While the premise is that small independent stores can't compete, sometimes they can. The "herd" effect of coach on air planes, large impersonal stores, constant noise and ringing of bells at Costco drive many to the small independents. This books makes you think about what you are really buying. After reading the chapter on salmon from Chile, I won't buy salmon from Chile knowingly again.

A nice parallel book is Animal Vegetable and Miracle by Barbara Kingslover. Supporting farmers' markets and buying locally help your community.

I'm part of a small independent store and Wal-Mart doesn't bother me. We aren't competing. We (Jacobsenbooks) sell specialty books, particularly non-fiction, and they (Wal-Mart)sell the run-of-the-mill that everyone and his brother wants to buy.

If someone's looking for an obscure title, they'll come to someone like us, if someone's looking for the latest hot-off-the-press they'll go to Wal-Mart. We make money, Wal-Mart makes money, the buyer get's his book, it's a win-win-win situation.

The trick is to go specialty and service. People will pay for that.