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The Secret Life of Groceries
- The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket
- Narrated by: Benjamin Lorr
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
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The Secret Life of Groceries
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Summary
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.
The American supermarket is an everyday miracle. But what does it take to run one? What are the inner workings of product delivery and distribution? Who sets the price? And who suffers for the convenience and efficiency we’ve come to expect? In this rollicking exposé, author Benjamin Lorr pulls back the curtain on this highly secretive industry. Combining deep sourcing, immersive reporting, and compulsively listenable prose, Lorr leads a wild investigation to:
- Learn the secrets of Trader Joe’s success from Trader Joe himself
- Drive with truckers caught in a job they call “sharecropping on wheels”;
- Break into industrial farms with activists to learn what it takes for a product to earn certification labels like “rain forest friendly” and “fair trade”;
- Follow entrepreneurs as they fight for shelf space, learning essential tips, tricks, and traps for any new food business;
- Journey with migrants to examine shocking forced labor practices through their eyes.
The result is a compelling portrait of an industry in flux, filled with the passion, ingenuity, and inequity required to make this piece of the American dream run. The product of five years of research and hundreds of interviews across every level of the industry, The Secret Life of Groceries is essential listening for those who want to understand our food system - delivering powerful social commentary on the inherently American quest for more and compassionate insight into the lives that provide it.
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What listeners say about The Secret Life of Groceries
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anon
- 18-09-20
Incredible read
Not sure why I picked up this book, I don’t work in groceries nor am I fussy about shopping, but boy am I glad I did.
It’s masterfully written, read by the Author who is equally talented at narration. No matter what he writes next I’ll read it.
The story itself brings you into the lives of the people in the supply chain, I found at times I couldn’t put the book down, listening through the book in 3 days which is fast for me. Never once bored. It looks at both sides of arguments - particularly fascinating was a slave on a fishing boat being freed, getting a job and then deciding himself to go back to sea to do the same job he did when he was a slave - but the reasoning why and final outcome... it just opens your eyes.
There’s learnings in this book too that I feel I took away and can apply to my own entrepreneurial Journey. Even insights into how people think and why we need to look out for people in our supply chains journey. Now truckers making drop offs at our warehouse have bottle of water / cokes and snacks if they’d like them while they wait. A tiny Gesture, but honestly not something that occurred to me before.
If you’re considering this book and not sure the subject matter is for you, I’d highly recommend it. It’s a fascinating look into people.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M. O. Ayeko
- 21-09-22
Masterpiece
I don’t even know what made me buy this. But is a literary gem. The art of prose seems lost in recent work, but the author here employs the style as elegant as Edward Gibbons elevating, adding the most colour I’ve ever seen in a non fiction book. Having the author narrate his own work is always a plus. Could not enjoy this audiobook more!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 04-05-23
An interesting view into how our superstores have developed and work
The book is very well structured, covering many areas in detail while maintaining a fluidity of transition.
The writing is also very descriptive and one can easily experience the environment.
Overall fantastic book, and a very enjoyable listen!
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