The world of words and money is but a microcosm of the world we live in...

The concentration of publishing production in large corporate groups, the rapidly changing media landscape, the digitization of cultural heritage: these are the new realities. The old balance between words, that is culture, and money, that is profit, has been lost.

In this book, André Schiffrin discusses the inundation of bookstores with bestsellers and the consequent reduction of quality books, the crisis of newspapers, the onslaught of blockbusters in cinema, and the formation of monopolies on the Internet. Without fear of addressing interests, Schiffrin realistically captures the current state of affairs, criticizes the decline, identifies the causes of the problem, and proposes suggestions for the future, considering plurality and independence in culture as non-negotiable.

"A masterfully written book that provokes thought and ignites a necessary dialogue among those involved in media and publishing." ("Library Journal")

"Culture is too important to be left to the laws of the market, this is Schiffrin's ideological viewpoint." ("The Guardian")

"André Schiffrin is a living example of resistance against big corporations, in the name of freedom and the pluralism of thought." ("Il Messaggero")