Big-Box Swindle

Large retail chains have become powerful corporations in America. In this deft and revealing book, Stacy Mitchell illustrates how mega-retailers are fueling many of our most pressing problems, from the shrinking middle class to rising pollution and diminished civic engagement—and she shows how a growing number of communities and independent businesses are effectively fighting back. “This is the ultimate account of the single most important economic trend in our country—the replacement of local businesses, and all they represent, with the big boxes.” — Bill McKibben “In the muckraking tradition of Fast Food Nation, this is a searing indictment of the impact of behemoth retailers… Big-Box Swindle takes mega-retailers to task in convincing fashion. But Mitchell also provides inspiring lessons from places that are turning the tide.” — John Marshall, Seattle Post-Intelligencer