Bully of Bentonville
Anthony Bianco

It’s easy to pick out Wal-Mart as the bad guy.  As the top-positioned retailer in the U.S. their sins stand out easily within the public spotlight.  Understanding the exact impact of Wal-Mart and separating savvy business decisions from irreprehensible ethical missteps remains a difficult process.  Is Wal-Mart evil or does it simply appear to be evil by the nature of its position? (Read more after the jump)

While I have previously reviewed The Wal-Mart Revolution, I found that the insight and perspective that The Bully of Bentonville offered paints and entirely different picture.  The Bully of Bentonville is somewhat the antithesis of the The Wal-Mart Revolution as it focuses heavily on Wal-Mart’s wrong-doings and strong arm tactics rather than highlighting the logic of their business model.  It’s difficult to read The Bully of Bentonville and not be repulsed.

Author Anthony Bianca provides an overview of Wal-Mart providing insight into the overall corporate culture and history that steers the company today.  Rather than sticking to an outsiders view of Wal-Mart, Bianca ties in hard hitting facts about the major players within Wal-Mart and how their personal touch has affected the company.  The book shows how the company has transitioned and where it has outright refused to change.

The Bully of Bentonville picks apart the centralized, almost militaristic structure of Wal-Mart and highlights how this structure prevents associates from stepping too far away from the fold.  Bianca also documents stores that are trying to compete against Wal-Mart’s stronghold on retail sales and the successes and failures of those efforts.  He also takes time to show what happens to Wal-Mart’s defectors and those that attempt to battle the regime.

Bianca writes in a very accessible format and manages to keep the reader entertained.  It’s not a book to pick up if you want a quick synopsis of Wal-Mart, but if you are looking for a more detailed account how the retailer operates and how it impacts retail in the U.S. it’s a great read.  The Bully of Bentonville didn’t delve into the international side of Wal-Mart’s business as heavily as it could (specifically how the stores operate within cultural limitations).  Overall it’s an excellent read and it provides a portrait that points out the problems with Wal-Mart’s operation without outright bashing the company.