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The Kingdom of Prep by Maggie Bullock

Title: The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J. Crew

Author: Maggie Bullock

Publisher: Dey Street Books 2023

Genre: Nonfiction - Business

Pages: 368

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Once upon a time, a no-frills J.Crew rollneck sweater held an almost mystical power—or at least it felt that way. The story of J.Crew is the story of the original “lifestyle brand,” whose evolution charts a sea change in the way we dress, the way we shop, and who we aspire to be over the past four decades—all told through iconic clothes and the most riveting characters imaginable.

In The Kingdom of Prep, seasoned fashion journalist Maggie Bullock tells J.Crew’s epic story for the first time, bringing to life the deliciously idiosyncratic people who built a beloved brand, unpacking the complex legacy of prep—a subculture born on the 1920s campuses of the Ivy League—and how one brand rose to epitomize “American” style in two very different golden eras, and also eventually embodied the “retail apocalypse” that rocked the global fashion industry and left hollowed-out malls across the country.

A random library pick that I thought might be something I would enjoy, but ultimately, this book fell a bit flat for me. Overall I think this account felt a little too long. We spend so much time setting up the entire concept of J. Crew and then linger over the details. I might have liked this more as a long-form article than a full length book. Or maybe I just wasn’t as invested in the J. Crew brand as a reader that would have really loved this one. I never really bought into the J. Crew brand as a teen or college student. And now I’m very much in homeschool mom chic. Oh well.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

service model.jpg stolen.jpg lovesickness.jpg frankenstein.jpg jujutsu5.jpg jujutsu6.jpg jujutsu7.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg water moon.jpg liminal.jpg sensor.jpg tombs.jpg
tags: nonfiction, business, Maggie Bullock, 3 stars, Fall TBR List
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 09.22.23
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Hey, Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson

Title: Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing

Author: Emily Lynn Paulson

Publisher: Row House Publishing 2023

Genre: Nonfiction - Business

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

The eye-opening, funny, and dangerous personal story of author Emily Lynn Paulson rising to the top of the pyramid in the multilevel marketing (MLM) world, only to recognize that its culture and business practices went beyond a trendy marketing scheme and into the heart of white supremacy in America.

A significant polemic on how MLMs operate, HEY, HUN expertly lays out their role in the cultural epidemic of isolation and the cult-like ideologies that course through their trainings, marketing, and one-on-one interactions.

Equally entertaining and smart, Paulson’s first-person accounts, acerbic wit, and biting commentary will leave you with a new perspective on those “Hey Hun” messages flooding your inbox.

An interesting first-hand account of just how insidious MLMs. I was really interested in Paulson’s personal narrative. We really get to see how the companies work on people to deconstruct their entire beings and remake them in the company’s images. I didn’t mind how Paulson used aggregate characters and amalgamations to illustrate the tactics. I was even interested in the psychology behind the BITE model. But then, the chapters started to run together and information started repeating. I get the emphasis on various tactics, but it really felt too repetitive. I just got tired of reading the book after awhile.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

service model.jpg stolen.jpg lovesickness.jpg frankenstein.jpg jujutsu5.jpg jujutsu6.jpg jujutsu7.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg water moon.jpg liminal.jpg sensor.jpg tombs.jpg
tags: nonfiction, Summer TBR List, Emily Lynn Paulson, business, 3 stars
categories: Book Reviews
Wednesday 08.02.23
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Billion Dollar Loser by Reeves Wiedeman

Title: Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork

Author: Reeves Wiedeman

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 2020

Genre: Nonfiction - Business

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Winter TBR

Christened a potential savior of Silicon Valley's startup culture, Adam Neumann was set to take WeWork, his office share company disrupting the commercial real estate market, public, cash out on the company's forty-seven billion dollar valuation, and break the string of major startups unable to deliver to shareholders. But as employees knew, and investors soon found out, WeWork's capital was built on promises that the company was more than a real estate purveyor, that in fact it was a transformational technology company.

Veteran journalist Reeves Weideman dives deep into WeWork and it CEO's astronomical rise, from the marijuana and tequila-filled board rooms to cult-like company summer camps and consciousness-raising with Anthony Kiedis. Billion Dollar Loser is a character-driven business narrative that captures, through the fascinating psyche of a billionaire founder and his wife and co-founder, the slippery state of global capitalism. 

This was a terrible book. In that, it detailed the rise and fall of pretty terrible company. In the vein of Jon Carreyou’s Bad Blood, Wiedeman set out to trace the trajectory of another unicorn startup. I am not well-versed in business, but I have been steeped in Silicon Valley startup mindset. WeWork fell into all the traps for ego and idealism at the expense of security and realism. Right away, I could not stand Adam Neumann but recognized exactly how he charmed his way to the top and then back down. At times, the writing got bogged down in numbers when I wanted it to tell a bit more of a human story. But overall, this was a fascinating read.

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Next up on the TBR pile:

service model.jpg stolen.jpg lovesickness.jpg frankenstein.jpg jujutsu5.jpg jujutsu6.jpg jujutsu7.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg water moon.jpg liminal.jpg sensor.jpg tombs.jpg
tags: nonfiction, business, Reeves Wiedeman, 4 stars, Winter TBR List
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 01.28.22
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou

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Title: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

Author: John Carreyrou

Publisher: Knopf 2018

Genre: Nonfiction - Business

Pages: 339

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the female Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup “unicorn” promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood testing significantly faster and easier. Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at more than $9 billion, putting Holmes’s worth at an estimated $4.7 billion. There was just one problem: The technology didn’t work.

A riveting story of the biggest corporate fraud since Enron, a tale of ambition and hubris set amid the bold promises of Silicon Valley.

Been on my list for awhile now. Once I dove in, I was completely hooked by the story. The twists and turns, the extraordinary hubris of some people, and the ultimate downfall of a company really struck me. It was a bit strange to be reading a story that featured so many places I have actually been to. Definitely weird. But then, my knowledge of the area wasn’t enough to really clue me into the entire story. Carreyrou’s reporting dives deep into the various employees and intricacies of business decisions. Now I feel like I should dig up the podcast to listen to after reading the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

service model.jpg stolen.jpg lovesickness.jpg frankenstein.jpg jujutsu5.jpg jujutsu6.jpg jujutsu7.jpg alley.jpg deserter.jpg water moon.jpg liminal.jpg sensor.jpg tombs.jpg
tags: 5 stars, John Carreyrou, nonfiction, business
categories: Book Reviews
Saturday 09.21.19
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich

Title: Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream

Author: Barbara Ehrenreich

Publisher: Holt Paperbacks 2006

Genre: Nonfiction - Social Sciences, Economics

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure (perpetual); Mount TBR; TBR Reduction

In Bait and Switch, Barbara Ehrenreich goes back undercover to explore another hidden realm of the economy: the shadowy world of the white-collar unemployed. Armed with the plausible résumé of a professional "in transition," she attempts to land a "middle-class" job. She submits to career coaching, personality testing, and EST-like boot camps, and attends job fairs, networking events, and evangelical job-search ministries. She is proselytized, scammed, lectured, and--again and again--rejected. Bait and Switch highlights the people who have done everything right--gotten college degrees, developed marketable skills, and built up impressive résumés--yet have become repeatedly vulnerable to financial disaster. There are few social supports for these newly disposable workers, Ehrenreich discovers, and little security even for those who have jobs. Worst of all, there is no honest reckoning with the inevitable consequences of the harsh new economy; rather, the jobless are persuaded that they have only themselves to blame.

What an incredibly depressing book! I knew the world of white collar workers was getting bad, but my goodness! I hope things have improved a bit in the last 10 years, but maybe not. Or maybe I'm just insulated in my current life. At any rate, it was a fascinating read. I learned more than I wanted to about "transition coaches" and networking.

tags: 4 stars, Barbara Ehrenreich, business, economics, mount tbr, nonfiction, nonfiction adventure, TBR Reduction
categories: Book Reviews
Friday 06.26.15
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

On Target by Laura Rowley

Title: On Target: How the World's Hottest Retailer Hit a Bulls-Eye

Author: Laura Rowley

Publisher: Wiley 2003

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 224

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Dewey -- 380

How I Got It: Library Loan

In On Target, award-winning business journalist Laura Rowley examines the methods and the success of the company from its shrewd merchandising strategy to its clever marketing campaigns, ingenious branding effort, and extensive philanthropy . An excellent education in how to beat the competition even in a crowded and weak retail market, Target's story details the history and incredible success of a unique company and an enticing, unmistakable brand. Both insightful and entertaining, On Target offers important business lessons for executives and managers in need of a bull's-eye.

I have to admit up front that I absolutely adore Target.  And much of what I love is due to Target's very careful approach to retail.  I am not naive enough to think that marketing doesn't affect me, it does, but I don't care.  I love Target and their products too much to change stores.  Rowley lays out the various arms of Target's approach to retail.  Target has married the old style department style to Walmart's style of discount.  We the consumers get the best of both worlds: cheap prices and stylish quality goods.  What more could you want?  Thankfully I live less than 1/2 mile from a Target with everything I need (it's not a SuperTarget, but does have a medium sized grocery area).   I go to grab kleenex or a loaf of bread and end up browsing through the clothes, season items, and home decor.  I love the one stop shopping with style.  Target has created the plan for business and dominated their current market.  They will keep getting my dollar if the prices and style continue.

tags: 4 stars, business, Laura Rowley, nonfiction
categories: Book Reviews
Wednesday 09.19.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

The Death of Borders

Okay not a complete death, but they have declared bankruptcy and are closing stores across the country. The announcement came last week.  I read about the rumors online two weeks ago.  I got an email from the CEO the day after the announcement.  I've read a lot of posts from other book bloggers in the last week.  But I haven't really decided what I think about this until now.  Today I found an interesting article on TechCrunch that expressed a lot of my own ideas about this situation.

Books without Borders: A Victory for Amazon, But Also for Independent Book Stores by Paul Carr

Explaining the global fall of Borders – their UK arm collapsed last year – isn’t quite as simple as blaming Amazon and the rise of ebooks. But it mostly is. The company took a big gamble a decade or so ago in focusing on the notion of bricks-and-mortar book shopping as an “experience”. Stores were built with coffee shops and comfy chairs and warm little nooks in which people could hang out all day and read all the book and magazines they wanted. Unfortunately, after finishing their coffee and their free reading time, many of those people subsequently went home and took advantage of Amazon’s significant discounts to actually buy books. Only those few customers who demanded instant gratification needed to actually pay full price in store.

I admit, I am one of those people...

So, with Borders gone, Barnes and Noble struggling and independent stores still closing in their dozens, is this the beginning of the end for real world bookstores? Actually, I think probably not. In fact I suspect the death of Borders might actually cause something no-one in the book trade ever thought they’d see: a resurgence in independent book stores.

For a while, Borders – and the bigger (and for now more solvent) Barnes and Noble – represented a kind of mushy middle for bookselling. On one end of the spectrum sits Amazon – colossal of inventory, quick of delivery, soulless of personality. If you know exactly what book you want, Amazon is the place to buy it.

At the other end of the spectrum sit the independents – mom and pop stores and dusty used bookshops, staffed by knowledgeable bookworms eager to recommend something quirky (and possibly second hand) that they themselves have read, and think you might like. Borders plunked itself awkwardly in the middle, trying to out-stock the former (and failing) and to out-personality the latter (and failing). Even if Borders couldn’t replace the independent bookstore experience, the existence of a giant competitor in the their midst certainly hit mom and pop’s bottom line. No-one did well from the fight except for Amazon.

Now, with Borders out of the way, leaving absolutely no major chain book store in some markets (including San Francisco, which had three Borders but no Barnes and Noble), the independents have a real opportunity to push back.

Interesting option, let's see what happens in the coming months.

...

Before the announcement: I shopped everywhere.  I frequented Borders and Barnes and Noble for their selection.  No one can be beat for browsing, getting ideas, and for the occasional awesome sale.  I frequented the chain used book store, Half Price Books, for selection (smaller than big boxes, but still pretty wide) and awesome clearance selection.  I frequented the local independent used book stores, Hyde Brothers and Village Books, for fun browsing and occasional awesome find.  And I frequented Amazon.com for the must-have new (or slightly used) books at a great price.  I shopped everywhere.  While I want to support the local stores, that cannot compete with the big boxes and online stores in terms of price and selection.  But I tried to visit them on occasion.  And I often found some great things while there.

After the announcement: My local Borders is not on the list of those closing.  We are the only Borders store within a 2 hour radius.  We currently have a Borders store and two Barnes and Noble stores.  So what does all this to me?  Will my shopping habits change?  Probably not.  I will still frequent Borders just as much as I did before.  I will frequent all the other places just as much as I did before.  The other thing I know I won't be doing.... buying the $20 Borders rewards card.  Who knows what will happen in the next few months.  I don't want to be caught holding someone I cannot use.

So sorry about the bankruptcy Borders, but times change, and I guess you couldn't keep up.

tags: business, shopping
categories: Books, Life
Wednesday 02.23.11
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

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