Staff Pick
I bought copies of this for everyone on my holiday gift list this year. Amazon has become so ubiquitous, and has formed and acquired so many subsidiaries over the years, that I figured everyone in my life was probably supporting them in some way — perhaps without even realizing — and might benefit from this concise, thoughtful zine. Danny Caine has seen firsthand the impact Amazon has had on the bookselling industry, and here he offers a quick primer for non-industry folks, along with links to further reading about the retail giant’s many offenses, and suggestions for ways to break the Amazon habit. But what makes this zine such a gift (literally) is Caine’s sympathy for his reader. He informs without shaming, and shows that while resisting something that was designed to be irresistible is no small feat, it’s well worth the effort. Recommended By Tove H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
When a company's workers are literally dying on the job, when their business model relies on preying on local businesses and even their own companies, when their CEO is literally the richest person in the world while their workers make minimum wage with impossible quotas... wouldn't you want to resist? Danny Caine, owner of Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas compiled this zine about his commitment to fighting the seemingly impossible giant in the bookselling world: Amazon. This zine includes the open letter he wrote to Jeff Bezos, examples of successful social media activism that produced waves of successful economic solidarity for local bookstores, links to other resources, and some sobering words about boycotting. Let this zine inspire you to support independents and stand up to the biggest threats facing our society!
About the Author
Danny Caine is owner of Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas. He is the author of the poetry collections Continental Breakfast, El Dorado Freddy's, and Flavortown, as well as the viral zine How to Resist Amazon & Why. He was named the 2019 Midwest Bookseller of the year and is a passionate advocate, online and off, for independent, brick-and-mortar bookstores. More at dannycaine.com.