Search  for anything...
NA

Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans

  • Based on 80 reviews
Condition: New
Checking for the best price...
$21.10 Why this price?
Save $11.89 was $32.99

Buy Now, Pay Later

As low as $5 / mo
  • – 4-month term
  • – No impact on credit to apply
  • – Instant approval decision
  • – Secure and straightforward checkout

Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.

Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and PayTomorrow. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Free shipping on this product

30-day refund/replacement

To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

Availability: In Stock.
Fulfilled by Amazon
Arrives Wednesday, Jun 3
Order within 23 hours and 16 minutes
Available payment plans shown during checkout
Protection Plan Protect Your Purchase
Checking for protection plans...

Recently Viewed

Description

Peabody and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jane Marie expands on her popular podcastThe Dreamto expose the scourge of multilevel marketing schemes and how they have profited off the evisceration of the American working class. We’ve all heard of Amway, Mary Kay, Tupperware, and LuLaRoe, but few know the nefarious way they, and countless other multilevel marketing (MLM) companies, prey on desperate Americans struggling to make ends meet. When factories close, stalwart industries shutter, and blue-collar opportunities evaporate, MLMs are there, ready to pounce on the crumbling American Dream. MLMs thrive in rural areas and on military bases, targeting women with promises of being their own boss and millions of dollars in easy income—even at the risk of their entire life savings. But the vast majority—99.7%—of those who join an MLM make no money or lose money, and wind up stuck with inventory they can’t sell to recoup their losses. Selling the Dream “is an urgent and riveting exposé” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) that reveals how these companies—often owned by political and corporate elites, such as the DeVos and the Van Andel families—have made a windfall in profit off of the desperation of the American working class. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books (March 12, 2024)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1982155779


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 73


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.13 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.38 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #309,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #66 in Retailing Industry (Books) #529 in Feminist Theory (Books) #8,821 in Memoirs (Books)


#66 in Retailing Industry (Books):


#529 in Feminist Theory (Books):


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Wednesday, Jun 3

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

  • Klarna Financing
  • Affirm Pay in 4
  • Affirm Financing
  • Afterpay Financing
  • PayTomorrow Financing
  • Financing through Apple Pay
Leasing options through Acima may also be available during checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Similar Products

Top Amazon Reviews

    • Both informative and funny
Highly recommend. Gives you a sense of so many things - why people are persuaded to do this and how hard it is for the FTC to do much of anything about it. Fun read that is also smart and interesting n
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2024 by J. Levy
    • Excellent Review of MLM
There is not much new in this book. Knowing people that have been taken in by these schemes, I was well aware of how they operate to rope people in, how delusional the victims are, and how they are part of our late stage capitalism with all of its political corruption and greed. Unfortunately, I think the victims I know would still be victims even if they could be persuaded to read this book. It's a cultural and educational problem. General characteristics of victims: innumeracy, lack of critical thinking skills, gullibility, loneliness, susceptibility to cultish behavior, lack of ethics. The book covers this territory very well. It's very depressing. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2024 by Jackieb
    • Really fascinating
Read this before joining an MLM. It's a fascinating book about a corrupt industry.
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2024 by Ben StJack75
    • The First Book on the Overall MLM Phenomenon from a Mainstream Publisher
The publishing of "Selling the Dream" by Simon & Schuster is a milestone. It is the first book from a mainstream publishing company in the US that critically addresses the overall multi-level marketing (MLM) phenomenon. The author deserves great credit for writing and getting this book into the publishing market. I have been exposing MLM for more than two decades, served as expert in 37 court cases against them, and written two books, "False Profits" and "Ponzinomics", on the subject. For the last 24 years, I have maintained a non-commercial consumer educational website on MLM, PyramidSchemeAlert.org that has reached millions of people. I’ve been interviewed by all major media. "Selling the Dream" is a publishing milestone but not necessarily new information. It is mostly a reliable compilation of years of other people’s work on MLM that hopefully will now get wider circulation. Its publishing serves to confirm the burgeoning sentiment that “multi-level marketing” is a stain on the country – now exported to all other countries – that needs an urgent clean-up. It signifies that the dark truth about MLM is finally reaching the mainstream. Regarding the book, I was extensively interviewed and consulted and was part of the author’s podcast, “The Dream, Season One,” which the book is mostly based on. I provided the podcast producers with years of my research on MLM, its history and politics that are in my book "Ponzinomics", which was published soon after “The Dream” podcast. I am referenced in a couple of footnotes in the book. The book’s 2024 release reveals how the publishing industry has been one of the barriers to serious examination of MLM while it exploded from 1980 forward. It is now in over 100 countries, with one in 20 households on the planet directly involved at any given time. It has affected the lives, views about work, and caused losses to tens of millions of US families. Donald Trump was the most famous MLM spokesman for 10 years and he brought MLM’s first family, Betsy DeVos, into his Cabinet. Yet, only in 2024 does the first book on the overall MLM “industry” get published by a mainstream publisher. All previous attempts – I was part of the efforts – were rejected or ignored. "Selling the Dream" avoids some of the reasons publishers likely were afraid or unwilling to recognize this huge Main Street phenomenon. This book does not directly charge MLMs with being pyramid schemes or cults, the main indictments of the “anti-MLM” movement for 40 years. It also does not tie multi-level marketing to any of the extreme political currents in America, for which there are many connections that other authors have explored. Additionally, while the book repeats the now widely-known origins and early history of MLM, it does not acknowledge the courageous work of consumer groups, whistle-blowers, private attorneys, a few academics, and journalists over four decades and the savage legal and character attacks they endured from MLM operatives and law firms. During the nearly 40 years of publisher silence, independent consumer information – websites, blogs, newsletters, chats and self-published books – exposed the deceptions and extraordinary loss and harm caused by MLM. MLM companies waged a Scientology-like campaign against critics and whistle-blowers with online gaslighting, cease and desist threats, character smears, and SLAPP suits, charging defamation, contract interference or copyright violations. The object was to discredit and bankrupt. Many voices were silenced. I am hopeful the publishing of this book will spark a wider public conversation about the impact MLM recruiting is having on Main Street households, relationships, politics, values and economics. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024 by Robert L. FitzPatrick
    • excellent exposure to the pyramid phenomenon
Following her excellent “The Dream” podcast series, Jane Marie’s book “Selling the Dream” is fun and informative and, at times, horrifying (in a good way). Exposing the MLM industry through deep research and interviews, she shares amazing stories of folks who were taken for a ride (sometimes multiple times) by their families and supposed friends, and sets these experiences against the historical context of pyramid schemes in the American economy going back to the turn of the last century. Really excellent read which keeps you glued to the pages, thinking “what next?”. Highly recommended. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024 by Howard G.
    • Incisive MLM Exposé
Award-winning journalist Jane Marie of the investigative podcast The Dream delves deep into the world of multilevel marketing, or MLMs. Selling the Dream is incredibly well researched, presenting an exhaustive history of the origins of MLMs, all the way back before Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise brought their durable and innovative plastic containers and their party selling scheme to the masses. The narrative skillfully depicts how a long history of hucksters and snake oil salesmen gave rise to the MLMs of today: Mary Kay ladies, Beachbody coaches, Herbalife nutrition shops, and stay-at-home moms shilling garish LuLaRoe leggings. I’ve been morbidly fascinated by MLMs for the better part of a decade, wondering how and why people (overwhelmingly women) buy into the false promises of wealth and success. Jane Marie presents a meticulously investigated backstory of MLMs, complete with the economic and social factors that created an environment for these insidious companies to flourish. Although I’ve read a lot about MLMs, this was the first time I’ve seen such a well-documented analysis of how politics and government agencies figure into the mix, including how the FTC became powerless to regulate the industry and how MLM companies skirt the letter of previous rulings. Although the amount of information is comprehensive, the author keeps the reader engaged by serving it all up with a witty side of snark. If you enjoyed The Dream podcast, the book “Hey Hun” by Emily Lynn Paulson, or documentaries like “LuLaRich” or “Betting on Zero”, you’ll likely enjoy this deep exploration of MLM history and culture. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024 by Suzi
    • 4.5 Stars: Revisits and complements her podcast "The Dream"
A great distillation and companion for the podcast. It's well researched, and witty. There were some parts that made me guffaw like Mrs Krabappel from The Simpsons.
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024 by Cassie
    • Excellent reporting--a must read!
Thank you to Jane Marie -- her podcast The Dream helped me to make sense of losing my best friend of 30+ years to an MLM. Her book goes further into depth, a fascinating and eye opening read. If you or someone you care about has ever been in an MLM, please read and also listen to The Dream (season 1). Not only is it extremely compelling and informative, it also helped me so much to understand and let go. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2024 by Stephanie LMS

Can't find a product?

Find it on Amazon first, then paste the link below.
Checking for best price...