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chadstep's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. Not that insightful and overuse of the generalized word 'cheap' to really carry a lot of weight--a large guilt trip sentiment.
helenaliu's review against another edition
5.0
Profoundly informative and insightful, Cheap is the sort of book that haunts you in between putting it down and picking it back up. It forced me to critically reflect about where I put my money and my own tendencies to hunt down a bargain, even when it occasionally pained me to do so. The immense research and dedication that went into this detailed book is evident and I especially loved the way Rupel Shell presents her arguments in a balanced and considered way. In my experience, Western critiques on consumerism tend to contain a grain of defensiveness for our own practices and a hint of derisiveness towards the developing countries who produce inferior products (even though they do so at our demand and for our consumption). What makes Cheap such a provocative and enriching read is that it avoids this self-serving mind frame. For relentlessly challenging me, I have thus considered this book one of my all-time favourites.
sde's review against another edition
4.0
The reader may already suspect many of the things the author outlines in this book - that the focus on getting the cheapest price possible is leading to depressed wages, poor working conditions, less real choice in the marketplace, decline of craftsmanship, and a decline of innovation - but she pulls it all together so well, with lots of research to back it up. I will never eat shrimp again without thinking of this book! I am married to an economist, so I recognized many of the names of people she interviewed for this book. For the most part, they are very well-respected people in the field, and they are mainstream - not particularly left or right-wing - which made her conclusions all the more striking to me.
dja777's review
4.0
Sobering look at the state of our economy and what choices have brought about that state. A little repetitive in places, but worth a read.
missedita's review against another edition
4.0
I’d love to see an update of this book ten years on, especially with the advent of the gig economy.
ralukas's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This book was very enlightening. I started working at a firm in 2007; working through a recession and seeing the prolonged effects that still linger today now make sense. We’ve created a culture that has a skewed view of value. This book dives into the history and physiology that drives discount culture. The real costs are stagnating incomes, escalating debt, and socioeconomic/environmental impacts.
laurab2125's review against another edition
4.0
This book makes me want to never shop again.
Though the book took awhile to get going, the author persuasively argues that discount stores (the Wal-marts, etc) are doing egregious harm to our economy, to our work force and to work forces around the world. Income inequality, today at its worst, isn't going to get better if we continue to value low prices above anything else.
While never shopping again isn't realistic, I am going to rethink my buying habits, purchasing as much locally as possible and patronizing businesses that value their employees as much as they do their customers.
Though the book took awhile to get going, the author persuasively argues that discount stores (the Wal-marts, etc) are doing egregious harm to our economy, to our work force and to work forces around the world. Income inequality, today at its worst, isn't going to get better if we continue to value low prices above anything else.
While never shopping again isn't realistic, I am going to rethink my buying habits, purchasing as much locally as possible and patronizing businesses that value their employees as much as they do their customers.
bluenicorn's review against another edition
2.0
A very interesting concept- things are cheap for a reason, plain and simple. We're so expected to cheapness that we don't even think we deserve quality things that are expensive. If we can get it cheap, even if we know it will break in 2 months, we'd rather cross that inevitable bridge in 2 months.
There are alot of really eye-opening statements in here... it's not a difficult read, and thank God it's not one of those "my year of living cheap" sort of books that I am SOOO tired of. I'd recommend it only if it's a topic of interest to you.
There are alot of really eye-opening statements in here... it's not a difficult read, and thank God it's not one of those "my year of living cheap" sort of books that I am SOOO tired of. I'd recommend it only if it's a topic of interest to you.