A review by slipperose
Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell

3.0

I read this book just a few days after finishing the fantastic The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard, and Cheap suffers a bit in comparison. Ellen Ruppel Shell stays at surface level, never truly digging into any one component of pricing. Over and over again, she returns to obvious targets, such as Walmart and IKEA, while avoiding the unpleasant task of prompting readers to take accountability for their own role in the system as consumers. An interesting read, but not life changing, particularly if you are already well-read on the topics of consumerism and discount culture.