TO MEET THE COMPETITION, DON'T PLAY ITS GAME. Bill Quinn does not like Wal-Mart, and he wrote How Wal Mart is Destroying America (and the World) And What You Can Do About It. We've been here before, and I hesitate to do much by way of Book Review N^o. 20. The opening of the book is the usual recitation of small businesses and small towns emptied by the big box, often at a distance (that consumers might be willing to trade transportation costs for a wider variety of cheaper stuff doesn't come up) and the tales of monopsonistic exploitation of suppliers (who might have problems of their own, and suppliers can tell big buyers no, as long as we're not talking about the government using its monopsonistic power to buy drugs or surgeons.) So far, so standard. Mr Quinn finishes with some advice to small business owners such as offering products not sold by Wal Mart, or twitting the Redneck Universalnya Magazin by offering to service the products they sell, or by offering delivery, or by setting up a coffee bar, at least for the regulars. We've been here before as well.

(Cross-posted to 50 Book Challenge).