Buyer Aware, Marta L. Tellado
Buyer Aware, Marta L. Tellado
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Buyer Aware
Harnessing Our Consumer Power for a Safe, Fair, and Transparent Marketplace

Author: Marta L. Tellado

Narrator: Molly Parker Myers

Unabridged: 9 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Published: 09/20/2022

Synopsis

In an era of deregulation when consumers have never been more vulnerable to corporate surveillance, unsafe food, and dangerously faulty products, the president and CEO of Consumer Reports gives us a playbook to put the power back in our hands.

You've been getting ripped off. The rules that have protected consumers for decades are failing. Companies are spying on us. Many of the products we once trusted are dangerous and failing at alarming rates. Whether we are buying a crib, a small appliance, an iPhone app, or shopping for car insurance, it's become harder than ever to know whether the choices we make in the marketplace are putting us at risk-either from physical harm or the abuse of our personal data by hackers or corporations. This is intolerable. It's wrong. And we don't have to put up with it anymore. Marta L. Tellado, the president and CEO of Consumer Reports, has been an advocate for consumers for decades. In Buyer Aware, Tellado shows you the steps you can take to protect yourself from predatory business practices, and how to exert your inherent power as a consumer to spur politicians and businesses to clean up their act. Only then can we ensure that we have an economy that is fair, safe, and transparent for all, and puts consumers first.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Tom on December 12, 2022

Head of Consumer Reports offers up part autobiography, part political tract, part consumer warning. She’s on target when criticizing the big social media companies for having too much power and collecting too much data, but her solutions (as is often the case) are frustratingly vague and weak and im......more

Goodreads review by Micah on November 30, 2022

I'm biased because I served on the Consumer Reports board during the years that Marta Tellado joined CR as its president. That said, Buyer Aware is both a fantastic introduction to the mission and work of this legendary nonprofit organization and a welcome addition to the literature of corporate gre......more

Goodreads review by Gwen on March 10, 2023

I've long been a fan of Consumer Reports (as a kid, the last page was the best, rivaling Al Jaffee for best final page of a magazine). In my current and past research, I've been in awe of those in the early consumer movement. In this book, the current president of Consumers Union explains why awe st......more

Goodreads review by Tommy on April 20, 2023

Wow......more

Goodreads review by Kseniya on March 06, 2023

was expecting more suggestions about we, as consumers, can realistically do to to change the rigged system set by industry giants that profit off of consumers......more

Quotes

“The first responsibility of government is to protect its citizens, including from unsafe products and unscrupulous business practices. Tellado’s book shows how empowering consumers to become advocates is critical to prompting policymakers to pass reforms we need. Her guidance helps people protect themselves today and provides a roadmap to spur change for tomorrow.”—US Senator Amy Klobuchar

“Tellado alerts us to the harms of technology without conscience and a digital world without guardrails. Thankfully, she also highlights steps towards a future where the promise of tech aligns with its ethical use.”—Craig Newmark, founder, Craigslist

“A compelling and important book that gives the consumer straightforward, profound truths about today’s market dangers as well as empowering advice.”—Cathy O’Neil, data scientist and author of Weapons of Math Destruction

“In a time when the harvesting of our intimate data fuels surveillance and precision manipulation is business as usual, Buyer Aware serves as a beacon for the potential and success of consumer power.”—Dr. Joy Buolamwini, founder, the Algorithmic Justice League

“Tellado makes a compelling case that economic freedom is a civil right, and we have to fight for it. It’s an important call for accountability in a time of rising corporate impunity.”—Julia Angwin, Pulitzer Prize winner and cofounder, the Markup

“An inspirational story of a remarkable American woman who has never forgotten where she has come from and has a clear idea where she’s going—to a better America where consumer rights have power. This book educates and empowers. Enjoy it, learn from it, and take action.”—former US senator Bill Bradley

“In her wide-ranging book, Marta Tellado empowers consumers by detailing how unregulated corporatism produces systemic racism. By further explaining what is technological discrimination against the minority, low-income consumers struggling for economic justice, Tellado deftly connects consumer rights with civil rights.”—Ralph Nader, consumer activist, founder of Public Citizen, and author of Unsafe at Any Speed

“With great clarity, passion, and a personal touch, Tellado convincingly argues that ‘consumer’ issues are not just about dollars and cents—they implicate civil rights, freedom, and democracy itself. She offers a blueprint for an innovative, nimble, and empowered consumer-rights movement for the digital age. Buyer Aware is a must-read for any advocate seeking to make systemic and cultural change.”—Gigi Sohn, cofounder, Public Knowledge

“Tellado is both one of the most respected consumer voices in the country and a leader in the Latino community, and her new book Buyer Aware is both informative and incredibly timely. It’s a much-needed guide to help consumers, including Latino and Latina consumers, take back control of their personal data, overcome today’s predatory practices, and ensure a better economic future.”—Janet Murguía, president and CEO, UnidosUS

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