The Fine Print: How Big Companies Use "Plain English" To Rob You Blind (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
A fine book, providing many well-researched examples of corporate profiteering. It sparks a strong response, but does not rely on sensationalistic claims or unsupported arguments. Very welcome relief in this age of demagogues and rhetoric. My only complaint about the book was that while the author offered potential actions to address the situations he highlighted, they were only at the policy level. It's ends with a call to arms for the readers, but only provides general advice, i.e. vote and join an activist group. It would have been helpful to put some basic list of resources or organizations that might help. Even people with the drive to act will basically be starting at square one with no advice or guidance. If our elected representatives need evidence of abuse of consumers by corporations, David Cay Johnston's latest work will supply them. Johnston has won a Pulitzer for his past reporting for The New York Times. (His earlier books are Free Lunch and Perfectly Legal.)Each of the first 23 chapters detail how large industries--like railroads, pharmas, banks, insurers, utilities--have surreptitiously arranged laws, regulations and judicial outcomes to game the system to protect and reward corporations. Chapters are essentially stand-alones, so they need not be read in sequence to get the point: We consumers are victimized more than we know. Johnston shows how out of balance things are, especially when he details corporate tax breaks and regulatory indifference to consumers. Corporations have the best government we can buy.His last two chapters offer proposed solutions. Unfortunately, compared to the rest of the book, they are a let down. Before any significant change will move the president and congress to take the side of consumers against corporate abusers, consumer anger needs to be ignited as a real threat of real voter action. How that might happen could be the perfect "next book" by Johnston.
What do You think about The Fine Print: How Big Companies Use "Plain English" To Rob You Blind (2012)?
I just heard the author on Fresh Air. I am afraid if I read it, my head may explode:-(
—vino
This book makes me mad. I hope that there are some solutions offered at the end...
—jj689
