Dishwasher

Author: Pete Jordan
Published: 2007

Very cool memoir by a very lazy man. Pete Jordan gets into dishwashing (aka suds busting or pearl diving) because it requires little training or thought, he gets free food, and he can quit whenever he wants to.

He sets himself a challenge to wash dishes in all fifty states of the U.S. Along the way with his 'zine, he learns about the proud role dishwashers have had in forming unions in U.S. history and fighting for workers' rights. Not to mention the various celebrities who have busted suds on their way up the ladder of fame.

The descriptions of the 'Wash Tub Buffet' might leave some queasy. His lack of work ethic is extreme, but is balanced by a very thoughtful set of plongeur ethics. In the end, he works as hard as any one, and discovers a place where he is over qualified for the simple task.