Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class

by Noam Scheiber

We Will Take Them The Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class by Noam Scheiber is a forthcoming title from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Economics, Labor, American, Adult, Social Issues

384 pages, Hardcover

Published April 7, 2026

Reviews

[David Dayen]

This won't let me rate it because it's pre-publication but I'll give it a 4 out of 5. The phenomenon the book describes is real: over-educated people in traditionally exploited jobs, living in an economy that doesn't work for them, and radicalized by the experience enough to fight. I sort of wish it explored that aspect of how we got here, but the book was more interested in close-up reporting of the labor struggles of people at Starbucks, Apple stores, universities, writer's rooms, etc. And it works on those terms.

[Venneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scheiber has a really weird tone in this, mainly in that he seems incredulous that college graduates aren't able to get better jobs than say working at Starbucks, and that they're choosing to unionize their workplaces. Well surprise dude, the economy fucking sucks, and we're all getting taken advantage of, may as well group up and try to protect yourselves from exploitation that way. We get pictures of various college graduates and the workplaces they end up trying to unionize, and where they're at in the process. He also focuses in on the unionized Starbucks that's about a half mile away from me and the various ways the company has tried to fuck with it in the last half decade or so. Recommended read.

[Robby Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book, but not what I thought it'd be based on the title. I was expecting to hear more about different movements folks with college degrees are involved in. Rather, this is a snapshot in time of the early 2020's looking at several different labor movements such as Starbucks, Apple, Amazon, and UAW. The book does detail how college students/grads who are largely under employed and/or underpaid are the change makers behind these movements. Anyone who would like to hear about the labor movement in the early 2020's would enjoy this book.

[Jonathan Tepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy of this book. It is a great read for anyone interested in the US economy and labor issues.

In Mutiny, Noam Scheiber delivers a gripping and deeply reported account of a generation that did everything it was told (excelled in school, earned degrees, chased opportunity, etc) only to find itself stranded in an economy that couldn’t deliver on its promises. From Starbucks picket lines to Apple Store showrooms, Scheiber traces the lives of young, college-educated workers whose expectations of stability and success collide with the realities of low pay, precarious work, and mounting debt. What emerges is a vivid portrait of a new kind of politically engaged working class.

Blending on-the-ground reporting with sharp analysis, Mutiny captures the emotional and economic forces driving a resurgence of labor activism in unexpected places. With empathy and narrative flair, Scheiber introduces readers to the people at the center of this transformation, revealing how frustration turns into organizing, and how personal disillusionment becomes collective action. Mutiny is an essential look at the shifting meaning of work, class, and power in modern America.

[Shep Searl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advanced copy due to being involved in the process as a worker at the Clark and Ridge Starbucks. As someone directly involved in the work and struggle discussed here, I can say that Noam masterfully articulated the experiences and challenges of the workers and organizers he spent so much time getting to know and highlighting.

This book is snapshot of our time, and a first person witness view into the current labor movement. It highlights the challenges, obstacles, and passions of a generation promised the world and given the scraps. It poses important questions and raises important points regarding the massive gap between the working class (both white and blue-collar) and the wealthy, and discusses how education no longer guarantees stability.

Our generation is building a new standard for labor in real time, a standard which will shape the future of labor and social justice for generations- one way or another. Mutiny gives a glimpse into the world of the people fighting towards this future, and gives a view of both the good and the bad.

This is the new labor movement through-and-through, and it will stand as a snapshot in time as labor justice continues to evolve and shape history.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent overview of the current labor movement and how it got here. While he does talk about a variety of unions (video games, film and tv writes, autoworkers, Amazon), it's really about two: Starbucks and Apple. These are iconic companies with worshiped former CEOs and diehard fans. He focused on the human side of the story, which isn't a bad thing. I found myself nodding my head at the anxiety Teddy and Chaya endure while trying to better themselves and their coworkers. I do wish this had more analysis instead of simple, yet engaging storytelling (partly because several story beats or character traits are repeated several times). We only get the analysis towards the end, when talking about Gaza, and the overall direction of labor. It will make you groan and shake your head at Starbucks and Apple, and, if you're a college educated person working at these kinds of places, it will make you feel a sense of solidarity.

[Madison ✨ (mad.lyreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mutiny is more of a collection of case studies than a book about the topic of college grads unionizing. While it is interesting, I really wanted more analysis than just a narration of what happened when these people worked to unionize Starbucks, Apple, and.... at least one other thing (dammit what was it?!).

EDIT: If you are Minnesotan or aware of the city of Edina, Minnesota, a warning for you! One of the individuals Scheiber follows is from Edina, and the audiobook narrator consistently pronounces it "uh-dee-na" rather than "eh-dye-na." So you will be experiencing a nails on a chalkboard sensation a few times if listening on audio haha

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Arathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mutiny is a great book about class and labor relations in the US currently and talks about a few of the movements that have been happening in the last few years. However, it is very wrong about any issue that is not class and doesn't really do intersectionality well, broadly speaking. I have other criticism that I am scared to express. I don't expect you to get everything right, but I expect more from any author than to be systematically wrong about many things in a row. This makes me wonder if the book got a few of the things about class wrong as well- and whether it was confirmation bias that made me believe it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I didn’t have any major issues with the book but found it fairly dry. There wasn’t a lot of analysis in here that was new to me, and the anecdotes were good but fairly narrow in scope. Mainly in they were largely focused on the unionization of Apple and Starbucks around 2023.

It sounds like a few other reviewers also got a different story than they expected, and perhaps it was a marketing thing. Regardless — not a bad book, just not the one I intended to read.

[Muriel Unseth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is misleading- this is about labor movements (the UAW, Apple, Starbucks, Amazon) around 2020. If you're looking for a largely anecdotal history of this concentrated movement in this particular period, great. I was looking for an analysis of the rise and revolt of the college-educated working class 🤷‍♀️

[Tanner Ames · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had anticipated this to be more about those working primarily in jobs that aligned with their degrees. Though, some of the cast used Starbucks or Apple as a second job while they followed a career based off of their degree. It was definitely insightful into the inner workings of a unionized chainstore, and how the chain fought against people who were just trying to survive. Another heartbreaking example of unempathetic people.