This was a powerhouse of humor, history, and reflection on the culture and trends of MLMs in the United States, and really showed how we need further legislation to end this business model.

Each chapter focused on a different MLM primarily and talked about the schemes, illegitimate practices, history, controversy, and loss on the part of distributors.

I highly recommend picking this up. I'm pretty well versed in the world of Anti-MLM, however, even if you are not you will be able to follow the content of this book easily and learn so much.

Author and journalist Jane Marie expands the first season of her podcast, The Dream, into a full book about the dangers of multi-level marketing and how it is still so prevalent in our society.

I love The Dream podcast. This book is basically season one of the podcast if it mainly focused on the history and facts of the MLM industry. There are not many personal stories or someone trying out an MLM to see how it works. The research feels thorough and I like how Jane Marie keeps her witty style of communicating this information.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been in an MLM, knows someone who has (or is), or is curious about the current state of MLMs and pyramid schemes in the United States. Jane Marie's book is a masterclass in how we got to the place in society today where leaders of MLMs and pyramid schemes are cozied up with government officials and mostly shielded from FTC prosecution.

Jane Marie cites lots of sources and occasionally mentions some familiar names to me from reading other materials about MLMs. The majority of this book was new information to me and included real life examples from those she interviewed. This is a complex subject which she is able to unpack and explain in a way that is readable and interesting. The audacity of many who have started and perpetuate MLMs comes through the page, and she exposes the many manipulative tactics used to keep people sinking money into losing "business opportunities" in the name of the American Dream.

Jane Marie's writing is entertaining, and I enjoyed the few winks she gave to readers throughout. It's clear she did her research and has a passion for telling stories that may otherwise stay in the shadow. Well worth the time to read this one!

Jane Marie’s podcast about MLMs was eye opening fascinating.The book continues to dive into them their questionable business practices their company setups.Amy is used as a major example of MLMs.really interesting read.#netgalley #atriabooks.

In "Selling the Dream," Jane Marie delves into the shadowy world of multilevel marketing schemes, diving further into the topic also explored in her podcast, "The Dream." The book provides an in-depth look at various MLMs, showcasing their profits and the boundaries they’ve pushed along the way, and not in a good way. The research is presented in thorough and critical yet witty tone that will be familiar to listeners of “The Dream”. While some chapters may not offer entirely new insights for those familiar with the podcast or common knowledge about MLMs, Jane Marie continues to bring to light exploitative tactics employed by iconic companies like Amway, Mary Kay, Tupperware, and LuLaRoe. As a fan of the podcast, I appreciate Jane Marie's distinctive story telling style, which I find is a good balance of informative and engaging. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy and providing an opportunity to read this insightful book in exchange for an honest review.

This would probably be a bigger hit for me if I hadn't already spent some time previously watching documentaries that discuss failed MLMs and the nature of their predatory ways. However, Selling the Dream is a well written book that leans into the more historical context of MLMs and their founders. It's one of those easily consumable nonfiction books, using a writing style that's accessible while still full of information!

I loved all three seasons of The Dream podcast, so when I saw this book was available on Netgalley, I jumped on it so quickly.

It's informative, layered, and written with Jane Marie's trademark humour. As someone who felt like we all understood pyramid schemes are bad business and been baffled to see smart people get sucked into them time and time again, it helped me see the why and the how of it all more clearly--and understand why these companies continue to grow and crop up, despite their unethical behaviours.

I hope this book gets wide readership. I hope that we can finally take down these MLMs that prey on already disenfranchised groups.

Calling on all The Dream podcast listeners to pre-order Selling the Dream! Jane Marie’s trademark wit and well researched fact-based reporting makes for an interesting book. This felt like a companion piece to the podcast for me, but if you aren’t a podcast listener and just want to learn more about MLMs, this is the book for you. From the origins of Avon to the more recent essential oil craze, this book pulls back the history, psychology, and motivations behind multi-level marketing. It’s a thought piece wrapped in a pinch of snark that hits the right buttons to both educate and entertain.

Side note: If you haven’t listened to The Dream podcast, I highly recommend it. All three seasons are fantastic.

Many thanks to #netgalley, #atriabooks, and the author for a galley copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is set to release in March of 2024.

#sellingthedream #thedream #janiemarie #atriabooks #netgalley #arc #arcreview #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #mlm #journalism

I love The Dream podcast and have read extensively about MLM's. I was hoping for some new content in these books, or at least some newer MLM's. I do love that the book was similar format to the podcast, so I can recommend to those that aren't into podcasts. I love the research at the author does and the way she paints a picture of the systemic nature of MLMs.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Award-winning journalist Jane Marie of the investigative podcast The Dream delves deep into the world of multilevel marketing, or MLMs. Selling the Dream is incredibly well researched, presenting an exhaustive history of the origins of MLMs, all the way back before Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise brought their durable and innovative plastic containers and their party selling scheme to the masses. The narrative skillfully depicts how a long history of hucksters and snake oil salesmen gave rise to the MLMs of today: Mary Kay ladies, Beachbody coaches, Herbalife nutrition shops, and stay-at-home moms shilling garish LuLaRoe leggings.

I’ve been morbidly fascinated by MLMs for the better part of a decade, wondering how and why people (overwhelmingly women) buy into the false promises of wealth and success. Jane Marie presents a meticulously investigated backstory of MLMs, complete with the economic and social factors that created an environment for these insidious companies to flourish. Although I’ve read a lot about MLMs, this was the first time I’ve seen such a well-documented analysis of how politics and government agencies figure into the mix, including how the FTC became powerless to regulate the industry and how MLM companies skirt the letter of previous rulings. Although the amount of information is comprehensive, the author keeps the reader engaged by serving it all up with a witty side of snark.

If you enjoyed The Dream podcast, the book “Hey Hun” by Emily Lynn Paulson, or documentaries like “LuLaRich” or “Betting on Zero”, you’ll likely enjoy this deep exploration of MLM history and culture. Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

In Selling the Dream, journalist Jane Marie delves into the world of MLMs — How they’ve gained popularity, who they prey on, and why, far more often than not, the participants end up losing the most in their game.

The idea of making money without the traditional demands of a corporate job can seem appealing, but the requirements to earn — and maintain — success aren’t sustainable, especially when a market becomes oversaturated, which in the MLM world, they’re all bound to eventually, given the pyramid scheme’s reliance on recruiting.

Jane highlights Tupperware, Amway, LulaRoe, Mary Kay, and more in Selling the Dream. She discusses who MLMs target, how they frequently use religion in their marketing efforts, and why, while illegal, pyramid schemes are often hard for the FTC to pursue claims against.

I wasn’t familiar with Jane or her podcast, The Dream, prior to reading this book. The content is informative yet also digestible, with some dry humor included. I don’t know if I can say I learned a ton reading Selling the Dream, however, I still found it fascinating and Jane’s detailed research in the book is evident.

Loved the podcast, so I knew I'd love this book. Thank you to the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for a review. This book is perfect for those interested in MLMs (or cults too, since you could argue MLMs operate like cults).

I read this having listened to and enjoyed the authors first two seasons of The Dream podcast. This book offered up the opportunity to get more into the nitty gritty of MLMs, including history and (failed) attempts to regulate the industry. Even the more detailed portions were interesting and well written. The final few chapters did feel as though a certain page quota had to be met as my interest waned, and then out of nowhere we're at the epilogue.
A good read overall!

Thank you so much of an ARC of Selling The Dream! The Dream has long been one of my favorite podcasts. Jane Marie and her guests are extremely knowledgeable on the subject of MLMs, and the delivery is both cunning and savvy.

Jane Marie’s book is no exception. Her witty style, and her ability to tie readers in thanks to her journalistic expertise, absolutely transfers to Selling The Dream. I enjoyed the chronological organization of the historical MLM timeline as well as the personal stories intermingled.

What surprised me a bit is that Selling The Dream seems like season 1 of the podcast in written form. I thought (and hoped) the book would piggy-back off of the podcast and bring more fresh, original stories. The Dream covers the history of MLMs in season 1 (Holiday Magic, Avon, Amway, etc), so the early historical information felt redundant to me.

However, not everyone has listened to the podcast, and the historical information — no matter how you get it — is extremely valuable to understanding how MLMs gained traction and continue to flourish.

With that in mind, I award Selling The Dream five stars. It’s informational, witty, and timely — post-pandemic employment is still a cluster, and many people invest in MLMs not fully understanding them.

I recommend this book to anyone recovering from direct sales/MLMs, those considering joining an MLM, and anyone genuinely curious about what the “boss babe” lifestyle REALLY entails.

I LOVED this book.

So much work went into the research and it add to my enjoyment, knowing that I did not know much about multi-level businesses, but if even 50% of what is reported here actually happens, wow that is scary stuff.

Well detailed and each chapter ties neatly into the other. Yes, lots of data and facts, but the author still manages to make it compelling.

There's a fascinating story here on the emergence of MLMs, unfortunately, it's buried under what is, for me, terrible writing. The author is an Emmy and Peabody-aware winner, so I'm baffled as to why she chose to write in such a juvenile manner about such an important and serious topic. The author wants us to know that there are gargantuan Ponzi schemes known as multilevel marketing all over the country, and they are set to bankrupt millions, yet she can't help writing in a "hey dudes and dudettes!" manner. Seriously, this is a sentence about the inventor of Herbalife: "You gotta admit Carl sounds like a pretty chill hang." When she's not using language for a 15-year-old, she's wokeifying everything. So when there was a fad for everything Chinese in the 1920s—people went nuts for Chinese food, movies, culture, it was "co-opted," And the aforementioned Carl, one of the hardest-working hustlers I've ever heard of, is dismissed as a "mediocre white guy." We get it, Jane, you're so woke! Hopefully the mob won't cancel you for this book, because there's probably some kind of cancellable offense in here somewhere!

Very disappointing. I was fascinated by the topic. I'll have to watch one of the many documentaries Jane mentions on the same topic. Hopefully, they are done in a more journalistic manner than this.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and Atria for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just reviewed Selling the Dream by Jane Marie. #NetGalley

A perfectly fine book, but it just didn't work for me and I can't put my finger on why. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

"Selling the Dream" by Jane Marie is a captivating exploration of the intricate world of sales and the psychology behind successful pitches. Marie delves into the art of persuasion, drawing on real-life examples and case studies to dissect the strategies employed by top sales professionals. The book not only offers valuable insights into the dynamics of human behavior but also provides practical tips for individuals looking to enhance their selling skills.

Marie's writing is both insightful and accessible, making complex concepts understandable for readers of all backgrounds. The narrative seamlessly weaves together anecdotes, research findings, and expert interviews, creating a compelling tapestry that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. Whether you're a seasoned salesperson seeking to refine your approach or a novice looking to enter the world of sales, "Selling the Dream" is a must-read that offers a fresh perspective on the age-old art of selling.

Jane Marie's expertise shines through in this well-crafted guide, making "Selling the Dream" an invaluable resource for anyone interested in mastering the subtle nuances of persuasion and achieving success in the competitive realm of sales.

This book is a continuation of the podcast that the author hosted.

I really liked the history of the MLM industry. The book focused on Avon, Mary Kay, Tupperware, and Amway. WIth a heavy focus on Amway.

Overall I learned some new information, specifically why the government won't go after these predatory MLMs.

this is a must book to read before embarking on any MLM, or even buying from one.

This was a quick and easy read.

I cringe when I think of the time I spent in an MLM.

Sure, there were some good parts in the friends I made and parts of the community I found, but there was a lot of not so great stuff. I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t lose hundreds or thousands of dollars - but it certainly wasn’t the dream I was sold. In her book, Selling the Dream, Jane Marie talks about so many of the lines I was fed:

Professional development as a cure all.
It not being a pyramid scheme.
Gotta try all the products to be successful to “be a product of the product”
Cringey tactics to bring people into your down line.

From Amway to Tupperware to Arbonne and Lularoe - it’s all the same lines and tactics being forced on unsuspecting distributors.

This book provides a fascinating look into the history of MLMs. It reveals how many MLM founders have just rinsed and repeated the same predatory, damaging and unethical formula with whatever fill in the blank product they can shill.

Selling the Dream is an excellent companion to Jane Marie’s podcast. Her writing style is very accessible and intriguing. And while much of the MLM approach was familiar to me, I found myself in disbelief to learn how long this has been going on, and how little the government has done to step in and put a stop to these companies.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.