Customer Reviews

The United States of Wal-Mart

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Though I'm not easily impressed by books, having been a reviewer for Choice, which is the premier university-libraries' reviewing service, I must say that Dicker's book is simply first class; it "has it all." Dicker describes Wal-Mart's history, blood-from-turnip buying practices, management practices, hiring-and-firing practices, insider personnel issues, supplier nightmares, promotion-and-demotion manipulations, regional and national sales and growth-rate figures, political maneuvering, foreign-intrigue issues, and more. And he does it with exceptionally intelligent and witty humor.

What's especially fascinating is that he accomplishes the above while maintaining balance and sensibility. In other words, this isn't just a crass hatchet job; it is, instead, a highly competent analysis done in an engagingly entertaining way. To achieve that while laying out so many potentially dry facts and figures is a feat that only the most able writers can pull off.

I honestly don't know how this book could have been better written, more credibly written, or more wittily written. To achieve all of that is quite an accomplishment.

I had already written the above review, and then decided to edit it to add this comment: If you know anyone who is thinking of working for the Wal-Mart corporation, at any level from management to doorway greeter, be sure to have them read this eye-opening masterpiece. (In addition to which, it's just one hell of a lot of fun to read. Unexpected laughs pop up everywhere.)

If you don't know the answer to this question inform yourself through this painstakingly researched and thoughtful guide to one of the most influential companies in the world. Not only does Dicker recount the birth of Walmart, but also introduces you to the faces of the people behind this behemoth, whether a cashier or CEO. Dicker does a phenomenal job guiding you through the Walmart story. You learn of the technology that allows Walmart to squash their competitors, and how communities pull together in their fight against The Big-box and why. This book is not about bashing Walmart, it is trying to educate the public on who Walmart is, and what their impact is on our nation and the world.

The United States of Wal-Mart is a masterfully written saga of the extreme assault of human rights committed by the mega-giant corporation. A paragraph on China and Wal-Mart on page 118 speaks volumes:

"So if an 800-pound gorilla can sit anywhere he wants at a dinner party, how does he behave when he's free of the constraints of polite society? If Wal-Mart is the gorilla, China is the jungle where cheap labor and government funded infrastructure abound in almost limitless supply. No nation is as essential to Wal-Marts global designs. No free press, no independent labor unions, no pesky human rights organizations poking around factories, an almost eerie political stability-it's a retail giant's wet dream."

This incredibly well researched document reveals the history which led us to the horror of Wal-Mart policy on its numerous victims including but not limited to factory workers in the US and China and the million plus associates who work for the mega-chain. John Dicker's writing style somehow eases the reader's pain with sharp wit.

This is a must read for anyone who is ever going to buy anything retail.

I write a weekly business columnist for the Richmond Register (you can check it out at www.donmcnay.com) and plan to devote a future column to this book. I have not figured out how to contact the author (he does not seem to have a web page) but once I can interview him, I consider it my public duty to let people know about the book.

It is a masterpiece. Readable, well researched and gives all sides of the Wal Mart argument. Dicker's first book will not be his last. His writing style is entertaining but fact based.

I've bought three copies of the book and will buy several more for my friends.

Don McNay
www.donmcnay.com

The reviewer suggesting activists stay away from The United States of Wal-Mart must be Al Norman, or a friend of his, because this book is doing more for the anti-Wal-Mart cause than any other book out there right now. Why? Because it's hitting the mainstream and getting into the hands of the people we need to get hip to the Wal-Mart problem: that is, the non-activists. Relying on what Wal-Mart loves to call the "small vocal minority" just isn't working. We need to get the word out, and get it out big. With Wal-Mart so overwhelmingly large, we need to leave our usual channels of activism and appeal to some of the 20 million people who walk into a Wal-Mart EACH DAY. Bravo to John Dicker for his insightful analysis, his refusal to let anyone off the hook, and his brilliant approach. This book will make a difference.

A look at Wal-Mart that is not the usual hate it venom. The author lets the reader decide after showing the company spin and what the critics say. All based on verifiable documents. No matter if you like or dislike Wal-Mart this book is a must read to see beneath all the hype.

I loved this book. I think it's so engrossing because it gives you the straight dope on Wal-Mart as well as eye-opening analysis of why some opponents win and some lose. With a healthy sprinkle of good jokes along the way. If you want to really understand this issue, you'll be glad you read it.

The reviewer below asks 'what's the point' of THE UNITED STATES OF WAL-MART. If you don't get it, you don't get it. First of all, Dicker is correct in saying Wal-Mart employees pay roughly 45% of their salaries to cover their deductibles. The reviewer who says otherwise is wrong. In fact, if you're interested, you can check this statistic out in a federal document Dicker cites called "Everyday Low Wages: The Hidden Price We All Pay for Wal-Mart" by the Democratic Staff of the Committee on Education and the Workforce in Congress. The point of this book is to say to those who think of Wal-Mart has simply another U.S. business to have another think. It isn't meant to be an Ortega-esque journalistic tome. If it were, I highly doubt so many people would be buying it, if only because it's an accessible, quick read. I highly recommend this book. All of Dicker's information is sourced, and sourced well. As a former journalist myself, I am impressed with the support and the transparency of his research material.

Dicker writes in an engaging, entertaining style as he presents a thorough study of this monster-chain. If our goal is to move the case against Wal-Mart beyond academia to the people who shop there (and can collectively make a difference), "The United States of Wal-Mart" is a significant work. It's not just about Wal-Mart, but the frightening way mammoth corporations can operate when unchecked.

Wal-mart is an amazing story. Sam Walton found that underpricing the other guy worked, but his stores fifty years ago were rag-tag affairs. He and his associates finally realized a need for sound organization. He used K-mart, Target, and others as examples, and then surpassed them. Wal-mart developed an immense computer system to track sales, inventory, product location, etc. It carries an immense variety of products, which can be resupplied quickly with its efficient distribution system. It has become the largest corporation in the world in terms of sales and employment.

But size is hardly the only reason for the characterization: "The US of Wal-Mart." Wal-mart is also a part of a new business paradigm that is a shift away from the one established by major corps after WWII. Then, vast numbers of workers, both blue- and white-collar, often as members of unions, joined the middle-class with good wages and benefits. By the time of Reagan, that era of good will was over, as amply demonstrated with the busting of the PATCO union. Wal-mart, which arose out of the poor, rural South, where unions have never been tolerated, has thrived in and even helps drive the new business environment.

Wal-mart has become so big and influential that its manner of conducting business cannot be ignored. It pays near poverty-level wages with few benefits. US taxpayers end up having to subsidize Wal-mart workers, from EITC, food stamps, emergency medical care, etc. Wal-mart forces the same conditions on suppliers often resulting in outsourcing and loss of jobs. It is a habitual violator of US labor laws ranging from anti-unionization, failure to pay for hours worked or overtime, and discrimination against women. Of course, all of these practices are vigorously denied. Wal-mart has had to back off of claims that it sells at the lowest prices and that it emphasizes American-made goods.

Communities pay a large price when Wal-mart moves in. Local businesses are often forced to close and infrastructure has to be significantly upgraded. But then the threat of Wal-mart moving on, leaving a damaged community behind, becomes very real. Much of the protests against Wal-mart are based on adverse community impacts. However, according to the author's data, very few are successful. Wal-mart contends it is a huge job creator for communities. See above for the type of jobs. Furthermore, the author's data shows that Wal-mart jobs created scarcely equal those that it eliminates.

The author acknowledges that the primary American identity is as a consumer. Shopping and finding the best deal is a national obsession. The conditions under which goods are made and sold and the impacts on workers are not part of the national consciousness. Wal-mart seems to weather such controversies as the Kathy Lee Gifford clothing line being produced in sweatshops with nary a hiccup.

There is no doubt that the American political and economic system has been undergoing huge changes in the last twenty-five years. Yes, Wal-mart is a huge player. But the entire right-wing mantra of free markets and anti-government politics is bigger than Wal-mart. The media, educational and religious institutions support and promote the new thinking. Gone are the views that corporations have societal obligations and that government exists to control excesses and provide a safety net. That is the space in which Wal-mart fits. Few observers, including the author, see any sort of reversal on the horizon. The corporate agenda, if unchecked, will lead far down a road where we really do not want to go.