Journal Entry 1 by ThanksMom from Coolidge, Arizona USA on Sunday, September 25, 2005

A good social commentary. Very much anti-Bush.

Canadian author Laura Penny "dissects--no disembowels--the culture of globalized, supersized, consumerized b.s."
Chapter Titles:
You're Soaking In It
Painting the Lawn Green: Public Relations and Advertising
If You've got the Money Honey: A Fond Look at the Boom and Subsequent Bust
World Co, INC. :Artificial People Power
Don't Worry About the Government: or We Don't Need No Stinkin' Rules
Pillzapoppin'! The Rise of Big Pharma
The Best Policy (Insurance)
Malls, Sprawls, and Telephone Calls
Sleaze Bites and Fluff Crawls
Think of the Children

 

Journal Entry 2 by ThanksMom from Coolidge, Arizona USA on Thursday, November 17, 2005

This will be travelling as a book ray through the US and Canada. Here's the order of travel, as of November 17, 2005

Michaeljl
Oregon, US

Jamesmum
California, US

Oldreader
California, US

Lucinda
California, US

Cosmicflurk
California, US

Karenlea
California, US

Pokpok
California, US

mysteryfan03
Missouri, US

Tbeckross
Washington, DC, US

Breeze144
Ontario, Canada

janey-canuck
Ontario, Canada

Cestmoi
Ontario, Canada

ProfWendi
Ontario, Canada

Sqdancer
Alberta, Canada
 

Journal Entry 3 by michaeljl from Portland, Oregon USA on Friday, November 25, 2005

Received today. Will read promptly and send to Jamesmum. Thank you to ThanksMom for starting this book ring. 

Journal Entry 4 by michaeljl from Portland, Oregon USA on Wednesday, November 30, 2005

This is a good book that provides numerous instances of deceptive use of language by politicians, businesses, and news media. It is well worth reading. It provides a good overview of the problem.

BUT, you should not rely on it as a primary source of factual information. The book contains some misstatements of fact, though probably honest ones created by the author relying on secondary sources of information. I will provide a single example. At pp 174-175 she states that Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and The Home Depot ". . . routinely open branches within a few miles or meters of each other and let them sell each other to the death. Once they destroy the local competition by saturating the market, and identify which of their own outlets has the best turnover, they close the less successful outlets and redirect the traffic to the winning stores."
Her claim that these businesses deliberately open too many stores and then close the unsucessful ones may be true for Wal-Mart, but based on my personal (though admitedly antecdotal) observations I doubt that it is true for Starbucks. For The Home Depot I have actually done some primary research on this point, and I know that her accusation is not true. The Home Depot has closed very few stores, if any.

On a more subjective note, I think the author occasionally gets off track on a tangent that is not worthwhile. For example she blames government failure to regulate predatory business behavior on court decisions that give constitutional rights to corporations. That is a total red herring. The government's failures in regulating corporations are not are not caused by doctrine that corporations have constitutional standing as persons. The problems arise from government's failure to vigorously enforce existing laws and regulations; repeal of existing laws; or in a few instances failure to enact new laws or regulations to deal with new problems.

Still, I want to emphasize that this is a good book, informatiive, energizing, and entertaining.

The book is a quick read. 

Journal Entry 5 by jamesmum from Richmond, British Columbia Canada on Monday, December 05, 2005

Got it! My husband laughed out loud at the title - might need to let him have a peek at it, too. I'll PM OldReader for her address, and see if she wants me to send this along before or after Christmas. Thanks!

12/25/05: I will be sending this book, along with another bookring title, to OldReader early in the new year. It just felt wrong to be reading something with this title in the days before Christmas, so I'll read it within the next few days. I have to keep it out of sight in my house, though, as I have a curious 7-year-old who would want to ask questions about the title.... 

Journal Entry 6 by oldreader from Citrus Heights, California USA on Tuesday, January 17, 2006

TBR to many rings in mailbox all at once...will have to read instead of housework,hahah 

Journal Entry 7 by oldreader from Citrus Heights, California USA on Wednesday, February 08, 2006

This was great Bushbashing.I was well entertained.The author says it very simp;y and with great wit. 

Journal Entry 8 by oldreader at US Post in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Released 6 yrs ago (2/8/2006 UTC) at US Post in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

on its way to next in line 

Journal Entry 9 by Lucinda from Ventura, California USA on Monday, February 13, 2006

Received today, will start as soon as I finish my current read. Thanks, ThanksMom and Oldreader! 

Journal Entry 10 by Lucinda from Ventura, California USA on Wednesday, July 19, 2006

I tried, but I just couldn't get into this book. I think it would have been better as a magazine article as opposed to a full length book.

Sent off to cosmicflurk today. 

Journal Entry 11 by cosmicflurk from San Diego, California USA on Tuesday, August 08, 2006

This book arrived yesterday. I will start it as soon as I finish Branded.
 

Journal Entry 12 by cosmicflurk from San Diego, California USA on Thursday, August 24, 2006

This book should be called "Laura Penny's Things You Already Know." The author's writing style seemed to teeter on the brink between cheerful and funny, and annoying. She also used a lot of odd turns of phrase, which was explained when she revealed herself to be from Canada.

Anyway, as the author herself expresses in the last chapter of the book, this would be a better book for someone who is unfamiliar with the horror of the unfettered free market rather than someone who's heard it all before.

Here's my favorite quote:
In an inversion of Henry Ford's policy of paying workers enough to buy his product, Wal-Mart drives wages down so people can afford to shop only at Wal-Mart. 

Journal Entry 13 by cosmicflurk at by mail in By Mail, BookCrosser -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, August 24, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (8/24/2006 UTC) at by mail in By Mail, BookCrosser -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

This book is on its way to Karenlea in Glendale, CA. 

Journal Entry 14 by Karenlea from Glendale, California USA on Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Caught!!! I have a few other rings/rays ahead of it, but I should be able to start it soon. Thank you for sharing!!! 

Journal Entry 15 by Karenlea from Glendale, California USA on Thursday, September 21, 2006

I enjoyed many parts of this book. However, I think that a lot of it was too similar to other books/authors that I have read, specifically Michael Moore. The book interested me less, because it was so similar to other books. I did like the chapter on Urban Sprawl and the chapter one the pharma companies. I did learn a few things from reading this book and I liked Penny's writing style. I would read another book by her in the future.

Pok-Pok has asked to be skipped. This book is being mailed out to Mysteryfan03, tomorrow morning.

Thank you to Thanksmom for sharing!!! 

Journal Entry 16 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Tuesday, October 03, 2006

I got this in the mail this week. It is so full of info and research for anyone wanting it. The author would probably be amazed at how much furthur the Bush administration has taken their propaganda during the second term! This book is disheartening because even the few things that I might have listened to in this book are proven to be nothing but Bull. Of course, the dollar has always come first. It is a scary world in which we live! Where no one knows the real story and you have to actively research to find "real" news.
Thanks so much for sharing this! 

Journal Entry 17 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Monday, December 11, 2006

I failed at reaching Tbeckross. My PMs went unanswered in October and now her/his PM function is disabled. So I will be mailing this on to Breeze. Thanks 

Journal Entry 18 by Breeze144 from Ajax, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Arrived here today! 

Journal Entry 19 by Breeze144 from Ajax, Ontario Canada on Saturday, February 03, 2007

Although I enjoyed (and agreed with) many of the author's points this book didn't hook me, and I ended up flipping through and just reading pieces.

I'll be sending this along to janey-canuck tomorrow! 

Journal Entry 20 by Breeze144 at Bookring/ray in which I don't really trust, a postal release -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, February 04, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (2/4/2007 UTC) at Bookring/ray in which I don't really trust, a postal release -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent from Buffalo, NY today! 

Journal Entry 21 by janey-canuck from Guelph, Ontario Canada on Friday, February 16, 2007

Just arrived - thanks! 

Journal Entry 22 by janey-canuck from Guelph, Ontario Canada on Friday, March 16, 2007

I'm sorry but this book is just awful. Absolutely, positively awful. I actually feel like less of a person for reading it. I've put it down just after Chapter 4 (World Co., Inc.).

I find that she's using this book as a chance for her personal rants against all things American - which would be fine if the inside cover read "Laura Penny rants about the culture of globalized, super-sized, consumerized b.s." instead of "Laura Penny dissects...". Her language is often completely over the top, volleying back and forth between sounding like a ninth grader (It's nice of the Rat and the Clown to spring for a party in honor of these most excellent moppets, but it doesn't really change the fact that they are pimping out the sweetest kids in the world....) and a dissertation (This is not to castigate the good intentions....).

As has already been pointed out, her research isn't the most sound. I think of any factual errors off the top of my head, but in talking to a friend of mine (a cultural studies grad), she also commented on the poor research. In most cases, she only points to the most obvious examples of things and doesn't really go any deeper (come on, everyone knows Enron & WorldCom... dig deeper! go global!) - even then, I find she doesn't really explain anything (she mentions accounting fraud but doesn't give even a short explanation of what the particular company did... there are lots of types of accounting fraud). This isn't social criticism, this is social bashing.

And probably my biggest beef of all - this woman teaches in Canada, was educated in Canada (Western & King's College), was raised in Canada (Sydney, Nova Scotia) and ALL of her "research" is American and she USES AMERICAN SPELLING!!! ARGH!

I just thought this was not worth my time when there are other books that are better researched & better presented - she's not going to get anyone to take her seriously when she sounds like a bull on a rampage.

I'll be contacting cestmoi today. 

Journal Entry 23 by cestmoi from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Sunday, August 12, 2007

I have to agree with janeycanuck...this was truly horrible. I only read the first two chapters - it was repetitive and over the top. I''m sorry I''ve had this so long but I moved and it got lost in my real life bookshelves.

I''ll email profwendi right now! 

Journal Entry 24 by cestmoi from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Finally on it's way to ProfWendi. 

Journal Entry 25 by ProfWendi from Oakville, Ontario Canada on Thursday, September 20, 2007

Woo hooo... I picked this up in my office mailbox yesterday :) I can't wait to read it..!