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deedoo's review against another edition
1.0
I found it very hard to get into this book. I could not finish it as my tag shows. I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but this was not it. I got to the middle of chapter 4 (I think) and started flipping through looking for something that wasn't super dry history of how Woolworth or Sears Roebuck etc. started and continued to make money. I get that part of the problem with "the high cost of discount culture" has to do with how and why people started creating these discount stores. I was hoping for more of a discussion on why people choose cheap and maybe that was coming up in another chapter but I wasn't having a good time climbing through the dreary history of early corporate America.
tl;dr
People want money and do anything they can to keep money. The end.
tl;dr
People want money and do anything they can to keep money. The end.
stevenyenzer's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed Cheap for the most part, in particular the details about the history and current state of discounting and the odd, counterintuitive way these stores work. I did not enjoy Shell's hit jobs on Ikea and Whole Foods, which seemed to stem more from the popularity of those stores than any particularly bad practices. She criticizes Ikea for the disposability of its products, which is fair enough, but she discounts (no pun intended) the value of their environmental initiatives in a sentence or two without much evidence.
Similarly, she criticizes Whole Foods for being expensive, but as an example cites the fact that the salad bar is $7.99/lb and contains lettuce, tomatoes, and hard-boiled eggs. As though that price was particularly high, or there was nothing besides lettuce at the Whole Foods salad bar.
These issues particularly irritated me because the rest of Cheap is very evidence-based. But coupled with the paean to Wegman's that occupies the entire final chapter, it was an annoying bit of hypocrisy.
Nonetheless, most of the book is quite interesting and it's definitely worth a read.
Similarly, she criticizes Whole Foods for being expensive, but as an example cites the fact that the salad bar is $7.99/lb and contains lettuce, tomatoes, and hard-boiled eggs. As though that price was particularly high, or there was nothing besides lettuce at the Whole Foods salad bar.
These issues particularly irritated me because the rest of Cheap is very evidence-based. But coupled with the paean to Wegman's that occupies the entire final chapter, it was an annoying bit of hypocrisy.
Nonetheless, most of the book is quite interesting and it's definitely worth a read.
nekreader's review against another edition
2.0
Sometimes I just enjoy reading books that confirm my opinions. I liked this, collected a few tidbits to share at cocktail parties, and renew my commitment to buying used books and furnishing my house via auction and buying less stuff in general.
balletbookworm's review
4.0
A book I probably would have had trouble with in paper but since it was on audio and listened to in 30 minute chunks or so it breezed by. Shell has a lot of history to get through regarding how we got to our current state of discount retail (as of about 2008, since the book was originally published in 2009). Suffice to say, everything is poorly made by an underpaid and abused worker in a developing country and that in turn drives down wages and labor advances in the United States. It's a whole vicious cycle and there doesn't seem to be much of a way out. I'd like to see an updated edition of this book now that we've gone through the 2008 recession, etc. Shell also really only focuses on discount retail, outlets, and the food industry - she doesn't even touch the big green A and other internet retailers. But a book worth reading to remind us of what we're buying when we think we're getting a deal - there's a difference between "cheap" and "thrifty."
ewg109's review against another edition
4.0
I would have given this one five stars, but I really wanted more in the way of solutions. HOW do we change this obsession with price and put the focus back on sustainability and quality. What can we do?
jnmph76's review against another edition
4.0
Upon reading the title, I had suspicions about the theme of the book. I was right. This was a very informative read, even if you've never taken a basic course in economics. After reading the later chapters about craftsmanship and food, I will definitely reassess my spending habits. As the old adages go, "nothing in life is free, and if it seems to good to be true, it probably is."
It makes me ill to think of the piles of disposable goods that inhabit our landfills, and it saddens me to think just how much our society has moved into a "throw away" culture. The example of the IKEA bookcase was eyeopening, as there have been times that to save effort in the moment, I left goods behind, only to repurchase nearly the exact same thing several times over.
I think from now on I will search antique stores and Goodwill for furniture and look to recover upholstered pieces when the time comes. More sustainability and a greater impact on the local artisan economy.
It makes me ill to think of the piles of disposable goods that inhabit our landfills, and it saddens me to think just how much our society has moved into a "throw away" culture. The example of the IKEA bookcase was eyeopening, as there have been times that to save effort in the moment, I left goods behind, only to repurchase nearly the exact same thing several times over.
I think from now on I will search antique stores and Goodwill for furniture and look to recover upholstered pieces when the time comes. More sustainability and a greater impact on the local artisan economy.
kaylielongley's review against another edition
5.0
As a marketer, consumer, and citizen of the Western world, Cheap challenged me to think critically about the cost of discount prices in the modern age of globalization. Ruppel Shell's research combines both personal and practical evidence through an examination of a range of topics, including balancing value and cost, craftsmanship, and the reign of Wal-Mart and IKEA, all under the lens of behavioral economics. America has increasingly become a discount culture, characterized by too low prices, an overall ignorant populace, and a dramatically cutthroat competition between buyers and sellers. Unfortunately, most of this competition is based on price alone, not craft, skill, or innovation.
As a country, the United States needs to step up. Globalism serves the consumer side of us, but not necessarily the customer. I prefer Dollar Store candies and candles to brand names. But the country and its constituents, myself included, lose as a result. By constantly discounting items, downsizing internally, and outsourcing services, the international market is too often disregarded. Countries like India and China are becoming increasingly more innovative, and with their advancements in technologies, millions are receiving higher, livable wages, which will ultimately influence the cost of wages, and the value of human rights, across the world. Globalism reminds us that the needs and wants of an individual reflect the entire society, so citizens of the world must stop focusing on cheap goods, and worse, cheap labor.
Ruppel Shell's book also reminded me how lucky I am to live in a democratic, capitalist culture, with the freedom to choose between luxury and affordable goods and services. While there is too often no middle ground between these options, cheap goods trump my spending habits. My frugal decisions are regulated by my own interest and understanding, though most businesses prefer less concerned customers. Ultimately, cheap undermines and devalues products, services, and people. It suggests discounted rates are the original intent, and cheap rarely considers social or civic responsibility. Cheap has inspired me to move forward, as an advocate for global change.
As a country, the United States needs to step up. Globalism serves the consumer side of us, but not necessarily the customer. I prefer Dollar Store candies and candles to brand names. But the country and its constituents, myself included, lose as a result. By constantly discounting items, downsizing internally, and outsourcing services, the international market is too often disregarded. Countries like India and China are becoming increasingly more innovative, and with their advancements in technologies, millions are receiving higher, livable wages, which will ultimately influence the cost of wages, and the value of human rights, across the world. Globalism reminds us that the needs and wants of an individual reflect the entire society, so citizens of the world must stop focusing on cheap goods, and worse, cheap labor.
Ruppel Shell's book also reminded me how lucky I am to live in a democratic, capitalist culture, with the freedom to choose between luxury and affordable goods and services. While there is too often no middle ground between these options, cheap goods trump my spending habits. My frugal decisions are regulated by my own interest and understanding, though most businesses prefer less concerned customers. Ultimately, cheap undermines and devalues products, services, and people. It suggests discounted rates are the original intent, and cheap rarely considers social or civic responsibility. Cheap has inspired me to move forward, as an advocate for global change.
megatsunami's review against another edition
3.0
Probably 3 1/2 stars. Enjoyed this book and found it interesting, but felt it offered criticism without much description of viable alternatives. Also parts of the book reminded me of other books on related topics - as if all the authors had been separately doing research on the same cultural phenomena and all wrote their books at the same time.
romcm's review against another edition
4.0
This was written quite a while ago, but the information is still relevant, informative, interesting and deeply sad.