As Nolan writes in “The Hammer,” his lively account of the current landscape of American labor organizing, “It was reminiscent of Dr. Evil in ‘Austin Powers’ demanding as his ransom request for the entire world, ‘One million dollars!’”Nolan’s book joins the ranks of Steven Greenhouse’s “Beaten Down, Worked Up” and Jane McAlevey’s “A Collective Bargain” in making a rousing case for a robust labor movement. “The Hammer” aims to show that unions are the best way to combat economic inequality, give disenfranchised people genuine political power and counter the allure of the far right among the working class. What would such an announcement look like? “Perhaps every worker will emerge from the office and fire guns in the air,” Nolan muses, “until the smoke wafts over A.F.L.-C.I.O.

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Persons: Hamilton Nolan, Liz Shuler, Nolan, “, Dr, ‘ Austin Powers, Steven Greenhouse’s “, Jane McAlevey’s “, Rich Yeselson, ” Nolan, ” Organizations: Labor, Gawker Locations: United States, Philadelphia, “, A.F.L