This book is actually an excellent, deep analysis of how the larger trend of 'big-box' business consolidation causes innumerable harms to small and medium sized businesses, with Amazon just the biggest example because it's the biggest version of the problem. I suppose the more cynical among us might be quick to dismiss this book as nothing more than a partisan screed against a large corporation -the equivalent of, as the late Herman Cain put it, 'Trying to take another man's Cadillac'- but that would be incorrect.

Strange how that human touch can turn something we take for granted from a big corporation into something that brightens your day. That speed was far more valuable to me because I've met the people who made it happen and because it came as a pleasant surprise. It's normal for orders to take a bit longer since the staff is small and many items have to be retrieved from their warehouse or special ordered, so imagine my surprise when my order was ready the very same day. I got this book as part of an online order from the Raven. No matter what you decide about using Amazon, you'll be making a better-informed decision. It's a good introduction with a useful list of suggested further readings at the end.Įven if you don't think there's anything wrong with Amazon- Or if you think its monopoly is inevitable- Or if you can't imagine living without the convenience of same-day delivery, I'd encourage everyone to take an hour or two and read this book. This is not a comprehensive study of the topic. In this densely informative, but also quite readable, little tome, Caine lays out a useful summary of the issues surrounding Amazon and its practices, together with brief stories of the human cost exacted. My discomfort didn't keep me from ordering things from the company that I couldn't find elsewhere and, obviously, doesn't keep me from using Goodreads. I don't consider myself radical or anti-business, but Amazon is like the Blob in the old horror movie-it just keeps absorbing everything in sight to feed its unending expansion (and is aiming for the stars now, apparently). Like many people, I've long been uncomfortable with Amazon and it's Smaug-like owner. The Raven (Caine's bookstore) is where I get my books, so I have no excuse. I'm far behind the times in reading this little book. But until you all move to the StoryGraph, this is where my community is and it's where I'll post my review. Like everyone else, I recognize the irony (and hypocrisy) of reviewing this book on an Amazon-owned platform.

How to resist amazon and why