"Shuman begins his book about the 'local-first' movement by describing his annual trip to Wal-Mart to purchase a sturdy yet inexpensive pair of sneakers; he concludes it with a visit to his physical therapist, who tells him those same sneakers have exacerbated his chronic back pain. These two anecdotes provide context for Shuman's thesis: locally owned businesses are more beneficial to their communities than massive chains like Wal-Mart. The author (Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age) outlines strategies that small and home-based businesses-and, by extension, consumers, investors and policymakers-can follow to compete against the world's largest companies; his strategies hinge on going local, though some ideas are more credible than others (readers are advised to shop at locally owned businesses and do business with local banks, but to forego credit cards, as 'nearly all credit card processing is nonlocal'). Shuman writes in a surprisingly lively and occasionally self-deprecating style uncommon to business texts, and his research is backed with hundreds of source notes. Though Shuman has his moments of naïve idealism, his 'don't get mad, get even' ideology will resonate with forward-thinking consumers and small business owners." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

American business consultant Shuman explains the devastation giant multinational corporation wreak on local economies and societies, the alternative of local ownership and import substitution, and the competitive advantage of being small. Then he suggests how consumers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, community builders, and even globalizers can help. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Defenders of globalization, free markets, and free trade insist there's no alternative to mega-stores like Wal-Mart. Shuman begs to differ. In this work, the author makes a compelling case for an alternative business model, one in which communities reap the benefits of "going local" in four key spending categories.

Offers an alternative model to the dominant view of economic development, a model that liberates and fosters the natural capacities of local businesses to grow and prosper. This book shows readers how easy and beneficial it is to "go local" in their four key spending categories: goods, services, energy and finance.