But Wait ... There's More! [Kindle Edition]

Remy Stern (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this lively exposé, journalist Stern dissects the direct-response marketing business (which includes both infomercials and home shopping networks), a $300 billion industry, larger than the film, music and video game industries combined. There's guilty-pleasure revelations aplenty: how the traditional sales pitch adapted to a televisual format by, for example, real-time number tracking that allows network officials to tell on-air talent, through tiny earpieces, that, say, twirling a piece of jewelry around a finger causes sales to spike and how hosts persuade Americans to buy products like the Inside-the-Shell Electric Egg Scrambler, Power Scissors, the Miracle Broom and, of course, the most successful on-air product to date, the celebrity-driven skin-care regime Proactiv. There's psychology here, too: the author describes the mindset of the typical late-night tired consumer, falling for tricks they wouldn't necessarily fall for in a store. Stern is the perfect host to this slightly seedy world, well-informed and "transfixed by the zany nature of it all." (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“One of the most interesting industry portraits to come along in a while.”

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 307 KB
• Publisher: HarperCollins e-books (October 6, 2009)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001VA1PIY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,846 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #22 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Retailing
  • #57 in Books > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Marketing > Direct
  • #85 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Advertising

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars America ... is an informercial? (Plus shipping and handling), April 2, 2009

By 

Jasparaz (Western US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: But Wait ... There's More!: Tighten Your Abs, Make Millions, and Learn How the $100 Billion Infomercial Industry Sold Us Everything But the Kitchen Sink (Hardcover)

I read Steve Salerno's superb review of "But Wait" in the WSJ on March 25, instantly downloaded the book to my Kindle2, and dug in (after setting the font size much larger for my older eyes).

The author had me laughing many times, but, more seriously, there are countless tip and tricks revealed about the infomercial business and selling in general that make this a highly worthwhile read.

I also love talking with friends about the book because everyone knows or remembers the gadgets, get rich quick seminars, and celebrities who hawk pimple treatments and swamp land in Arkansas.

About a third of my way into "But Wait," I began having a strange fantasy: maybe we're all living inside one giant, massive informercial. After all, I bought my kindle2 based on the infomercials at amazon's website!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, May 11, 2009

By 

P. Meltzer (Wynnewood, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: But Wait ... There's More!: Tighten Your Abs, Make Millions, and Learn How the $100 Billion Infomercial Industry Sold Us Everything But the Kitchen Sink (Hardcover)

I thought this book was great. Written in a very engaging style. The chapter on how the infomercials are created is worth the price of the book all by itself. Parts of it were a little depressing though, such as how easy it is to sucker people who don't have money and the long list of dishonest people who have "gotten away with it", in that, even if they had to pay some fines, it was nothing compared to what they earned. A photo section would have been nice. Also, I would have been interested to know if there were or are ANY infomercials advertising products that really are truly innovative or useful. The author would have you believe that the answer is no, but I wonder...

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting look at an interesting industry, May 7, 2009

By 

Charlie "Librarian" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: But Wait ... There's More!: Tighten Your Abs, Make Millions, and Learn How the $100 Billion Infomercial Industry Sold Us Everything But the Kitchen Sink (Hardcover)

About: Stern takes us a tour of the infomercial industry. The cast of characters includes legends like Tony Robbins, one of whose ads brought in $50,000 a minute, unsavory characters like Kevin Trudeau and his bogus "cures" and celebrities who seem to hawk most anything for a buck or to hold on to the last vestiges of fame. A glimpse behind the scenes gives us a look at the QVC "house" where they broadcast 24 hours a day. A few unsurprising "secrets" are revealed as well: The Magic Bullet has a $39.95 charge for shipping, the "other" knife is shown slicing an under ripe tomato while the infomercial knife cuts through an overripe one and don't be surprised if the product with a 30 day money back guarantee arrives on your doorstep on day 29.

Pros: Well-written, interesting look at the industry

Cons: While there is a references section in the back, there are no in-text citations.

Grade: B