The Fine Print

How Big Companies Use 'Plain English' to Rob You Blind

By: David Cay Johnston

Narrated by: Todd McLaren

David Cay Johnston has made a name for himself as the defender of the common man, calling out the rich and powerful for cheating the system at the expense of everyone else. Whether he's exposing unjust loopholes in the tax code that help the rich get richer or pointing out how powerful corporations pocket government subsidies at excessive taxpayer expense, Johnston is an eloquent town crier for justice and equality.

Now this best-selling author has turned his attention to the sneaky stipulations hidden in the fine print of just about every contract and government rule. Johnston has been known to whip out a utility bill - any utility bill - and explain line by line what all that mumbo jumbo actually means (and it doesn't mean anything good, unless you happen to be the utility company). Within all that jargon, disclosed in accordance with all requirements to you, the unsuspecting customer, lie the tools many companies use to rob you blind. Even worse is what's missing - all the contractually binding clauses that companies hide elsewhere, yet still enforce.

The Fine Print is essential listening for anyone who wants to wrest power back from devious corporations and end their longstanding consumer abuse.

©2011 David Cay Johnston (P)2012 Tantor

How the Corporatocracy is Gouging U.S. Citizens

Ever wonder why your cable and phone bill goes up every year while your wages are stagnant here in the U.S.A. Or how people's pensions ended up in the pockets of millionaire CEO s after working for a large corporation for 30 years?

This is an interesting and important book written by a veteran reporter about how the corporatocracy is ripping everybody off here in the USA. That's if you would rather know the truth about what goes on, then see the latest photos of Anthony Weiner's peter, or who the Kardashians are sleeping with.

Long winded, decent information

Would you listen to The Fine Print again? Why?

I would listen to specific chapters on tax law that I found interesting. David Johnson has solid information on the subject in most cases.

What aspect of Todd McLaren’s performance would you have changed?

He speaks without affliction or energy. He sounds the same saying something substantial as he does reiterating something for the 10th time.

What did you learn from The Fine Print that you would use in your daily life?

The book is designed to open your eyes, and when it comes to tax law it does in a sense. However its so heavily riddled with filler around these events that what could have been a very well written and informative 4 hour book became a 12 hour nightmare I struggled to finish.

Any additional comments?

I get it you want to shame corporations and drive home a point by calling out warren buffet's managers, I just don't agree with that approach being ethical. It's not that this book is bad, the information is just so trite, and the call to action at the end is far from anything new. Leaving a reader hopeless and frustrated. Recommend this to your angry father in law if you want to hear about it over the next 5 years at dinner parties.

A must listen if you love or hate Trump

This book along with his others lays out how we've distorted our "free markets" and why we've seen jobs eviscerated.

Get informed.

The Infuriating Reasons We The People Get Screwed At Every Turn

Could be the subtitle for this book. We have to stop watching the Kardashian’s prance around and start paying attention to the politicians. It occurred to me when I listened to this book that when a politician says “government should be run like a business’” he is really saying it should be run like the business he plans to work for after he is done extracting the last bit of personal benefit from working for the government.