Includes bibliographical references (p. [491]-493) and index.

First published before the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle, this book is a work of cultural criticism that investigates money, marketing, and the anti-corporate movement. Klein details the insidious practices and far-reaching effects of corporate marketing--and the powerful potential of a growing activist movement. As global corporations compete for the hearts and wallets of consumers who not only buy their products but willingly advertise them from head to toe--witness today's schoolbooks, superstores, sporting arenas, and brand-name synergy--a new generation has begun to battle consumerism with its own best weapons. In this report on that battle, we learn how the Nike swoosh has changed from an athletic status symbol to a metaphor for sweatshop labor, and how "culture jammers" utilize spray paint, computer-hacking acumen, and anti-propagandist wordplay to undercut the slogans and meanings of billboard ads.--From publisher 's description.