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BOOK VALUE
The Luckbox Bookshelf New and not-so-new books that captured our attention this month
How to Resist Amazon and Why: The Fight for Local Economics, Data Privacy, Fair Labor, Independent Bookstores and a PeoplePowered Future! by Danny Caine
Danny Caine, the author of poetry collections like CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST and El Dorado Freddy’s, owns the Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas—but he’s also vocal in his opposition to Amazon. He gives voice to his advocacy through his writing, particularly in How to Resist Amazon and Why: The Fight for Local Economics, Data Privacy, Fair Labor, Independent Bookstores and a People-Powered Future! Caine writes from a firstperson perspective, providing great detail as he explains Amazon’s unconventional business model and what he views as the harsh working conditions employees face. The book includes advice on social media activism, his thoughts on the difficulty of boycotting the company and a personal letter he wrote to CEO Jeff Bezos.
Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America by Alec MacGillis
In his book Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in OneClick America, investigative journalist Alec MacGillis explains how Amazon and the ever-changing world of online shopping can bring poverty or prosperity to a city and increase the economic gaps among entire regions. He explores the damage of building Amazon offices that displace a historically Black neighborhood and describes homeowners protesting the environmental impact of a new Amazon data center. He decries Amazon’s attempt to usurp control at all levels of government. Rather than just looking at the company, though, MacGillis concentrates on how its tactics harm ordinary people.
Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy by Matt Stoller
In Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy, author Matt Stoller makes the case that the conflict between concentrated financial power and consumerism has transformed American politics. That clash has resulted in the rise of populism and authoritarianism after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, he argues. Building upon his article in The Atlantic titled How the Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul, Stoller offers a plan for a new democracy, one that would encourage small businesses and local agriculture while discouraging the growth of state power.
The Tyranny of Big Tech by Josh Hawley
Once viewed as paragons of innovation and creativity, mega-corporations like Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple have become technological oligarchies with too much economic and political power, according to Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri. In his book The Tyranny of Big Tech, he argues that those companies pose a threat to the nation and insists that their reign must end. To overcome the tech giants, the business model of the digital world needs to change before it’s too late. In Hawley’s view, the fate of liberty and democracy hang in the balance.
Far too often, book reviews drive away readers. But reviews present just one stranger’s view, and taking them to heart leaves great books undiscovered. The Luckbox Bookshelf offers profiles instead of reviews. Don’t look to these pages for opinions. Think of Bookshelf as a place to discover books that educate, entertain and challenge entrenched beliefs.
June/July 2021 | Luckbox
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5/13/21 10:48 PM
