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A review by indianabrown
Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing by Robert L. Fitzpatrick
4.0
I'm really interested in MLMs in general so I was hyped to get this book. It's definitely got all you need to know about MLMs and more. I ordered this and was ready to read it cover to cover in a few days and give it a glowing review. Unfortunately, I think it's more of a 3.5 for poor editing, meandering prose, and disorienting organization. But I'll give my guy a break for being The Man on anti-MLM truth-telling and activism and probably not having the money or time for better editing
I'm going to note the most compelling sections here because if you're interested in MLMs too, you're gonna want to read this book. If you're only kind of interested or not sure what an MLM really is, please listen to The Dream(!!!) https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-dream and this bonus episode of Michael and Us where Luke Savage interviews the author of Ponzinomics himself https://pca.st/episode/e4719e99-23ad-489d-b212-0cb507d14e60
I would recommend that Lularoe show as well but I saw the first episode and wasn't feeling inspired to push onward due to the reality TV heavily cut up and narrativized docuseries style (like, if I see any more stock footage of suburban white children playing in the front lawn in a documentary I'm going to scream. Don't have five cuts throughout a single person's statement. Do something different.)
Definitely read:
pg. 54-62 on the game-changing sales tactics used to sell cemetery plots esp. at Forest Lawn, relates to the sales background of two of the MLM founding fathers and is really interesting anyway
pg. 68 helpful graph showing the "double a penny for 30 days" trick and relates to the absurdity of the MLM down-line "you just need five recruits! surely you know five people who would like to make some extra money?"
pg. 78-86 background on ponzi schemes, banking, Madoff, the Canada pigeon scheme
pg. 104-115 definition of an MLM
pg. 129-138 1979 FTC decision that Amway's rules make it non-deceptive (they're just selling hope!) and a legitimate business model.
pg. 169-175 lying with statistics and how a common bogus stat is cited all over credible and popular news media, tacitly legitimizing the business model
pg. 224-256 shows just how deep the MLM money runs in politicians pocket. Earlier content illuminates the direct complicity of Reagan and Amway and other Republicans, but come on, are you surprised? You probably could have already guessed that they're all running in the same sick circles and throwing money at each other. But don't think that the Dems are here to save you! They're fully complicit as well. I really said "WOW" aloud at the Kamala Harris bit
pg. 283-292 cultism and MLM
I'm going to note the most compelling sections here because if you're interested in MLMs too, you're gonna want to read this book. If you're only kind of interested or not sure what an MLM really is, please listen to The Dream(!!!) https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-dream and this bonus episode of Michael and Us where Luke Savage interviews the author of Ponzinomics himself https://pca.st/episode/e4719e99-23ad-489d-b212-0cb507d14e60
I would recommend that Lularoe show as well but I saw the first episode and wasn't feeling inspired to push onward due to the reality TV heavily cut up and narrativized docuseries style (like, if I see any more stock footage of suburban white children playing in the front lawn in a documentary I'm going to scream. Don't have five cuts throughout a single person's statement. Do something different.)
Definitely read:
pg. 54-62 on the game-changing sales tactics used to sell cemetery plots esp. at Forest Lawn, relates to the sales background of two of the MLM founding fathers and is really interesting anyway
pg. 68 helpful graph showing the "double a penny for 30 days" trick and relates to the absurdity of the MLM down-line "you just need five recruits! surely you know five people who would like to make some extra money?"
pg. 78-86 background on ponzi schemes, banking, Madoff, the Canada pigeon scheme
pg. 104-115 definition of an MLM
pg. 129-138 1979 FTC decision that Amway's rules make it non-deceptive (they're just selling hope!) and a legitimate business model.
pg. 169-175 lying with statistics and how a common bogus stat is cited all over credible and popular news media, tacitly legitimizing the business model
pg. 224-256 shows just how deep the MLM money runs in politicians pocket. Earlier content illuminates the direct complicity of Reagan and Amway and other Republicans, but come on, are you surprised? You probably could have already guessed that they're all running in the same sick circles and throwing money at each other. But don't think that the Dems are here to save you! They're fully complicit as well. I really said "WOW" aloud at the Kamala Harris bit
pg. 283-292 cultism and MLM