Wal-Mart :The Bully of Bentonville (English)

Each week, more than 138 million shoppers visit a Wal-Mart store, but recent news stories question whether Wal-Mart's "everyday low prices" come at a tremendous cost to workers, suppliers, competitors, and, ultimately, consumers. THE BULLY OF BENTONVILLE charges that a zealous, secretive, small-town mentality rules Wal-Mart, and the author chronicles its far-reaching consequences. In a gripping, richly textured narrative, Anthony Bianco charges that Wal-Mart has driven down retail wages throughout the country, has a meager health-care policy, and through its pricing policies has forced suppliers to outsource work and move thousands of jobs overseas. Wal-Mart even influences what Americans can read, watch, and listen to, as it bans "racy" magazines and insists on sanitized versions of popular DVDs and CDs. Based on interviews with Wal-Mart employees, managers, executives, competitors, suppliers, customers, and community leaders, THE BULLY OF BENTONVILLE illuminates the story behind the headlines and brings into sharp focus many of the community concerns about the Wal-Mart empire. minimize