Tag: businesses behaving badly

  • Gouged by Lindsay Owens

    We’re all getting screwed. And Lindsay Owens is here to tell us exactly how in Gouged! Good news, she also tells us how we can overcome these bloodsucking companies. Bad news, we have to rely on Congress for some of it. Will the horrors never end?! Owens walks us through some of the main culprits…

  • Everybody Loses by Danny Funt

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Everybody Loses: Please read this book before your next bet. Quick synopsis: A look at the legalization of sports gambling in America. Fact for Non-History People: Americans bet $157 legally on sports in fiscal year 2025. Fact for History Nerds: 95% of this betting happened online. My Take on Everybody Loses:…

  • The Pain Brokers by Elizabeth Chamblee Burch

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Pain Brokers: Sometimes surgery is the least painful part. Quick synopsis: The story of terrible humans taking advantage of people through mass tort schemes. Fact for Non-History People: There are approximately 170 different mass torts which cover over 393,000 individual claims going on as of 2025. Fact for History Nerds:…

  • No More Tears by Gardiner Harris

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for No More Tears: Actually, lots of tears it turns out. Quick synopsis: The story of how Johnson & Johnson’s squeaky-clean image is a lie. Fact for Non-History People: There are over 67,000 cases pending against J&J. Fact for History Nerds: A verdict against them from 2019 was for $2.1 billion but…

  • Empire of Orgasm by Ellen Huet

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Empire of Orgasm: No comment so I don’t get banned. Quick synopsis: The story of the sex cult, OneTaste and its founder Nicole Daedone. Fact for Non-History People: OneTaste peaked with $10 million in revenue in 2017. At least, that’s what was reported. Fact for History Nerds: An annual membership with…

  • Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Little Bosses Everywhere: Pyramid, meet scheme. Quick synopsis: The long history of multi-level marketing in America. Fact for Non-History People: Of the 6.7 million Americans in MLMs, 75% are women. Fact for History Nerds: Avon, one of the original direct sellers, made profits even during the Great Depression. My Take on…

  • Mr. McMahon (Netflix)

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Mr. McMahon: The villain character is probably better than the actual person. Quick synopsis: The story of the rise and fall of WWE chairman, Vince McMahon. Fact for Non-History People: WWE is valued at $6.8 billion. Fact for History Nerds: Host cities of Wrestlemania estimate more than $1.25 billion in economic…

  • McMillions by James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for McMillions: Happy Meal with a side of fraud. Quick synopsis: The story of how no one really won the Monopoly game at McDonald’s. Fact for Non-History People: McDonald’s executives are required to work at a restaurant for a week. Fact for History Nerds: The chances of winning one of the big…

  • Ren Faire (HBO)

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Ren Faire: It’s like Succession but nerdy. Quick synopsis: The story of a succession battle for the control of the Texas Renaissance Festival. Fact for Non-History People: The Texas Renaissance Festival draws about 500,000 people per year. Fact for History Nerds: The festival itself takes up over 55 acres. My Take…