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44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, practical guide to Ethical Shopping, 24 Nov 2004
This review is from: The Good Shopping Guide 2005 (Paperback)
The Good Shopping Guide is an excellent guide to which brands to buy and which brands to avoid from an ethical point of view. There are about 70 different product categories - from butter to jeans and banks to shampoo - which include substantial editorial on the ethical issues involved plus a summary of the best brands to buy (and which not to). The summary is taken from an indepth ethical anaylisis of the companies behind each brand and shows how they perfom against a number of different ethical criteria (eg. animal testing, pollution, armaments, genetic engineering). Did you know that Diesel is a more ethical brand of jeans than Calvin Klein? Or a Whirlpool washing machine is better than a Bosch? Not only is this an essential reference guide for ethical consumers, but it is also extremely informative and interesting. It can be easily dipped in and out of before you go shopping or captivate you for hours!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful weapon for change at a small price, 5 Jan 2003
The introduction to this book says it all - your till receipt is as, if not more, powerful than your vote in the ballot box. As far as I can see this is the first easy to use guide for the mass of consumers who are interested about where their shopping comes from, and are prepared to make more ethical purchases. But who don't necessarily want to completely abandon the local supermarket for the health food store. The guide is broken into 2-3 page chapters which cover everything from toothpaste to TVs. Tables show how each brand and parent company rank when it comes to animal testing, the environment, support for oppressive governments, and political donations. So, if you don't want to fill the coffers of companies who (for example) test their products on animals, you now know who to avoid. Yes, small organic and green orientated companies do generally come out top, but so do some major names. For example, Jordans in cereals, Sanyo in TVs, Abbey National in banking and Bahlsen in biscuits. When this book was released in the UK there were howls of protest from some of the corporations who found they were in the lowest bracket. Honest guv, we're not that bad! Which goes to show - they do care that you might stop buying their products if you find something about them that you, and most other people, disagree with. For a relatively modest price this guide can be a powerful weapon in your hands - buy it
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Groundbreaking book bringing clear advice to shoppers, 11 Oct 2002
Speaking as someone who is on the mild end of green shopping I thought this book was the first to give simple, clear and straightforward advice on what to buy. I don't have the time to wade through literature on the relative merits of one company's products or another's before buying a refrigerator or pair of trainers. However, The good shopping guide has two pages on each category (from energy supplier to baby milk) and a simple list of the most ethical brands. So, just before making a purchase I can quickly check which brands are best. The list is backed up with lots of research and more detailed breakdown, reading and contacts should you become interested in the background. But, for me its just great to have some simple advice at last in such a complex field. On the downside, there are some categories missing, and others that need a bit more information, e.g. clothing. Overall, I highly recommend this book. Lets hope that the second edition is even more comprehensive.
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