Dishwasher follow “Dishwasher Pete” Jordan as he goes on a self-appointed quest to work as a dishwasher in all 50 states. It starts out with his humble beginnings in San Francisco, as Pete easily explains his general dislike of work and the annoyances of colleagues and customers. Pete has more id than anyone—while most people put up with crappy work, he just leaves. Since dishwashing is among the crappiest jobs, he can always find somewhere else that needs him.
Jordan has several good stories, including working at a salmon cannery in Alaska, an oil rig in Louisiana, and the Hell Train in Rhode Island. He lovingly talks about big cities like New York, Portland, and even Pittsburgh, but also spreads his affection to things like macaroni and cheese boxes and finding change on the ground.
As I read through Dishwasher, my work ethic plunged. Thankfully, by the book’s end, Pete does come up with more concrete life goals, and realizes that he probably needs to get a desk job. His move to Amsterdam at the end of the book could’ve been a bit better explained; I guess he’s seen all that he needs to of America.