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Uber-Positive: Why Americans Love the Sharing Economy (Encounter Intelligence) Paperback – June 7, 2016

by Jared Meyer (Author)

15 ratings

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Entire industries are being transformed, consumers have more power than ever before, and people are finding new ways to earn a living—even in today’s slow economic recovery. All of these improvements stem from the rise of the so-called sharing economy.

Even in the face of these benefits, innovation is in danger of being suppressed because of overzealous government regulation that protects existing businesses—all behind the façade of consumer safety.

This book chronicles Uber’s battle against the New York City taxi industry and its supporters in the government. It also shows the need to stand up for entrepreneurs and the vast benefits that they provide for consumers. As innovators tirelessly work to drive the economy forward, too often regulators function as annoying backseat drivers or roadblocks.

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Editorial Reviews

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“The war against the sharing or gig economy is the struggle of the dead hand of the past against a forward looking, flexible, consumer-driven future. It is a world war—a war of different possible worlds—being played out on a dozen fronts in many nations. Jared Meyer's "Uber Positive" is an up front and personal view of the struggle in one iconic city: New York, where the forces of stasis are fat, happy and politically entrenched.”

—Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform

About the Author

Jared Meyer is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. His research interests include microeconomic theory and the economic effects of government regulations. He is the coauthor with Diana Furchtgott-Roth of Disinherited: How Washington Is Betraying America’s Young (Encounter Books, May 2015). Meyer’s research has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, RealClearPolitics, National Review, and City Journal, among others. He has appeared on numerous radio and television shows hosted by the BBC World Service, Fox News, ABC, Al Jazeera America, and NPR. Meyer received a BS in finance and a minor in the philosophy of law from St. John’s University in New York.

Product details

Series: Encounter Intelligence (Book 1)
Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: Encounter Books (June 7, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594039011
ISBN-13: 978-1594039010
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.2 x 7.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 15 customer ratings
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,865,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1197 in Transportation Industry (Books)
- #2137 in Government Management
- #3046 in New Business Enterprises (Books)

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Brett Howell

Short, sweet, and easy to understand

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016

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In a way that makes economics interesting and understandable, Jared Meyer discusses the benefits of Uber in New York City and debunks the claims city officials have made against the ride sharing platform. Jared discusses the increased safety of Uber, the access to transportation it provides to groups left out by the taxi industry, and the extra income and flexibility for drivers. Given the outdated regulations in cities like New York, we need more authors like Jared to explain the benefits of innovation and how government regulating needs to adapt for the changing workforce. This is a great book for anyone who has ever experienced the convenience of Uber or another sharing economy program and does not want to see such conveniences regulated away.

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EEG

Very informative exposé of the politics surrounding shared ride services

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2017

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Jared Meyer presents a very informative insight into the many benefits of shared ride services and the hypocritical political selt-interests working against them.

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Rob Abiera

Just the facts about Uber

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2016

One of the most important developments today is the rise of the so-called “sharing economy”. As you might expect, the spectacular popularity of the new “sharing” companies has resulted in these companies attracting their share of detractors. Chief among these companies has been Uber, whose rapid worldwide success has made it a lightning rod for vituperation from government-protected competitors everywhere — and the governments whose power relies on the regulations they administer from behind the facade of “consumer protection” and “public safety” —a facade that all too often hides protection for existing players that keeps disruptive innovators out.

If you’re looking for an antidote to the misrepresentations of Uber and its business practices, look no further than Jared Meyer’s "Uber-Positive: Why Americans Love The Sharing Economy". This is a very short book — 40 pages! — with a very tight focus on Uber: specifically, Uber in New York City. Despite its brevity, Meyer manages — by focusing on the concrete facts — to explore and highlight every facet of Uber’s experience in New York City, then uses that as a stepping-off point for an all-too-brief glimpse of the possibilities hinted at in the implications of Uber’s impact on New York, and what that means for other sharing companies — in New York City and other locations.

Meyer neatly explodes misrepresentations of Uber’s business practices, from claims regarding safety and price to the way Uber treats its drivers to inequality to drunk driving to the issue of “contractor” versus “employee”. Meyer simply describes the actual facts in each case, largely letting them speak for themselves.

One of the most galling aspects of the campaign against the new “sharing economy” is the attacks from the left, from those who present themselves as Progressives who care about “inequality” and about minorities, the disadvantaged, and the marginalized. In New York City, it is the Progressive Mayor de Blasio who has been fighting to protect the turf of the heavily regulated existing taxi companies. Yet it is companies like Uber which have expanded transportation alternatives far beyond what the conventional taxis have offered in New York City — to lower-income neighborhoods and customers who now have access to affordable transportation options at hours when they can actually use it. And the advent of Uber has had a direct, positive impact on drunk driving in every market it has entered.

These same Progressives attack the way Uber treats its drivers, who are not company employees. But the vast majority of Uber’s drivers are not seeking full-time permanent employment. They don’t plan to make a career out of driving. They are looking for something to do part-time, temporarily, as a way of making extra money. And as independent contractors, they get to choose their own hours and work as much or as little as they choose. They get to be their own bosses in ways no employee can. This is one of the main attractions of the sharing economy for those who work for Uber, Lyft or Airbnb: they get to set their own terms. Regulations demanding that Uber treat its drivers as employees would put an end to that. The issue of unionization and collective bargaining agreements plays no small part in that.

Many commentators have pointed out the use of smartphone apps by sharing companies to bring their services to their customers at the click of a button. But far more important — and, as I see it, potentially revolutionary — is another feature of those apps: the inclusion of the ability for both customers and vendors to provide feedback on their experience and each other. It is this feature that has led to an explosion of information regarding reliability and trustworthiness that has hitherto been the province of the government regulator — and which threatens to shift the balance of power over ultimate responsibility for customer safety from the regulator to the customer. What happens when customers have access to a wealth of reliable information on which to base their judgments about the safety of a product or service — information that did not come from the government? What happens to regulators when customers no longer rely on them to guarantee their safety and satisfaction? What happens to the entire regulatory structure when the rationale for its very existence has been taken over by the free market? What happens when the responsibility for customer safety has been taken away from the regulators — by the customers, themselves?

And what happens when the regulators strike back? Will the customers stand for it?

Unfortunately, this is something that is barely even hinted at in Uber-Positive. Meyer barely scratches at the surface of the deeper issues in play. That doesn’t make the book any less worth reading. Uber-Positive neatly sums up the facts of Uber’s case in New York City and comes down decidedly on the side of Uber. However, the deeper implications of the sharing economy and its impact may leave you with questions you’ll have to look elsewhere to find answers to. For that, may I suggest starting with Atlas Shrugged?

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Sayre Evan Swarztrauber

Microcosm of the Sharing Economy Wars

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2016

Uber's battle with NYC mayor Bill de Blasio illustrates the challenges facing disruptive technologies operating in outdated and short-sighted regulatory paradigms. This same story plays out in cities around the world. As a native New Yorker, I especially appreciate Jared Meyer's research on the issue. Beyond all the heated rhetoric over the sharing economy, the numbers don't lie. Jared crunches the numbers and looks at the transportation landscape in the Big Apple. Does Uber increase traffic congestion, as de Blasio alleged? Is Uber expanding transportation options in undeserved communities? Find out in this well written and researched account of the Uber saga in NYC. There's a reason Jared is churning out books, articles, and television appearances like mad: he's one of the best communicators on the ideas of liberty and free markets in the business. Enjoy!

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Glenn

Quick, yet informative, read about the regulatory issues surrounding Uber and the new sharing economy. Very important read!

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2016

Just finished Jared Meyer's book, what a great read. It was succinct yet comprehensive enough to capture the current challenges associated with disruptive companies such as Uber. I liked how the author focused on one case study and really drilled down on it. I particularly enjoyed the section discussing worker classification in the sharing economy. Really great work!

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Nick

Great Quick Read!!

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2016

Loved the book. Quick and easy read detailing exactly why Uber is so great for our economy. Lays out exactly what Uber and other sharing economy companies are doing, how they do it, and why it's great for consumers, particularly low income consumers. Well argued points, but not too preachy. Whether you love or hate Uber, it's definitely worth the read. Would recommend.

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Amazon Customer

Clearly describes and defends the new "sharing economy"

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016

Uber Positive describes the sharing economy and defends its benefits in a clear and concise ~40 pages. Technology is changing the way people interact and do business in spectacular ways. This book is a quick way to catch up, which means it is an important read for everyone from voters to legislators to consumers to entrepreneurs.

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Randal Meyer

... leading experts on the sharing economy and I always enjoy reading his work on it

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2016

Jared Meyer is one of the leading experts on the sharing economy and I always enjoy reading his work on it. This book is an excellent description of how technology and "sharing" is changing the landscape of American economy for the benefit of all. Uber positive is concise, powerful, and a very worthwhile read.

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