Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America

by Bridget Read, Nikki Massoud (Narrator)

A groundbreaking work of history and reportage that unveils the stranger-than-fiction world of multilevel a massive money-making scam and radical political conspiracy that has remade American society.

Companies like Amway, Mary Kay, and Herbalife advertise the world’s greatest the chance to be your own boss via an enigmatic business model called multilevel marketing, or MLM. They offer a world of pink Cadillacs, white-columned mansions, tropical vacations, and—most precious of all—financial freedom. If, that is, you’re willing to shell out for expensive products and recruit everyone you know to buy them, and if they recruit everyone they know, too, thus creating the “multiple levels” of MLM.

Overwhelming evidence suggests that most people lose money in multilevel marketing, and that many MLM companies are pyramid schemes. Yet the industry’s origins, tied to right-wing ideologues like Ronald Reagan, have escaped public scrutiny. MLM has slithered in the wake of every economic crisis of the last century, from the Depression to the pandemic, ensnaring laid-off workers, stay-at-home moms, and teachers—anyone who has been left behind by rising inequality.

In Little Bosses Everywhere, journalist Bridget Read tells the gripping story of multilevel marketing in full for the first time, winding from sunny postwar California, where a failed salesman started a vitamin business, through the devoutly religious suburbs of Michigan, where the industry built its political influence, to stadium-size conventions where today’s top sellers preach to die-hard recruits. MLM has enriched powerful people, like the DeVos and Van Andel families, Warren Buffett, and President Donald Trump, all while eroding public institutions and the social safety net, then profiting from the chaos. Along the way, Read delves into the stories of those devastated by the majority-female a veteran in Florida searching for healing; a young mom in Texas struggling to feed her children; a waitress scraping by in Brooklyn.

A wild trip down an endless rabbit hole of greed and exploitation, Little Bosses Everywhere exposes multilevel marketing as American capitalism’s stealthiest PR campaign, a cunning grift that has shaped nearly everything about how we live, and whose ultimate target is democracy itself.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Business, Economics, Politics, True Crime

Audible Audio

First published May 6, 2025

About the author

Bridget Read is a features writer at New York magazine. Previously, she wrote for The Cut and was a culture writer at Vogue. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Jillian B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m fascinated by MLMs and have read several books about this scammy industry, and I have to say, this one is the most deeply reported that I’ve come across. The author must have poured a ton of research hours into this sweeping exploration of the MLM world, which traces the industry back to its roots and follows its evolution into its current form.

I found the history of how laws around MLMs were shaped by lobbying to be super fascinating. We also get a peek into the lies MLM founders and promoters have spread over the years, like Mary Kay Ash’s mostly fabricated roots as a struggling single mom. The saddest parts are the stories of MLM victims, but at the same time it’s fascinating to see how even those at the hardest-to-reach levels of these pyramids pull in very little money.

If you’re hungry for a deep dive into one of the sketchiest industries out there, this book will not disappoint.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me free access to an e-ARC of this book!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book scratched my anti-MLM itch in a big way. The author gave a fascinating account of the history of multilevel marketing companies in America (sometimes called network marketing or direct selling), and exposes how scammy and toxic they can be.

I've been consuming anti-MLM content for about a year now (shout out to Hannah Alonzo for getting me hooked), but this book was so well-researched that it made me even more interested in the topic. One section that really resonated with me was about MLM's longtime focus on personal development and mindset, and how the companies promoted certain self-help books, such as "Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale, and "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. Because a pyramid scheme only benefits the people at the top*, the founders had figured out how to blame everyone at the bottom for not being successful: if you lost money it meant you didn't work hard enough, or you hadn't clearly visualized your success, or you were guilty of stinkin' thinking, etc. All of that victim-blaming still happens in MLMs today, and the same self-help books are still being promoted.

*A commonly cited statistic is that more than 99% of people who join an MLM will lose money, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Another fascinating, albeit depressing, section was on the connection between MLM companies and Republican politicians in America, going back to Dwight Eisenhower and all the way up to Donald Trump. The decades of political courtship and contributions seem to have helped a number of MLMs avoid being shut down as an illegal pyramid scheme.

Even though MLM companies continue to spread — when one fails, the people at the top of the pyramid often join or create another MLM, like a virus jumping to another host — and even though the Grifter in Chief DJT is unlikely to regulate any such schemes during his administration, I am optimistic that the anti-MLM community seems to be growing and awareness of these kinds of scams is gaining traction. If MLMs can't recruit new people, the pyramids will collapse, hopefully never to rise again.

[Nathan Shuherk · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s fun to be in a rage. There’s all these tiny moments in the book where Read follows a rabbit trail with how the impacts of MLMs can be seen and experienced in our lives and our politics - these moments giving small but inedible and memorable snapshots of the big picture of economy being built from con artists, and I wish it would’ve done that more.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Little Bosses Everywhere, Bridget Read explores the world of MLMs, also known as pyramid schemes. As most of us know by now, for those involved in MLMs, the “success” is not in selling products, but in recruiting others to join. Regardless of which MLM, consultants more often than not lose money as they continue purchasing products, often to hit their minimum requirements.

Read explores Amway, Mary Kay, and Herbalife among others. She shares history regarding many of the companies’ founders and that new MLMs have often been formed by consultants leaving one to create their own. MLMs flaunt their founders’ wealth and promote messages of working hard to achieve success and financial freedom, while the organizations are engaging in predatory practices.

I’ve read a few other books about MLMs and enjoyed Little Bosses Everywhere though I preferred the narrative portions over the presentation of facts. I appreciated the background info and it’s clear Read did extensive research, I just found the narrative examples more compelling.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m facing an unresolved Goldilocks dilemma when it comes to MLM books: they are either too soft or too hard. I haven’t quite found my just-right. Either way, I’d recommend erring on the side of too hard, and if you agree, this is your book. I love a business history, especially a corrupt business history, and you’ll see many in my Read list. I can handle the nuts and bolts of some of the business/policy/legal analysis content required to tell these stories. But good lord, I’m not proud to admit it, but did I ever find this book dry. It’s as thoroughly researched and as play-by-play detailed as you could ever want, but especially after the first few chapters, I found it incredibly boring and remote, like a recitation of facts. I was in no way swept up into a suspenseful narrative as I have been with similar book projects. That being said, the author clearly did an amazing job researching the topic and left no stone unturned. If you want to know everything about the rise and fall of MLMs from a more regulatory angle, look no further, but the human connection and social context were somehow missing for me here.

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 4 out of 5]

A readable and detailed exposé of multi-level marketing companies, mostly focused on their history in the United States—where they are a multi-billion-dollar industry for their founders and a scourge on the rest, promising “wealth opportunities” and “entrepreneurship” for people who sign up to purchase and resell their products and to recruit others to do the same, despite the fact that 99% of participants do not make money. This is because, as “independent contractors,” there is no minimum wage for MLM participants, who nonetheless have significant expenses—including mandatory purchases of products they may never sell (MLMs do not in fact track whether products are sold to consumers, only to their own participants). MLMs also make money off selling promotional materials or “tools” to their participants, including things like self-help books and podcasts, as well as charging participants to attend expensive “business” events and rallies and then selling them swag. Of course, it’s all a pyramid scheme and the overwhelming majority actually lose money, or at best (for those who have recruited enough people below them willing to make regular purchases) receive well below minimum wage.

MLMs took off in the U.S. just after World War II, founded by a group of failed businessmen who came up with a genius idea to passively make money off other people by convincing those people that selling a vitamin no one thus far had much cared for was an opportunity they couldn’t miss. (Of course there were also wild claims of the vitamin curing all diseases, despite its creator being a businessman with no medical background.) Participants in early MLMs went on to found their own, such that they all basically share the same family tree, and many have expanded to other countries as well. Unfortunately, attempts to regulate the industry within the U.S. have been unsuccessful (though a number of individual companies have been shut down), mostly because of their political might. Unsurprisingly, the MLM industry is closely aligned with the Republican party, donating billions and buying influence (Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Secretary of Education and an Amway heir, was quite open about this). It is a natural fit, what with MLMs’ rhetoric of “free enterprise” and anti-regulation, and their general eagerness to fund a political system in which the rich are free to prey upon everyone else without pesky government interference. MLMs’ influence extends beyond politics, too, also endowing “fellows” at various universities to study how great pyramid schemes are and show up to testify for the industry in court. And they’re tied up with the self-help industry and “money mystics” (peddling the notion that you can attract money via psychic practices).

I would have liked to see a little more storytelling—the author checks in with the story of one Mary Kay participant throughout the book, but these sections are short and I was left wondering where Monique found the $75,000 she spent on Mary Kay over several years, given the financial straits that caused her to join in the first place. Likewise, more information about the finances (to the extent this is available, which it sounds like mostly not) would have been interesting to see. But then, you can find MLM horror stories all over the internet, while the big picture history the author provides is harder to come by. The bit at the end where she sneaks into a Mary Kay convention did provide a look at why people stay involved: the combination of love-bombing, energy and affirmation with promises of future wealth is a heady brew, especially for those who are struggling.

In the end, a depressing read given the state of the world. During the Biden administration a new rule was proposed to require those selling “business opportunities” to disclose typical earnings to recruits—the MLM industry of course came out hard against this, and given Trump’s own MLM ties, it seems unlikely to go anywhere soon.

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey hun, I just finished Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read. Let's talk about how this book can give you the lifestyle you deserve and you can be your own boss.

Doesn't all that sound so weird and culty? I make no bones about it. I am a multi-level marketing (MLM) hater. These businesses target people who are usually in desperate straits, and if they aren't, they will be by the time they are done.

Read goes back to the very beginning to tell the whole story of where these parasites come from. No, Amway was not the first, but kudos to you for knowing one of the worst offenders that STILL exists somehow. Seriously. I just went to the website. It looks exactly like you expect, and now I bet I am on a list.

Read does some wonderful work here and it is in-depth. In fact, I'd venture to say it is a little bit too in-depth. The middle of the book drags a little only because MLMs just kept growing by calling in some political favors. The author also strays at times from truly hitting on how much MLMs infected American life. She certainly does that, but there are a few places where a stronger correlation needed to be made.

That said, the strongest part of the book is Monique. She is a woman who was pulled into Mary Kay and it went as well as you would think. Read starts each major portion of the book with another step in Monique's descent into debt as she chases her dream. There is not stronger story than that one.

(This book was provided as a review copy by the publisher.)

[David Dayen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Trump era is one where regulatory enforcement has gone away, leaving people vulnerable to the vicissitudes of the free market. But what if the people who truly lose out in that scenario are the ones sold a dream about how the free market can work for them? In fact, that's a story that's been going on for nearly a century, as Bridget Read explores in this history of multilevel marketing, or pyramid, schemes. It doubles as a history of insufficient regulatory might in America, in the face of lobbying and blind faith. It tells the story of con men, scam artists, motivational speakers and Ponzi schemers, all who wear the finery of free enterprise, selling a dream of having no boss, retiring early, and living the life of imagination. Then it all comes crashing down—and fortunes are made off the backs of these failures. Terrific read.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay yeah everyone needs to read this book.

The pyramid scheme aka multi-level marketing is insidious and goes all the way down, with ties to the GOP and evangelical Christianity and, of course, white supremacy. It's a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" level of grift and exploitation, preying upon the vulnerable and gullible and constantly gaslighting them into continuing to buy into the both the system and faulty products.

This book is everything "Hey Hun" wanted to be, and then some.

Basically: if someone tells you they can change your life if you just buy this one thing and it sounds too good to be true...it probably is too good to be true.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75
Absolutely loved this exploration into the history of MLMs and how it’s closely tied to conservative (now alt-right) politics in the past and today.

The reason why it’s not a 5 star for me is that I wish there was some kind of conclusion at the end wrapping it all together, but I think that this is a fantastic piece of journalism that I hope many read.

[Angela DeMott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book completely outraged me, and took over my life this week, much like how victims of MLMs are consumed by false hopes of getting rich through “hard-work” and their own industry. Before reading Little Bosses Everywhere I thought I knew why MLMs were bad, but I was clueless. This book was eye opening to me - I did not know how intertwined most MLMs are with the ultra conservative political movement here in the U.S. or that they have been buying major political influence for the last 75 years. It’s enough to keep you awake at night.

I thought Read did an excellent job balancing the large and small scale harm MLMs cause in the world through her many stats and figures, but also through extremely humanizing case studies. The book breaks down a few sub-industries within MLMs (vitamins, soap, essential oils, makeup, self-help, etc.) and follows the history of MLMs through those industries. Those chapters are broken up by the first hand account of one victim who got sucked into being a Mary Kay distributor for almost a decade, making no money, feeling no success, and sinking tens of thousands of dollars she didn’t have into her “business.” These chapters are sickening and riveting.

Read makes the convincing argument that there is no distinction between the fraudulent pyramid schemes of the 30s and 40s and multi-level marketing companies of today. The only difference is that the FTC and SEC have been unable to crack down on most MLMs, because of loop holes in the law and elected lawmakers being bought and sold by MLMs for this very purpose. There are no good and bad apples - the whole barrel is rotten, and we as consumers need to be wary of this “business model” that benefits less than 1% at the top of the pyramid and destroys almost everyone else underneath.

[CatReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Little Bosses Everywhere, writer Bridget Read dives into the long history of American multilevel marketing operations (essentially, pyramid schemes), and their various iterations over the years. This is one of those niche topics that's bubbled to the surface of popular interest in the last decade, from John Oliver's biting takedown in 2016, to the anti-MLM subreddit (which Read also used to source interviews), to the dozens of Youtube documentary channels that specialize in exposing MLMs (I'll link to this video by Not the Good Girl, where she talks about the MLM she was in for years). So I presume most readers who pick up Little Bosses Everywhere are already familiar with some or all of this content. Read's intent here isn't sharing salacious stories (though she does share a few, particularly an extended story from a former MLM participant named Monique who lost tens of thousands during her Mary Kay years), but in digging into the complex history of American MLM schemes dating back a century and why and how the US government has never totally slapped them down, despite the rises and falls of various administrations.

I would also mention this book is very politically slanted, as is the MLM industry (in ways casual followers would likely guess correctly -- many MLM power players are Republicans and/or Evangelicals, and many MLM critics are pro-regulatory like many Democrats). One pervasive argument I took issue with is Read's criticism of the prosperity gospel and positive thinking as inherently problematic tools used by MLMs -- I would argue that these tools aren't inherently problematic or exclusive to MLMs (they are also heavily utilized by Evangelical religions and business/entrepreneurial literature, respectively -- with the latter not just being espoused Tony Robbins and not really by Robert Kiyasaki as Read alludes to, but by the likes of the Zig Ziglars and Brian Tracys of the world and all their subsequent successors who continue to churn out today's productivity literature). This is a recapitulated argument frequently made by those on the political left as a way to villainize the political right, and I find it lazy and usually presented without enough nuance. People don't really fall victims to MLMs because of the weaponization of the prosperity gospel or positive psychology by MLM leadership, as much as they fall victim to a lack of critical thinking skills, due diligence, reality-checking, and/or an inability to discern healthy vs. unhealthy relationships and untangle themselves from the latter.

Further reading: MLMs
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson | my review - a sensationalized memoir from a former MLM participant
Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans by Jane Marie | my review - another MLM book, but focused more on recent examples and less on a broader sociopolitical narrative

My statistics:
Book 151 for 2025
Book 2077 cumulatively

[Merili · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book on the history of mlms, they’re the worst. However the book itself was a little dry and I wish it had more personal stories from ppl in mlms because those are so interesting too.

[Seamus Egan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Went into this book thinking "surely China in the 1920s won't be relevant" but it was in fact relevant.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Little Bosses Everywhere, journalist Bridget Read dives deep into the world of multilevel marketing (MLM), not as an abstract economic curiosity, but as a cultural, political, and emotional force that has reshaped American life. At once historical reportage and a sociological reckoning, the book is a tour de force through a uniquely American phenomenon that is less about selling makeup, vitamins, or essential oils—and more about selling hope in the shadow of economic precarity.

Read’s sharp, immersive prose pulls readers through the story of how MLMs like Amway, Mary Kay, Herbalife, and hundreds of others became embedded in the fabric of American capitalism. Far from being just quirky entrepreneurial experiments, she argues, these organizations have consistently exploited the vulnerable, propped up regressive politics, and traded on the language of empowerment to mask financial manipulation.

This isn’t just a history book—it’s a reckoning. And it's brilliant.

Unmasking the “Business Opportunity” Myth

MLM as Ideology, Not Just Industry

Read’s central argument is devastating in its clarity: MLMs have been masquerading as business opportunities while functioning more as ideological machines. Framed as “low-risk” entrepreneurial paths especially for women, they promise empowerment but deliver something closer to economic servitude.

From Mary Kay’s pink utopias to the starched-suited grandeur of Amway conventions, MLMs promote the myth of the self-made boss. But behind every pink Cadillac is a mountain of unsold inventory, a credit card maxed out in hope, and a dream deferred. Read pulls back the curtain to reveal that for most, these schemes offer not financial independence, but deeper financial entanglement.

Structure and Scope: History With Teeth

The book is divided into six thematic parts—Vitamins, Cosmetics, Soap, Hope, Health, and Freedom—that mirror both the evolution of MLM product offerings and their shifting ideological strategies. Read builds a meticulous timeline from the origin story of Nutrilite and Amway in post-war America to the pandemic-era resurgence of social-media-fueled recruitment.

Each section combines:

- Historical excavation: Through exhaustive research, Read traces the industry’s links to Cold War-era conservatism, free-market ideology, and evangelical Christianity.

- Character-driven reportage: We meet real women—veterans, teachers, mothers—who sought refuge and ended up trapped in the false promise of MLMs.

- Cultural critique: She expertly analyzes how MLMs reflect and manipulate American values like self-reliance, freedom, and femininity.

Rather than merely presenting the facts, Read interrogates the cultural scaffolding that keeps MLMs alive: capitalism’s deepest fables, from bootstraps to boundless opportunity.

Portraits of Hope and Harm: The Human Cost

Monique’s Story: A Heartbreaking Blueprint

One of the most haunting threads of the book is Monique—a military veteran from Florida who joins Mary Kay out of desperation and optimism. Read does not sensationalize Monique’s experience; instead, she writes with an empathetic gaze, allowing Monique’s initial hope and eventual disillusionment to unfold with quiet tragedy.

Monique’s journey encapsulates the MLM cycle: the seductive rituals of feminine success, the pseudo-sisterhood of the “Pink Cadi Shack,” and the painful aftermath of debt and identity loss. Her experience is not anecdotal—it is the template. And Read makes that chillingly clear.

Other stories echo this rhythm, underscoring how MLMs prey on those at the crossroads of vulnerability and ambition. The result is a portrait not of isolated failure, but systemic exploitation.

The Language of Power: Read’s Writing Style

Bridget Read’s prose is like a slow, searing unraveling of a carefully woven lie. She writes with the precision of a researcher, the rhythm of a storyteller, and the moral clarity of an investigative journalist who knows she’s poking at something deliberately obscured.

Her sentences often pulse with irony, allowing the reader to see the absurdities without the need for heavy-handed editorializing. Her metaphors are quietly brutal (“pink cardboard cities” of unsold inventory), and her structure mimics the fractal nature of MLM itself: a story that circles back, recruits new evidence, and climbs the pyramid of its own making.

It’s also notable that Read adapts the tone of her subjects—channeling their fervor, hope, and devastation—without appropriating or belittling their voices. This human-centered narration makes the critique land harder. The reader isn’t asked to scoff at those “fooled” by MLMs, but to understand how the game was rigged long before they ever joined.

Themes: Capitalism, Femininity, and American Mythology

1. Capitalism’s Cruel Optimism - Little Bosses Everywhere demonstrates how MLMs thrive in moments of economic crisis, selling a perverse form of optimism that thrives on inequality. These companies expand not despite hardship—but because of it. Recession, pandemic, job loss—each becomes fertile ground.

2. Femininity as Labor - Read is particularly sharp in her critique of how MLMs repackage gender roles as empowerment. The “boss babe” is a rebranded housewife, still tasked with invisible labor, now also expected to monetize it through constant self-promotion.

3. Religion and Ritual - MLMs aren’t just businesses—they’re belief systems. Read traces how Christian language and metaphysical sales pitches blend into sermons of salvation via commission. Prayer circles at sales events and spiritualized marketing slogans reveal MLM as cult-adjacent.

4. Policy and Power - The DeVos and Van Andel dynasties—co-founders of Amway—aren’t just figureheads. Read carefully reveals how these families and their lobbying efforts protected the industry through political influence, particularly within the Republican Party. She connects the dots between MLM success and deregulation, charting how these companies helped finance—and benefit from—a shrinking social safety net.

What Works So Well

- Immersive, people-first reporting: The individual stories elevate the broader critique. They’re never tokenized or reduced to data points.

- Rigorous research: Read draws from a broad range of sources—court documents, historical texts, government reports—without ever overwhelming the reader.

- Narrative clarity: The book’s pacing and structure keep the reader engaged across a dense, decades-long history.

- Cultural resonance: MLM is often treated as kitschy or comedic in media. Read shows how urgent and dangerous it really is.

Where It Falters

Despite the book’s many strengths, a few critiques must be noted:

1. Occasional narrative sprawl - Some chapters—especially those diving deep into historical figures or MLM technicalities—risk losing the narrative thread. A more concise edit in places might have helped the pace.

2. Limited global context - While the book briefly mentions MLM’s international reach, it remains overwhelmingly focused on the American experience. Given the global scale of companies like Herbalife and Amway, more international reporting could have broadened the critique.

3. Few success stories - While statistically rare, some MLM participants do succeed. The absence of even a single in-depth success profile could be seen as slightly skewed, although one could argue that such stories are already overrepresented in corporate propaganda.

Final Thoughts: A Conspiracy in Plain Sight

Little Bosses Everywhere is not a light read—but it is an important one. In exposing the underbelly of multilevel marketing, Bridget Read doesn’t just tell the story of a shady industry; she tells the story of modern American desperation, wrapped in pink bows and vision boards.

With clarity, care, and cutting insight, she repositions MLM from the margins of mockery to the center of a cultural and economic reckoning. This is the rare nonfiction book that not only informs, but also compels readers to re-examine how we talk about work, worth, and freedom.

A Note on Receiving This Book

In the ever-glossy, algorithm-filtered world of publishing, it’s rare to be handed a book that actively peels back the curated layers of our society’s illusions. Receiving an Advance Reader’s Copy of Little Bosses Everywhere felt like being handed a mirror smuggled out from behind a velvet MLM curtain. I did not just read it—I sat with it, argued with it, traced its meticulous footnotes, and emerged disoriented and enraged, in the best way.

This review, written in exchange for nothing but the promise of honesty, is my small act of gratitude—and truth-telling.

[Taylor Hern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great history of the predatory practices of MLMs. A very great book if you’re trying to read more nonfiction like I am. Bought this after listening to an episode of the podcast Trueanon that featured the author, which I also highly recommend!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

God, why is Reagan always at the scene of the crime?

When I started listening to this book I thought it would be an easy, interesting read and that it would tell me a lot of what I already knew. I was so wrong!

The subtitle is not a gimmicky grab for your attention— this is basically a history book. I did not think MLMs could be more insidious than I already thought. There’s so much political history behind MLMs that I had no idea about. There’s not much about Utah unfortunately, but there’s a LOT about Amway.

This is an excellent work of journalism, albeit a bit tedious.

[Sarah Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I’ll have something to talk to the cousins about at thanksgiving

[David W. Cofer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enlightening book about the Multi-Level Marketing business, aka Pyramid Scheme businesses. The book includes stories about all the big players, Mary Kay, Amway, Herbalife, Shaklee, Tupperware, Nuskin, and Nutrilite.

Throughout the book, the story of Monique (not her real name) is chronicled and details revealed of how she was brought into the Mary Kay "family" and ended up spending over $75,000 over a nine year period, and never made more than $5,000 in sales, most of which was inventory she purchased herself in order to pursue higher ranks in the company, product that she never sold, but sat in an extra bedroom.

There are a lot of mind numbing statistics in the book, such as 85% of Mary Kay beauty consultants in Canada earned zero dollars in commissions in 2022, 13% averaged only $208 for the entire year, all before expenses. Even the Sales Directors (about 2% of the Mary Kay family) only made $20,907 on average.

In 2016, the majority of Herbalife dealers made no money after expenses and a substantial percentage lost money.

The book paints both a realistic and dire picture of the MLM industry. Only those at the top, usually the founders, make all the money (millions of dollars), which the rank and file lose tons of money. Most end up with a garage or spare bedroom full of unsold product. These companies place more emphasis on recruiting other members than on actually selling the product. That is the mark of a pyramid scheme, aka a Ponzi scheme.

Amway is probably the biggest offender detailed in the book, as they make more money from the selling of their marketing tools (books, tapes, and functions) than they do in selling the Amway products.

The book was a slow read as it is so detailed. At one point, the author goes down a rabbit hole of criticizing Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, and Norman Vincent Peale, none of which had anything to do with the MLM industry other than their books on positive thinking were used by the MLM founders to control the minds of their independent contractors they brought into the business.

Some of the author's information was also incorrect. She lumped Avon in with the MLM pyramid scheme companies. While Avon does have a commission structure that pays representatives off of sales of people they bring into the fold, Avon's emphasis is on selling their products, not in recruiting new members. Avon has protected territories, whereas the other companies, such as Amway, Mary Kay, Herbalife, etc., do not have protected territories.

Unfortunately, the author allowed her personal biases to show through her writing in the book. Her left wing, anti-capitalism, pro union, anti-Judeo-Christian values were pushed throughout the book as an agenda. The story could have been better told by sticking strictly to the facts, as a true journalist would do. She also incorrectly blames right-wing, conservative, religious people, especially Mormons and Christians for the MLM scams.

Also, on page 48, the math in her illustration of doubling a penny daily is not accurate. By simply using a calculator one can quickly determine that the actual amount would be different than what the author claims. She grossly underestimated the total amount at the end of a 30 day period.

Overall, a good book, but it could have been a 5-star read if the personal politics of the author were not included.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in anti-MLM content, white collar crime/scams, or the history of how far-right politicians and corporate interests have dragged us to our current moment of crisis in American politics, this book is for you. I have read other books about MLMs, but many of them fall short by treating them as nothing more than quirky curiosities that sometimes pop up in your Instagram DMs like weeds. Little Bosses Everywhere skips making fun of the exploited “huns” and recognizes MLMs for what they truly are--a crime syndicate of right-wing donors feeding on the working class like vampires and operating illegal pyramid schemes in plain sight.

Although the book primarily focuses on a broader analysis of pyramid schemes and their history, it also follows one woman (a veteran who is given the pseudonym Monique) throughout her near-decade long experience in Mary Kay. My only qualm with the book is the way these sections are structured--we follow her story in brief chapters interspersed throughout the book as she joins Mary Kay, struggles to rise through the ranks towards the top of the pyramid, and eventually becomes disillusioned and quits. I wish these sections had instead been presented as a single chapter towards the end of the book, rather than in numerous chapters throughout--since Monique's experience is so specific to modern MLMs, it feels disjointed from the historical context that the earlier sections of the book focus on. That said, I do think Monique's story was worth including. Although it may be anecdotal, it puts a human face on the harm caused by pyramid schemes and also illustrates very clearly how even those who do beat the odds and achieve "success" in an MLM (Monique eventually reaches a celebrated Mary Kay rank that only the top 1.5% of distributors achieve) are often still unable to build a successful "business" by any objective metric (despite all her efforts and success relative to other distributors, Monique still *lost* a huge amount of money through Mary Kay--she spent approximately $70,000 more than she ever earned). It's a very clear illustration of how big a scam pyramid schemes are and how little their marketing copy means--how is it possible for one of their top-ranking distributors to be losing an average of nearly $10,000 per year? What does it mean for you to be one of the most successful Mary Kay sellers if you're still buying exponentially more than you ever sell?

This is truly excellent nonfiction--really well-researched, deeply rooted in both historical and present context, and clear sighted about the scale of this problem. If you watched the Lularoe documentary and wondered “why is nobody shutting these companies down?,” this book is the best explanation yet of why these blatant scams have proven so hard to kill.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know a few people who have fell victim to MLM schemes so I was super intrigued by this. I learned a lot about pyramid schemes I didn't know. This is informative but not boring. This is well written and I would recommend it! Special Thank You to Bridget Read, Crown Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Cami · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am going to preface this review by saying multi level marketing holds a special place of vitriol in my heart and i think about it constantly (mostly because my family has been part of so many different mlms), so this book was made for me. i have seen way too many people fall victim to these companies throughout my life, and it makes me want to tear my hair out.

this book was such an engrossing history of the biggest mlms, along with their explicit political impacts. i had no idea how much of a direct line mlms had to project 2025, which makes me now despise them even more. i even wonder how much historical and political and religious ripples *weren’t* covered in the book, considering most of my contact with mlms have been utah-based companies that were only mentioned a few times in this book (lularoe not mentioned once!)

i feel staunch in my disgust for mlms and how they prey on people. the book ends with an anti-capitalist view, which i think is fair, considering the government (lack of) regulations for predatory companies mlms have succeeded in getting, and probably will get more of if we continue to see project 2025 play out (im vomiting inside).

[Sarah Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 but rounded up cuz I know this was hard work and research
I got so creeped out for so much of this book :)
I really liked how she went beyond just how crazy MLMs are and went into how they’re actually so much more commonplace and have held an insane amount of power over why we have the “free enterprise” rhetoric we have today and so few regulations
I hope nobody I love or care about ever falls for any of these including myself . Pure evil

[Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read has written an incredible book about the pernicious and pervasive MLM industry that has infiltrated the American brain and much of our life, even the government.

Starting with a history of how MLM’s developed, Read gives us the true backstory of many of these snake oil salesmen and their chaotic roles in pioneering the MLM model. She then takes it thorough the 60s 70s 80s and into the modern day, showing just how some of the most powerful families in bed with Trump and the New right have made their money selling a lie to venerable Americans, as well as exporting the model internationally.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been fascinated by MLM culture for years. This book scratched that itch for me. Very much enjoyed!! Keep fighting back against these predators!

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read on pyramid schemes in the USA. Pyramid schemes are joked about a lot in popular media, but I never really dove into how it works and how it's almost always only profitable for the top layer. Good overview of the history of the pyramid scheme scam, and mixed with a personal story of one person who got sucked into the scheme and lost thousands of dollars, without ever making a profit. Let's hope this nonsense dies down soon, but in the current political climate? Unlikely..

[Kirsten Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hey #GirlBoss! I was scrolling through your feed and think you’d be the PERFECT fit to join my book club! All you need to do is read this book, then find two other girly pops to read it, then they each find two more, and we’ll be living the life we’ve been manifesting in no time! For the low cost of $499.99, you can be a part of my pyra…family ❤️

Taking us on a historical journey from the early days of the snake oil salesman, to your Neighborhood Avon Lady, to the modern day Hun sending unsolicited DMs, the author dives deep into the formation of the MLM “business” model, the people who profit off it, and the dark money dealings that prevent the government from taking any real action to thwart them (shocker, The Heritage Foundation makes more than a couple appearances.) The unexpected pipeline of “girl you went to high school with selling you shampoo on Facebook” to Project 2025 really drove home just how predatory, sneaky and evil these businesses are. At the crux is a small group of powerful and disgustingly rich Christian nationalists dead-set on further sowing class division and pushing capitalistic greed for their own gain. And if you don’t believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell ya.

[Kaitlyn Hermansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched history of the multi level marketing industry, going back to its roots, and studying how MLMs continue to prey on women. An interesting read, just a little dry.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and heartbreaking, really. I mean, who doesn’t want to be their own boss—especially in a world where actual bosses can be, well, downright nuts? But this book makes it painfully clear that multi-level marketing isn’t the dream path it claims to be. It’s especially rough on women.

Reading it made me think back to all the Pampered Chef, jewelry, and rubber stamp parties I went to over the years. Now it all clicks—why the delivery took months, and how, after a few glasses of wine, my friends and I had to have that ridiculous apple peeler we were convinced would change our lives.

The book doesn’t just explain MLM; it uses it as a mirror for society. After all, the shape of a pyramid scheme isn’t that different from the shape of our economic system: a few people at the top, and the rest scrambling below. What MLMs did was teach recruits to admire the top rather than question the structure. Instead of saying, “This seems unfair,” they were bewitched and bamboozled to think, “Maybe that could be me someday.”

This is a thoroughly researched, detail-rich and quite joyless history of MLMs. If you’ve ever been involved in one—or if you’re just curious about the mechanics of marketing—it’s a must-read.

[Trin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of how multi-level marketing schemes came to be, mostly focusing on Amway and Mary Kay. I wish Read had covered more of the modern scams, but I appreciated the direct ties she drew between MLMs, Christian fundamentalism, and conservative politics. They are all working together and feeding each other, and ensuring that they always remain at the top of the pyramid.