Just finished Charles Fisher's book The Wal-Mart Effect. It has to be the best book of this type I have read because, although it's 'anti walmart', he discusses the good effects as well as the bad. In the end, he is optimistic that the people at Wal-Mart will see where things are going, and they will change their tune to stay in business.

One of the biggest advantages to having them around is the effect on prices everywhere. They have kept inflation in the US to a crawl according to Fisher. People at Wal-Mart don't earn a lot, but they can survive because the low cost of living is a direct result of the practices of the company they work for. Of course this doesn't include every employee at Wal-Mart, there are those that statistically live below poverty, and Wal-Mart does nothing for them.

He discussed the dismal experience shoppers have at Wal-Mart, noting that places like Target are thriving because they offer a better shopping environment. That means that people that can afford the luxury of a better experience won't shop at Wal-Mart. So has Wal-Mart become the grocer to the poor?

He also talks about the effect Wal-Mart has had on salmon farms all over the world, specifically in Chile. Interesting stuff. I don't know if it is related, but salmon has become almost unpalatable for me lately. It is much too greasy, and I am literally nauseated after eating most salmon dishes. My wife loves it, and whenever she prepares a meal with it my portion is small to avoid an upset stomach. Fisher discusses in passing that Costco also gets their salmon from Chile, which is where my wife buys it.

From the salmon discussion he goes right into a discussion on what responsibilities Wal-Mart should take concerning the actions of its suppliers. In a free market economy, this would take care of itself, or is supposed to. But, if the customer doesn't know how the products they are buying are made, they cannot make responsible decisions. I remember when everything was made in Japan. Then it was Taiwan. Now it is China. How much effort should I put into educating myself enough to be a responsible consumer? It is hard to say. It is also becoming difficult to buy anything that isn't at least in part made in China.

Before this I listened to The Borderland of Science by Michael Shermer. Interesting, but not as compelling as I thought it would be. It wasn't so boring that I couldn't finish it, but close.