Staff Book Review: Chokepoint Capitalism

Copy of the book Chokepoint Capitalism on a wooden desk with a cell phone and coffee next to it.

Book review by staff member Jessica, Acting Member Services Supervisor

Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labour Markets and How We'll Win Them Back, by Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow. Boston: Beacon Press, 2022. 303 pages.

Imagine working for months, or years, on a project and then only getting paid $0.003 for all that hard work. This $0.003 is what the average musician makes when you stream a song on Spotify, but artists in most creative industries face similar low compensation for their work.

In Chokepoint Capitalism, Giblin and Doctorow identify the problem and offer some solutions. They argue that as fewer and fewer companies dominate each market (Amazon, Spotify, Youtube) this creates “chokepoints”, giving artists no choice on where to sell their work, and consumers no choice where to buy. This allows companies to dictate prices, paying artists less and less.

The first half of the book is the strongest as Giblin and Doctorow go through each industry and explain their “chokepoint” premise. My favourite chapters are “How Amazon Took Over Books” and “Why Streaming Doesn’t Pay.” The second half of the book offers solutions and while the solutions rely more on industry changes as opposed to ways the average reader can make a difference, the book is still an important read for the modern consumer.

If you care about books, music, or any other media, this book is for you.

If you liked Chokepoint Capitalism, Jessica has created a reading list with similar titles you may want to explore.

This review was originally published in the Saturday, March 8 edition of the Waterloo Region Record as part of the "At the Library" feature. This regular feature shares reading experiences and recommendations from local library staff.