Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture Audiobook

" Really well researched, and definitely made me pause and think. Made me frustrated with a lot of retail system, too, but I think that was kind of the point. I guess it's a little like "Fast Food Nation", only regarding the retail industry. Almost 4 stars... I need a half-star rating system! "

" Not bad. I think the overall premise of the book--that it's a bad strategy to make spending decisions based solely on price--is spot on. The science behind her assertions is slightly more rigorous than typical journalism, but not much. A brain is still required when reading this. "

" Fascinating, depressing, a little scary. Shows clearly how the American [and increasingly world-wide] obsession with getting the best deal, the lowest price adversely affects workers, farmers, children. To be trite, it is like Dominoes - if I am only willing to pay $1.00 for a pint of strawberries, that affects the profit of the grocery store which affects what they pay their workers and also what they pay their suppliers. It is much more complicated than that - what effect does Wal-Mart really have locally and internationally? I would have given it 4 stars, but some of the data she quotes is 10 years old - though that may well be the most recent data that is available. And she really doesn't offer much in the way of solutions. For me, look harder for US-made products [good luck, Louise] and shop more at farmers' markets, as well as expand what I grow myself. "

" I thought that I knew some of the costs to our society ( and other societies ) by being barraged by discounted items, mainly from countries that have low wages. I have learned that it impacts all of us, from low wage workers in Thailand to middle America. This is a very good book for truly understanding where we are now and how to change the world. Very good book "

" This is making me rethink everything I think I want to buy. This is good. "

" Good documentation of what most of us have probably already suspected, there's no free lunch (or cheap lunch for that matter). "

" An examination of what's behind super low prices. A good book for anyone interested in responsible consumerism. "

" Great introduction to the unsustainability of our culture. I only wish the author had provided more information to the reader that there is a SUSTAINABILITY movement, that there are answers. Simple things people can do. "

" AMAZING! Well written, easy to read, and SO informative. If you aren't ready to change your buying habits, then don't read this book. It gives you hope for a better quality America. "

" Very thought provoking! I have never been a fan of Walmart, but this book goes beyond that and really makes you think about the cheap goods we buy...is it wroth out on the long run? I think not, but avoiding it on every level is SO hard!! "

" If you want to understand how things got to this point read this book. Fascinating! "

" it's more than a marketing lesson. we see the pros and cons of discount culture and its influence. "

" Very comprehensive and sobering, though a bit dry. "

" A couple of compelling chapters but not much else. For all the effort she put into the history of how we got to where we are, she offered at best four paragraphs of solutions. That is not acceptable. Don't waste my time complaining able the ills unless you have a concrete road map to recovery. "

" This is fairly dense reading but very interesting. Everyone who likes to get a 'bargain' should read this book "

" Meh. Not that insightful and overuse of the generalized word 'cheap' to really carry a lot of weight--a large guilt trip sentiment. "

" Not a bad book, but "The Story of Stuff" discusses the same phenomenon in a more interesting and thorough way. "

" Much of the economics in this well-written book were beyond me, but they still rang true, and the anthropological aspects of it were fascinating..... and scary. I'd highly recommend it. "

" This is a great book to get you thinking about our economy and our purchases from food to houses.Everyone should read it. "

" We read this for book club and it was a fasinating book! Really makes you think about all those bargains. "

" Awesome discussion of the discount retail culture and some of the players (some surprising!). "

" I wish this book offered more tangible solutions, as opposed to just being more conscious of what we buy, but it makes the fantastic point that buying cheap items isn't the same as getting us deals, and that access to cheap goods have made us poorer, not wealthier, in the long run. "

" Brought a magnifying class to buying cheap. Interesting, but tends to ramble at times "

" It is good so far. A decent look into how the US economy is being held hostage by retailers and discounters. "