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Overview

"Closed-door meetings, canceled projects, and office rumors hint at another round of layoffs at the company. Chris is a loyal thirty-year human resources executive in headquarters. Juan is a nervously employed company man playing the corporate game in hopes of a better future for his son. And single Jade—previously laid off in the first round of cuts—relies upon her faith as she races against the clock to find a job before her severance money runs out. Their diverse lives intertwine when unexpected changes and tragedies bring them together. Each discovers what matters most as they seek to maintain the stability and comfort of their homes, jobs, and families."

Layoff: American Dream Interrupted
Endorsements:

Carole Isom-Barnes relates a robust story on what many Americans experience every day—the hidden, personal costs of layoffs and what this means to people and organizations. Associated with her own research study, Layoff: American Dream Interrupted should be on the reading list of anyone concerned about the havoc caused from layoffs. Personally moved by the meaningfulness of the questions this book raises about the unfair practices still employed in some organizations, I found myself wondering if this is a novel or reality!

- Dr. Mitchell Kusy, Professor, Ph.D. Program in Leadership & Change, Antioch University; 2005 Fulbright Scholar in International Organization Development

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Layoff: American Dream Interrupted

Layoff: American Dream Interrupted takes a fictional approach to a severe contemporary problem – the corporate downsizings that have disrupted too many American lives. Isom-Barnes involves readers with this problem by introducing them to the emotional and economic pressures felt by characters with whom they can identify – those who could be their neighbors or even themselves. Further, the book explores the impact of layoffs on people of color and pushes readers to examine the effect of flaws in the system.

- Ancella Livers, Ph.D.