Take a photo of a barcode or cover
143 reviews for:
Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America
Alec MacGillis, Stefan Alexander MacGillis
3.9 AVERAGE
143 reviews for:
Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America
Alec MacGillis, Stefan Alexander MacGillis
3.9 AVERAGE
Alec MacGillis Fulfillment is sort of an embarrassing mess. “Here’s a half dozen people who have had rough lives and dozens of jobs, one of which happened to be at Amazon.” He then blames Amazon. It’s a mess. A really disappointing mess because I have like 30,000 Amazon employees within an hour radius and there is a really good and interesting book here but this isn’t it.
Això no és un llibre sobre Amazon. Això és un llibre sobre les conseqüències, directes o indirectes, d'aquesta empresa milionària als barris, als carrers, a les famílies, als seus treballadors en nòmina, als subcontractats, al trànsit de les ciutats i a tot allò que ens envolta. Ells es queden els milions de beneficis i la resta del món, patim les conseqüències de la seva riquesa.
This is an incredibly important topic, unfortunately encapsulated by mediocre writing. The first half of the book was less than engaging, but the second half really saved this from getting a 2-star review.
Overall, the author does a good job of stringing together all the ways that Amazon (and thus, many large, monopolistic corporations) leverage brute strength and power to protect their incredibly massive bottom line while stripping away the most basic fibers of society across the entire country. From homeless crises to rising housing prices to unemployment to the demise of local stores, the list goes on in ways that Amazon has utilized its willingness to be abjectly deplorable in all senses of the word in order to make a profit and eliminate any possible competitors from an already slim market while enriching the wealthiest Americans to the detriment of countless underpaid, overworked people across the country and the world. It's insane that Amazon has the most employees that need food stamps to survive, demanded cities do a jig and song for them over HQ2, gutted small towns, influenced all levels of political office, and refuses to pay taxes before leveraging dwindling municipal resources to its own greater advantage.
Anyways, Amazon somehow finds a way to absolutely suck (ironic that Goodreads is now owned by Amazon lol) in every possible realm of the imagination is about all you need to take away from this book.
Overall, the author does a good job of stringing together all the ways that Amazon (and thus, many large, monopolistic corporations) leverage brute strength and power to protect their incredibly massive bottom line while stripping away the most basic fibers of society across the entire country. From homeless crises to rising housing prices to unemployment to the demise of local stores, the list goes on in ways that Amazon has utilized its willingness to be abjectly deplorable in all senses of the word in order to make a profit and eliminate any possible competitors from an already slim market while enriching the wealthiest Americans to the detriment of countless underpaid, overworked people across the country and the world. It's insane that Amazon has the most employees that need food stamps to survive, demanded cities do a jig and song for them over HQ2, gutted small towns, influenced all levels of political office, and refuses to pay taxes before leveraging dwindling municipal resources to its own greater advantage.
Anyways, Amazon somehow finds a way to absolutely suck (ironic that Goodreads is now owned by Amazon lol) in every possible realm of the imagination is about all you need to take away from this book.
Telling the story of Amazon means telling the story of the people and communities most impacted by Amazon. Not just us as consumers, but the workers exploited, the taxes not paid, the companies choked out by Amazon’s increasingly large reach, this book beautifully weaves the individual stories into the larger Amazon experience in our country. Reading this, you are horrified by the massive wealth, the concentration of wealthy and power in one city and blight and depression a few miles down the road. Making the argument that Amazon continues to contribute to the massive income and wealth inequality in our country, the author tells heartbreaking stories of communities and people who see Amazon as both a necessity and an encroachment. It is definitely making me re-examine my own relationship with Amazon and what the true cost of cheap and convenient products sent to my door in two days.
OMG. One of my peace vigil buddies mentioned this book, so I put on hold and, eventually, the library let me check it out.
Basically, it tells how we've been f*ed by Amazon. But not just Amazon, other things as well, offshoring, the incredible rise in political lobbying, and so forth. Rather illuminating, if not a bit depressing.
One of the things that set me back was how far the city of Baltimore has fallen since my youth. I grew up there, and when I was a kid, Baltimore was the sixth largest city in the U.S. and had a number of important industries. Such is the case no longer, and Baltimore isn't even so large as formerly piddling cities like Columbus, Ohio or Jackson, Florida. WTF?
Basically, it tells how we've been f*ed by Amazon. But not just Amazon, other things as well, offshoring, the incredible rise in political lobbying, and so forth. Rather illuminating, if not a bit depressing.
One of the things that set me back was how far the city of Baltimore has fallen since my youth. I grew up there, and when I was a kid, Baltimore was the sixth largest city in the U.S. and had a number of important industries. Such is the case no longer, and Baltimore isn't even so large as formerly piddling cities like Columbus, Ohio or Jackson, Florida. WTF?
very satisfying (and upsetting) journalistic work, so-so historical analysis
"Instead, the great paradox galloped onward: the spread of blight and abandonment in one city, the spread of congestion and exclusion in another only an hour away. One city rushing to demolish three-story rowhouses that would cost $1 million in the other down the road."
challenging
informative
slow-paced
This had the potential to be so much better. Amazon has fundamentally changed everything about American Life, (and not in a good way). Even this Good Reads platform was bought by Amazon. Other platforms I use on a regular basis such as IMDB and Audible were also bought and owned by Amazon, and they provide Web services to countless on-line platforms, so even though I try hard not use Amazon it is impossible to totally boycott them if you use the internet. What this book tries to do is show the impacts of Amazon on worker's lives, but unfortunately he rambles and sometimes never gets around to tying these stories back, or if he does it's hundreds of pages later. He barely talks about Unions, Congressional hearings, or even anti-trust. In all it was a disappointment.