Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Review: The Steal


The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting by Rachel Shteir was interesting. The writing was okay for a nonfiction, but I've read much more engaging nonfiction authors.

Some of the information was interesting. Who shoplifts and why. Punishments and prevention techniques throughout history. The top ten most shoplifted items. On the list was steak. Really people? Steak?! Why? And I really don't want to think about the how. But it brought one of the more interesting aspects to light. People who are hungry steal bread (which doesn't anger store owners nearly so much), those who steal steak steal out of a sense of entitlement. They have enough, maybe even a lot, but somehow they feel they deserve more. Or they deserve something for nothing.

So overall, interesting but not fascinating. Well written, but not amazing. Read it if the subject interests you enough.

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