"An urgent report from the front lines of "dirty work"-the work that society considers essential but morally compromised"-- Drone pilots who carry out targeted assassinations. Undocumented immigrants who man the "kill floors" of industrial slaughterhouses. Guards who patrol the wards of the United States' most violent and abusive prisons. Press offers a paradigm-shifting view of the moral landscape of contemporary America through the stories of people who perform society's most ethically troubling jobs. He shows that we are increasingly shielded and distanced from an array of morally questionable activities that other, less privileged people perform in our name. These burdens fall disproportionately on low-income workers, undocumented immigrants, women, and people of color--and are one of the hidden costs of inequality in America. -- adapted from jacket Provided by publisher.

Introduction -- Behind the walls. Dual loyalties ; The other prisoners ; Civilized punishment -- Behind the screens. Joystick warriors ; The other 1 percent -- On the kill floors. Shadow people ; "Essential workers" -- The metabolism of the modern world. Dirty energy ; Dirty tech -- Epilogue.