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bluestarfish's review against another edition
4.0
This was very, very good. I can see why I've heard it quoted for the past thirteen years and feel a bit silly for only getting round to reading it now... Some cultural references were funny (Spice Girls? I remember them!) but so much of it felt so prescient. There was a lot covered in this book but it never was dull in the way information was shared and the style is pretty galvanising. Reminded me of a lot of uni talks and actions. And I was amazed that Undercurrents got a mention in the book (yay).
naleagdeco's review against another edition
5.0
Having finally read this book now after putting it off for about 15 years now, I regret not listening to all the annoying No Logo devotees who were obnoxiously pushing this book in my direction.
I also regret that those same devotees didn't didn't read this book closely enough.
This is the book that seems to have greatly influenced the largest number of people I have known in the social justice movement, regardless of their particular focus. This experience is going to colour my review.
This book absolutely deserves the status it has been given. Looking back at having been the exact developed-country youth that this book (and its villians) target, I have struggled to come to the same understandings over the last decade and a half that I could have easily just taken from this well-written book.
I also wish I had read this book earlier, because my criticisms of many of the people espousing great love for it are in fact addressed within the book itself. While discussing action items and possible interpretations, Naomi Klein issued warnings against the very things that people did to disillusion me from reading this book in the first place.
I am not qualified to address the economics in this book, but given how clearly Naomi wears her heart on her sleeve, I feel her research and polemic was responsibly crafted. She starts by describing the 'branding' business model that most of the late 90s top-tier consumer-oriented companies (Apple, McDonald's, Starbucks, Nike) undertook, and how this affected consumer behaviour. She then delves into how this model negatively impacted both labour in developing countries and the western world, including how the 'branding' marketing strategy enabled these clear abuses to slip under the radar of western media.
She then discusses how people fought against this changes and eventually coopting the branding strategy for their own use. The book ends on a helpful note, though it's clear that there is much work left.
It's hard for me, not being qualified to speak, to discuss the world that has emerged since No Logo. On one hand I felt Naomi was unfairly harsh on her subjects, but it may be that companies like Apple and Starbucks have learned from the drubbings they presumably recieved after this book. That being said, the war on terror and current media fixation on DRM have introduced new fronts in the battle between consumer rights and irresponsible shareholders. Both of these new factors were clearly influenced by the effectiveness of branding strategy (which itself was probably influenced by the doublespeak phenomenon around the 1992 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq (and the subsequent retaliation by US-led forces.)
I am sure that anyone in the know could tell me that the state of labour relations is still as bad as outlined in No Logo, possibly even worse (I have seen first-hand how savvy temp agencies have screwed over many of my friends, in ways far colder than discussed in the book.) I'm sure this tempestuous relationship has become more subtle as people are now 'smart' marks because of this book, and perhaps enough people have been motivated to start their own businesses with models which attempt to cure the poison from within.
I highly recommend anyone read this book if they haven't already. It is difficult to read this book and not feel like my consumer habits should change sharply in response (while also not making the mistakes Klein suggests against.) I also hope we find a wealth of equally well-written and balanced books that reveal the state of this consumer tug-of-war in 2012.
I also regret that those same devotees didn't didn't read this book closely enough.
This is the book that seems to have greatly influenced the largest number of people I have known in the social justice movement, regardless of their particular focus. This experience is going to colour my review.
This book absolutely deserves the status it has been given. Looking back at having been the exact developed-country youth that this book (and its villians) target, I have struggled to come to the same understandings over the last decade and a half that I could have easily just taken from this well-written book.
I also wish I had read this book earlier, because my criticisms of many of the people espousing great love for it are in fact addressed within the book itself. While discussing action items and possible interpretations, Naomi Klein issued warnings against the very things that people did to disillusion me from reading this book in the first place.
I am not qualified to address the economics in this book, but given how clearly Naomi wears her heart on her sleeve, I feel her research and polemic was responsibly crafted. She starts by describing the 'branding' business model that most of the late 90s top-tier consumer-oriented companies (Apple, McDonald's, Starbucks, Nike) undertook, and how this affected consumer behaviour. She then delves into how this model negatively impacted both labour in developing countries and the western world, including how the 'branding' marketing strategy enabled these clear abuses to slip under the radar of western media.
She then discusses how people fought against this changes and eventually coopting the branding strategy for their own use. The book ends on a helpful note, though it's clear that there is much work left.
It's hard for me, not being qualified to speak, to discuss the world that has emerged since No Logo. On one hand I felt Naomi was unfairly harsh on her subjects, but it may be that companies like Apple and Starbucks have learned from the drubbings they presumably recieved after this book. That being said, the war on terror and current media fixation on DRM have introduced new fronts in the battle between consumer rights and irresponsible shareholders. Both of these new factors were clearly influenced by the effectiveness of branding strategy (which itself was probably influenced by the doublespeak phenomenon around the 1992 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq (and the subsequent retaliation by US-led forces.)
I am sure that anyone in the know could tell me that the state of labour relations is still as bad as outlined in No Logo, possibly even worse (I have seen first-hand how savvy temp agencies have screwed over many of my friends, in ways far colder than discussed in the book.) I'm sure this tempestuous relationship has become more subtle as people are now 'smart' marks because of this book, and perhaps enough people have been motivated to start their own businesses with models which attempt to cure the poison from within.
I highly recommend anyone read this book if they haven't already. It is difficult to read this book and not feel like my consumer habits should change sharply in response (while also not making the mistakes Klein suggests against.) I also hope we find a wealth of equally well-written and balanced books that reveal the state of this consumer tug-of-war in 2012.
josh_paul's review against another edition
3.0
A laundry list of complaints and grievances against globalization and capitalism. Would be significantly improved if Kleinman had a read a book or talked to an economist.
That’s not to say all of the complaints and grievances are off base. There are reasons to complain and be aggrieved but Kleinman didn’t bother to do the research to articulate them.
For an alternative I’d suggest Rage Against the Machine’s complete discography.
That’s not to say all of the complaints and grievances are off base. There are reasons to complain and be aggrieved but Kleinman didn’t bother to do the research to articulate them.
For an alternative I’d suggest Rage Against the Machine’s complete discography.
reickel's review against another edition
4.0
This book was the perfect storm of excellent writing, an interesting thesis, and convincing arguments. The kinds of problems Klein depicts might seem to have their causes and effects exaggerated, or you might do some statistics in your head to figure out population percentages, but it doesn't matter. The types of suffering and bottom-line issues covered in this book are real, and it doesn't matter how much they scale. Anyone with a background privileged enough that it allows for the reading of books like these should empathize with the people whose plight is covered so well in No Logo.