Life Inc by Douglas Rushkoff

Life Inc is a non-fiction book that explores the power of corporations and how they hold onto power and gain more. The author, Douglas Rushkoff, looks at the historical antecedents of the modern corporation, exploring how corporatist philosophies developed out of old-style mercantilism.

From there, he factors in the rise of individualism in the twentieth-century. Ultimately, he aims to show how corporations are alternatively self-reinforcing and, occasionally, self-defeating, but how our short-sightedness has allowed them to gain more power than they should have.

The book also illuminates how we’ve become disconnected from our world and how we can reconnect to our towns, to the value we can create, and mostly, to one another.

As the speculative economy collapses under its own weight, Life Inc. shows us how to build a real and human-scaled society to take its place.

Main themes of the book include:

• The power of corporations and how they hold onto power and gain more
• The historical antecedents of the modern corporation
• The rise of individualism in the twentieth-century
• How corporations are alternatively self-reinforcing and, occasionally, self-defeating
• How our short-sightedness has allowed corporations to gain more power than they should have
• How we’ve become disconnected from our world and how we can reconnect to our towns, to the value we can create, and mostly, to one another
• Building a real and human-scaled society to take the place of the collapsing speculative economy

What I Liked

The book was a highly tactical, useful book rather than a general rant. I’m glad that I read it right when I was going into the workforce. It’s good to keep in mind that corporations, even though they are made up of people, do not behave live people. They are not loyal or kind or driven by anything but profit. They serve an excellent role in our society, but you have to use them with eyes wide open. As an employee, you’ve got to get your money to live your life – not to make them more money. Don’t give into the stories they tell. Buy goods because you need those goods to live, not because they’ve persuaded you with tried and true advertising.

I also liked how concise the book is. Very readable.

What I Did Not Like

Not a whole lot. Solid non-fiction read.