The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket

· Sold by Penguin
4.4
7 reviews
Ebook
352
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

In the tradition of Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore's Dilemma, an extraordinary investigation into the human lives at the heart of the American grocery store
 
What does it take to run the American supermarket? How do products get to shelves? Who sets the price? And who suffers the consequences of increased convenience end efficiency? In this alarming exposé, author Benjamin Lorr pulls back the curtain on this highly secretive industry. Combining deep sourcing, immersive reporting, and compulsively readable prose, Lorr leads a wild investigation in which we learn:

• The secrets of Trader Joe’s success from Trader Joe himself
• Why truckers call their job “sharecropping on wheels”
• What it takes for a product to earn certification labels like “organic” and “fair trade”
• The struggles entrepreneurs face as they fight for shelf space, including essential tips, tricks, and traps for any new food business
• The truth behind the alarming slave trade in the shrimp industry

The result is a page-turning portrait of an industry in flux, filled with the passion, ingenuity, and exploitation required to make this everyday miracle continue to function. The product of five years of research and hundreds of interviews across every level of the industry, The Secret Life of Groceries delivers powerful social commentary on the inherently American quest for more and the social costs therein.

Ratings and reviews

4.4
7 reviews
Lindsey Shaw
January 2, 2024
I can't stop talking about it and sharing parts. Also, I can never eat shrimp again. It makes me want to be a more conscious shopper.
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Javier Barrales
January 29, 2024
I need to read this. I don't have any criticism against food markets. I just need to simply spend my money very carefully.
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iamrepete
November 17, 2020
Best book I've read completely in a long time
1 person found this review helpful
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About the author

BENJAMIN LORR is the author of Hell-Bent, a critically acclaimed exploration of the Bikram Yoga community that first exposed guru Bikram Choudhury as a sexual predator. Lorr is a graduate of Montgomery County public schools and Columbia University. He lives in New York City.

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