Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1930905 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author

Customer Reviews

Fasinating Read - Well Worth It!
I found the entire book absolutely fascinating. Well written, entertaining and educational. Well done for talking about what the fakers want us to keep quiet about...

One of the best reads in the last 12 months
This is an absolute must read. Honest and well written, this book gives a unique inside into the world of brands and fakes. This should be on everybody's must read list.

A thought-provoking treatise on creativity and intellectual rights
I may not have been McCartney's target audience here; I buy knockoffs of things all the time. Or should I say, bought. I always figured that you simply couldn't protect intellectual property if there was a cheap way of someone stealing it and making a profit, and furthermore, why should I pay a huge premium for the real thing just to have some brand name on it?

But reading this book was a great experience for me; Sarah personalizes exactly who and how it hurts for me to purchase knockoffs of nearly any product. She talks about exactly what pushes our brand buttons and tries to show us that the things pushing our brand buttons are often worth paying extra for (to buy the real thing). She also makes the point that though counterfeits and knockoffs are a cheap way of buying instant chic - we can try the newest styles at bargain bin prices - they not only compromise us morally but in many cases don't really satisfy the things that we are initially attracted to in the styles or designs. They can be cheaply made or of low-quality fabric, neither of which is really satisfying to wear, and in addition, many of the people who'd think you were cool for wearing something so stylish would know that you had a knockoff by the poor workmanship.

One of the most convincing points for me is the argument that the more of everything we buy, knockoffs and fakes, the more we have to work to pay for these items, and the less time we as individuals have to develop and enjoy our own creativity, and the experiences involved in making our own interesting clothing/ clothing combinations and exploring our creativity in other ways. She makes the point that the trade in knockoffs going on at stores contributes to all of us looking alike in a lot of ways, and that true creativity in design is becoming less common as people realize they can make money off other people's ideas without ever coming up with anything new themselves.

I don't want us all to look and dress alike, and so this was especially thought-provoking to think that maybe there is another model for thinking about what to buy. Well-made, interesting designs from smaller craftspeople can be less expensive than branded items but still of very high quality, and everybody and their mother won't be wearing anything similar. Do-it-yourself and items from small vendors are becoming the new chic in my eyes. I can feel morally good about the choice to spurn items that steal intellectually from others while supporting small businesses and artists, and the kind of cutting-edge creativity that makes the world a more interesting and satisfying place.

I bought this book because I know Sarah's writing as Auntie Pamela from the Lush Times catalogue (Lush.com), and I love her fun and down-to-earth voice. This book was a satisfying read and gave me some philosophical things to chew on as well as some solid information about marketing, business, the trade in knockoffs, and what exactly is driving me to buy. Highly recommended.