If Don Draper from Mad Men was (a) a real person and (b) still alive in the 21st century having somehow avoided smoking or drinking himself to death, I am sure that he would have a lot to say about ‘No Logo’ by Naomi Klein. Described as “equal parts cultural analysis, political manifesto, mall-rat memoir, and journalistic exposé”, ‘No Logo’ has been one of the most controversial and widely talked-about books of the last decade, tackling the debates surrounding consumerism, branding and the anti-corporate movement. This tenth anniversary edition contains a new foreword which comments on some of the developments that have been made since ‘No Logo’ was first published in 1999.
‘No Logo’ is not the sort of book that is easy to read in one go and despite my good intentions to finish it fairly quickly, I found myself dipping in and out of it for well over a month which is not something I usually do. The style of writing is journalistic rather than academic but I think it is worth stressing that ‘No Logo’ is best read in small chunks. It is an extremely thorough and well-researched piece of work on a subject which Klein is undoubtedly passionate about but the relentlessness and repetitiveness of her message could probably become quite exhausting if tackled all at once.
The book is divided into four sections: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs and No Logo. These parts cover the history of branding, how big businesses reduce the number of available alternatives, the problems this causes for the job market and the rise of the anti-globalisation movement. The chapters on corporate censorship and the exploitation of sweatshop workers and temps were particularly fascinating albeit extremely depressing. However, although her argument is mostly well-presented, Klein has an annoying tendency of depicting the average consumer as a brainless moron which grated on me quite a lot. Yes, big businesses can be manipulative but I think most consumers are a little bit savvier than she gives them credit for.
Also, although this is clearly beyond Klein’s control, I do feel that ‘No Logo’ is already showing its age. While I’m sure that some of the content was revelatory at the time it was first published, I don’t think it has quite the same impact today. Many of the biggest brands that Klein references here no longer dominate today in the way that they used to (or at least they don’t in the UK). The financial crisis has also changed the context considerably and “austerity chic” is now the order of the day amongst many consumers. The impact of social networks, online shopping and targeted advertising are also noticeably absent from the debate presented here. Consequently, I found myself asking a lot of questions about these issues which unfortunately couldn’t be explored here. Maybe an entire sequel to ‘No Logo’ is already needed in this fast-moving world rather than just a foreword for the tenth anniversary edition.
Whether or not you agree with Klein’s arguments, the book is highly thought-provoking and the overall message of ‘No Logo’ is still very powerful if no longer completely up-to-date. Somewhat ironically, however, it has become an iconic book in its own right which I’m sure Don Draper would find very amusing.
A Little Blog of Books 
Your comments on Klein’s book (which I have not yet read) reminded me of how I felt after reading Tannen’s book “The Argument Culture.” I don’t know if you’ve read it or not, but I had my critical thinking class read it – and Herbst’s book “Rude Democracy.” Both books address the idea that discussion in the U.S. often falls into a debate situation/attitude that can disallow real communication. Herbst addresses this by offering her observations on Obama’s rhetoric, Palen’s actions (and hidden actions), while Tannen beats her ideas until they should not be recognizable – but, unfortunately, still are.
I truly enjoy your reviews.
Jo
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It’s strange, isn’t it, that editors didn’t suggest a revised edition, ten years on – it would have made a lot of sense and brought the book up to date. The central thesis still holds, of course, although one could argue that Klein is now a very big brand herself…..Thanks for bringing the anniversary to my attention.
Books Now! http://www.dinaross.com.au
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Good review. I remember finding No Logo a bit knotty and slightly patronising in places, though her intentions are undoubtedly good and she knows what she’s talking about. I thought her other book The Shock Doctrine was great though, really valuable in understanding how governments use perceived disasters, both natural and terrorist-originated, to push through radical reforms that would otherwise be politically unpalatable.
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NIce to see that someone else has seen some of the flaws in Klein’s book. You are much kinder than I was (if you care you can see my take on it at http://wp.me/pOKtY-f7). I think Klein suffers from lacking a framework. She’s clearly outraged. She has also clearly become part of the problem jetting about to TED conferences and finding conspiratorial problems under every stone. The Frankfort school scholars would not have found her becoming a brand unusual; I think they would have predicted that capital would find a way to co-opt Ms. Klein and make a handsome profit from her criticisms.
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Reblogged this on TheSlashDash.
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It’s just scary to think of how social media has completely turned lives all around the world onto their sides. Nothing makes this clearer to me than the huge knowledge gap between generations when it comes to technology–I’m computer savvy, my parents know about half of what I do, and my grandparents have trouble locating the power button.
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Sounds like a great book. I think we were born into a society where ads are just part of everyday life, so we take it for granted and we don’t see how much power it has and how influeced we are by it. A totally necessary reading, I think.
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A brainless moron–I am not! Well, some might think so, but that’s besides the point. Sounds like an interesting read.
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