The work under review is an 
excellent example of Rose’s ability to walk the delicate balance between passion and 
scholarship.
 The Mind at Work is organized into eight chapters, an introduction, a conclusion, and an 
afterword on methodology. The introduction begins with an insight into the author’s interest 
in this topic: his working class upbringing. As the first member of his family to attend college, 
Rose explores the broad implications of “occupational status and social class” in America today. 
He also provides a structural overview of the book, a brief description of each chapter, and 
reiterates his purpose “to provide an alternate lens on everyday work, to aid us in seeing the 
commonplace with greater precision” (p.xxxii).
 Chapters 1–6 “focus on particular kinds of work and the particular people doing them” 
(p. xxviii). Rose provides insight into the mental activities related to waitressing, hair styling, 
plumbing, carpentry, electrical work, construction, and welding. Through extensive interviews 
and observations, Rose depicts the work of these professionals, including his family members, 
as a complex dance of cognitive activity. He highlights cognitive skill sets used in these 
“physical” professions, including interpersonal skills and memory (muscle and working), 
communication skills and aesthetic sense, problem solving and systematic thinking, language, 
mathematical concepts, procedural planning, and reflection and character development. A 
recurrent theme through these chapters is the role that formal technical and vocational 
education has played in the lives of these individuals. 
 Chapters 7 and 8 expand on the perceived distinction between activities that involve the

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“hand and the brain” and Chapters 7 and 8 expand on the perceived distinction between 
activities that involve the “hand and the brain” and the role of vocation training in perpetuating 
this perception. 
Specifically, Rose explores three higher status professions that blend body and mind work 
(surgery, physical therapy, and teaching) to demonstrate that the prevailing dichotomy 
between the manual and conceptual activities is a fallacy. Furthermore, Rose argued that our 
current educational system has perpetuated this cultural divide by establishing separate
academic and vocational tracks, thereby preventing true democratic principles from 
prevailing in the curriculum. This sorting system limits the intellectual growth of many 
students and results in “huge material consequences—and social and civic consequences, as 
well” (p. 160). Rose calls for curricular revisions that would merge “democratic principles and 
educational practice” (p.194).
 The conclusion of The Mind At Work inserts the preceding chapters into a broader 
context with an eye for economic and social implications. According to Rose, failure to 
recognize the intelligence of the working-class individual will result in perpetuating American 
economic and social divides and limit future potential. As the definition of intelligence 
continues to evolve, Americans need to reassess how this term is defined.

To affirm this conception of the mind and work is to be vigilant for the 
intelligence not only in the board room but on the shop floor; in the 
laboratory and alongside the house frame; in the classroom, the garage, 
the busy restaurant, vibrant with desire and strategic movement. This is a 
model of mind that befits the democratic imagination. (p. 216)

 The final portion of Rose’s book discusses his methodology for this qualitative analysis 
of working class intelligence. Rose addresses his potential bias and the use of his own 
family in the book’s narrative. He also provides a brief summary of the cross disciplinary 
literary research he engaged to inform this study.
 Overall, Rose’s work may prove to be a challenging read for students and is probably 
better suited for educators and policy makers. While the perspectives on intelligence, classism, 
and educational tracking are unique and poignant, they may be too abstract for the 
traditional-aged student reader. Furthermore, without a strong “character” to identify with and 
little personal professional or educational experience to draw from, students may be distanced 
from the harsh realities of occupational classism in America.
 Cognitive distance from Rose’s work is also increased because it utilizes complex, 
field-specific jargon and a research underpinning. While students would benefit from exposure 
to the qualitative research tradition, the narratives provided in this text are not nearly gripping 
enough to inspire a new generation of researchers. As the organization of this book does not 
follow the traditional structure and organization of qualitative research studies, this may also 
confuse students.
 While using this book in new student programming would be challenging, there are 
opportunities for collaboration across the curriculum. Due to the complex nature of the topics 
covered, this text could be incorporated into several courses, including psychology, American 
history, sociology, career exploration/development, and first-year experience. Perhaps an even 
more innovative solution would be to incorporate the text into all of the courses, thereby 
allowing students to approach the problem of occupational status from a multitude of 
perspectives. It should however, be noted that while a collaboration of this nature would no 

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doubt be beneficial for students and instructors (by reducing silos), the inertia to structure 
such a collaboration would be costly in terms of human resources and time. 
 To incorporate this book into new student programming at traditional four-year 
institutions, educators would need to develop extensive companion materials. Information 
related to classism, career exploration, and cognitive psychology would be essential 
supplemental readings. In addition, as most four-year institutions do not off er vocational 
tracks, supplementary materials on these working class occupations would need to be 
provided. 
 In some ways, this book might be a better fit for students in a community college or 
technical college setting. Students in these institutions are more likely to be in a vocational
track or know other students in VocEd programs. Exposure and identification with students 
in similar academic programs might lend a greater degree of immediacy and resonance to the 
book’s main themes. In addition, the eff ects of occupational status might be increasingly 
meaningful to these students as these institutions are typically home to a larger number of 
first-generation college students and students with working class parents.
 That said, there are some potential issues to consider when utilizing The Mind at Work 
with first-year students. Rose’s use of “we” and “our” in reference to his professional class may 
be off -putting to students who are excluded from this perspective. Furthermore, as Rose does 
not provide any prescriptives or concrete recommendations for changing the status of the 
working class, the reader may become disheartened about society and his/her place within it. 
 However, perhaps this discontentment is a starting point for discussion. Asking students 
to reflect on how culture changes over time, how historical movements (like Civil Rights) have 
changed American culture, and how an individual can make an impact might empower 
students. Discussions of this nature might help students identify and challenge some of their 
own assumptions about intelligence, class, and occupation. By building self-awareness, 
students will be better positioned to make both career and educational decisions. If students 
were able to engage with the text in a meaningful way, it is possible that they might even lead 
grassroots movements that would call for institutions to create a singular curriculum of both 
vocational and traditional academic work. 
 While The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker makes an 
important contribution to educators and policy makers alike, it may not be an ideal read for 
new student programs. Although the author has done an excellent job highlighting 
assumptions made by the American public about the relationship between intelligence and 
occupation, this book may be too challenging for traditional-aged students who generally lack 
both professional and real-world experience. While the issues discussed in this text are worth 
incorporating into the curriculum and campus discussion, this book may not be the best 
platform through which to engage first-year students.

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