Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart [Hardcover]

Al Norman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1999

"Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart" is a call for the preservation of all the qualities we love about hometown America. It is one man's David versus Goliath story. It can also be a road map for your community's fight to keep its downtown businesses and core values.

The book is written in two parts. The first part describes why Wal-Mart, Home Depot and their kin are a threat to small community life in America.

The second part gives you a game plan to stop Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers in your home town, much the way Al Norman and other concerned citizens kept Wal-mart out of Greenfield.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

All of a sudden, there was this huge 300 pound gorilla sitting on my sofa, smoking a cigarette and kicking my cat, and saying 'we want to be in your community on our terms'...

The 300 pound gorilla wanted to invade author Al Norman's hometown of Greenfield, Massachusetts. Wal-Mart was willing to spend lots of money and resources to make sure it got its way.

But Al and a small band of concerned activists put on a longshot campaign and managed to slay the powerful Goliath in their town.

Now, Al Norman wants to enlist you in the ongoing fight to preserve hometown business and hometown values.

About the Author

Al Norman is a Sprawl-Buster. As a leader in the grassroots movement that's fighting to save hometown America, Al has traveled to 29 states over the past six years, at the invitation of citizen's groups looking to save their hometowns. He has helped stop more than 30 Wal-Marts, several Home Depots and other roadwide sprawl.

These days, Al is blusy traveling around the country, directing the anti-sprawl fight over his website, www.sprawl-busters.com and publishing the monthly Sprawl-Busters Alert. Al has become a flash-pont for the managed growth movement because of his direct, colorful way of confronting the big retail conglomerates that are defacing hometown America.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Raphel Marketing. (July 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096248086X
• ISBN-13: 978-0962480867
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,389,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The truth comes out., September 29, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Tucson, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart (Hardcover)

Having a marketing and business background and experiencing how big corporations come into town or buy out other store names and then will discontinue or not use small vendors made me think sometime back; companies like Home Depot, Wal-Marts, Targets, Borders, Barnes and Nobles, Wild Oats health stores the list could go on really hurt the unique character and social fabric of any town beside the low wages, profits leaving town to WalStreet stockholders that now 1% of the people own 47% of the wealth now and the rest get to fight over the rest of he dwindling pie. I have stopped shopping at those places and realize my shopping patterns are a vote for what this country stood for. Our forefathers did not fight for this country for big business to run our political system and control our marketplace totally. Any concerned citizen should read this book and open there eyes to the lie Wal-Mart and rest present on spin commercials. I highly recommend this book and give it to a friend.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Al Norman Brings Warning Light To Red Hook, New York, December 28, 1999

By 

Rosemarie Zengen - Chair, The Save Our Town P... (Red Hook, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart (Hardcover)

Sooner or later every beautiful rural American Town will have to deal with the threat of a corporate Goliath like Wal-Mart invading their community. Al Norman's book Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart educates, not only citizen groups, but Planning and Zoning Boards across the country. It also assists them in directly dealing with these inevitable imposters to the quietude of Rural America. If you can't get Al Norman to come to your town (you might be able to if you contact him) - this book is the next best thing. Mr. Norman and his book are presently bringing the Warning Light to the Town of Red Hook, New York (upstate New York, about 60 miles south of Albany). Believe it or not, everybody's listening to Wal-Mart's nemesis. Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart is a must read for community activists and Planning Boards alike!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whoa! What a book!, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart (Hardcover)

When we heard Wal-Mart wanted to build in our little village, we panicked! Sounded like a done deal... Wal-Mart's so big -- what chance did anyone have at stopping this project? We immediately felt doomed. And then we discovered Al Norman and "Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart"! This book has all the answers we needed, plus all kinds of motivation to fight to keep our village instead of selling out to the big retailer. If your municipality is faced with Wal-Mart wanting to build, but you're not sure that's a good idea, read this book before you make up your mind. Based on his own successful campaign against Wal-Mart in his home town, as well as reports from communities across the country facing the same difficulties, Al Norman provides an enormous amount of information... or... as I prefer to think of it... 'ammunition'. And best of all, he gives you the confidence and information you need to not only be a viable contender in the battle against Wal-Mart, but to actually win the entire war. Thanks Al! :-)