We’ve discussed the impact of Wal-Mart many times here. There is a new book out that I highly recommend: “The Big Box Swindle.” It’s written by Stacy Mitchell who really did a ton of ground-breaking research and organizing around the issue of Wal-Mart long before it was hip and cool to oppose the Beast.

I’m just going to let you read what I think is a fair description of the book from the backgrounder provided by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, which is where Stacy makes her intellectual and activist home–a fantastic organization that has done a ton of work on community issues:

“Mitchell traces the dramatic growth of mega-retailers —from big boxes like Wal-Mart and Home Depot to chains like Starbucks and Old Navy—and the precipitous decline of independent businesses. Drawing on examples from virtually every state in the country, she unearths the extraordinary impact of these stores and the big-box mentality on everything from soaring gasoline consumption to rising poverty rates, failing family farms, and declining voting levels. Along the way, Mitchell exposes the shocking role government policy has played in the expansion of mega-retailers and builds a compelling case that communities composed of many small, locally owned businesses are healthier and more prosperous than those dominated by a few large chains.”

“More than a critique, Big-Box Swindle provides an invigorating account of how some communities have successfully countered the spread of big boxes and rebuilt their local economies. Since 2000, over 200 big-box development projects have been halted by groups of ordinary citizens, and scores of towns and cities have adopted laws that favor small-scale, local business development which limit the proliferation of chains. From cutting-edge land-use policies to innovative cooperative small-business initiatives, Mitchell offers communities concrete strategies that can stave off mega-retailers and create a more prosperous and sustainable future.”

You can order the book on-line here. Also, Stacy is doing a book tour. You can see her at one of these locations. Even better, contact her to set-up an event to hear her talk about the book.

Stacy and I are trying to connect to do a Q&A so stay tuned. And buy the book in the meantime.