Amway: The Cult of Free Enterprise by Steve Butterfield
Amway is more than just a company: it is a movement, based on conformity and a devaluation of human relationships. Everybody exists either to help you sell stuff or they are “stinking thinkers” who are of no value to you.
A lot of the time this book is so shocking because the author’s tone (up until the climactic chapters) is so dispassionate and matter of fact. He really just lays it out: Amway’s approach on marriage, the family, sex, etc., to the point where it is easy to forget that we’re talking about a company and not an actual cult. I have found myself so shocked at the information within this book, and it is compounded by the really great job Butterfield did in capturing the culture of this group.
Of course, I think Amway is only an extreme example of what goes on in a corporate mentality--even the smaller ones. It is easier to control and maintain people who think that what they are doing is in their own best interests who "love" the company. Amway's perverse use of love to sell their products is enough to sicken anyone, making one doubt the very meaning of love.
I did a six month stint at a grocery store a few years back, and the attitude of many of the workers reminds me of the Amway mentality: people thrilled to work overtime, praising the company’s health plan (which I was screwed out of because I was “part time” at just 39 hours), just a general feeling that The Company Saved my Life. It was a little eerie.
A job is a job and that’s it. Let me work and leave me alone.
This book was chilling. Even though it is over 20 years old, the web research I’ve done would indicate that little has changed. A quick google search shows me that the author died about 5 years ago. This work is an excellent testament to this man’s writing ability and his desire to use the truth to set people free.
Amazon link.
A great site about Amway that led me into the quest for this book.
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
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