David Schwartz is the author of several books, most recently "The
Last Man Who Knew Everything: The Life and Times of Enrico Fermi,
Father of the Nuclear Age," (Basic Books, 2017). David spent much
of his youth in San Francisco, where his parents were early members
of Price Club, Costco's predecessor.
Susan Schwartz worked in marketing at Nabisco and General Foods in
the 1980s when mass merchandising was still considered an
"alternate channel" of distribution. She grew up in Philadelphia
where she delighted in shopping at Costco with her parents. Susan
and David are proud grandparents and avid birdwatchers.
WINNER OF THE BEN FRANKLIN AWARD FOR BEST COVER DESIGN (GOLD), BEST
INTERIOR DESIGN (SILVER), AND BEST GIFT BOOK (SILVER) FROM THE
INDEPENDENT BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION, 2024. Join David & Susan
Schwartz on a whirlwind tour of Costco warehouses around the globe.
They are two of Costco's biggest fans, yet live in one of NYC's
smallest apartments. Since 2016, they have been to over 250 of
Costco's 850+ warehouses, plus gotten behind-the-scenes looks at
depots, packaging facilities, vendors, meatpacking plants, and even
a pre-opening
party.Travelling over 240,000 miles, they have visited at least one
warehouse in 47 US states and 13 other countries, including
Australia, Canada, China, France, Iceland, Japan,
Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Taiwan, and the
UK. They celebrated the launch of this book with a Yonkers to Yorba
Linda Costco Road Trip, stopping to visit their favorite retailer
along the way.Topics are covered in a whimsical A to Z format,
using Q&A to cover topics ranging from Cashews and Chicken to
Hot Dogs and Hawaii, targeted to delight the more than 128 million
Costco members and over 300,000 dedicated Costco employees. There
is a Prologue that describes how the authors came to write the
book, and an introduction that provides a brief narrative history
of Costco and its predecessor companies.Sample Fun Facts: Costco
sells more than half of the world's cashews and seven times more
hotdogs than all MLB stadiums combined.When Costco changed its
source of salmon from Chile to Norway it impacted the economies of
both countries.Costco sells six million pumpkin pies each year, but
only between September and December.About the AuthorsDavid Schwartz
is the author of several books, most recently "The Last Man Who
Knew Everything: The Life and Times of Enrico Fermi, Father of the
Nuclear Age," (Basic Books, 2017). David spent much of his youth in
San Francisco, where his parents were early members of Price Club,
Costco's predecessor.Susan Schwartz worked in marketing at Nabisco
and General Foods in the 1980s when mass merchandising was still
considered an "alternate channel" of distribution. She grew up in
Philadelphia where she delighted in shopping at Costco with her
parents. Susan and David are proud grandparents and David
birdwatchers."For all of us that know the Costco experience is like
no other, the Schwartzes have delivered a gift book like no other."
- James Patterson, best-selling author"Everyone can learn something
useful from this account of a retailing success story that has
swept the world. " - Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire
Hathaway and Costco Board Member"Even if you don't share the
authors' somewhat peculiar enthusiasm for the retail wholesaler,
even if you've never set foot in a Costco store, you'd be
hard-pressed to find a more informative, concise, and pleasant
crash course in foreign business practices...The book covers
everything from foreign food courts, to pet services, to road
trips, and ties it all together with a fun, cohesive style. It is a
joy to behold...The Joy of Costco deserves a spot on your coffee
table. Houseguests may initially scoff, but give them five minutes
with the book and they probably won't want to give it back."
-Seattle Book Review"In the world of wine retail, few companies can
compete with Costco Wholesale Corp. Costco has allowed millions of
consumers to sample wines from around the world. In the The Joy of
Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z, David and Susan Schwartz
provide an enlightening, entertaining and comprehensive view of the
retail enterprise that knows no bounds. It's a fun and great lesson
on innovation." - Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine
Spectator."When Schwartzes say they love the Costco experience,
they mean it...the book is well-researched and delivers information
in a fun, concise way. The layout and the presentation invite
readers to browse or read straight through but the text goes beyond
factoids to share great detail on subjects even the Costco faithful
might never have thought of...This is a surprising, entertaining
book on an everyday subject close to readers' lives. -Publishers
Weekly/BooklifeSome folks seek adventure climbing mountains; others
go on safaris. The authors chose a slightly different path: travel
to as many Costco warehouses around the world as they could manage,
which amounted to more than 200 of the company's some 850 current
outlets. (Between 20 and 25 new warehouses open every year, so do
not be surprised if there is a sequel!)How a couple who live in a
450-square-foot apartment came to love the Costco experience is
only the starting point of this book, which is an exuberant and
witty history and guide to a retail experience like no other...Did
you know that Bumble Bee is the actual producer of the canned
albacore tuna that the store sells under its Kirkland Signature
brand? Or that you can get free hearing tests at Costco? Or that no
rotisserie chicken stays on sale after two hours from the spit? Or
that it can pay to visit one of Costo's 24 Business Centers in the
United States, which cater to small businesses but are open to all
members, and where you can pick up a five-gallon bucket of pickles
as opposed to the measly 64-ounce jars in a regular Costco? And who
knew that the Costcos in Canada sell Montreal-style
bagels--smaller, with larger holes, and baked in a wood-fired oven?
You do not need to be a Costco cardholder (and there are over 124
million) to buy and enjoy this handsome book. True, it does not
come with free samples--a staple of Costco stores--but, on the
other hand, no lines! - Air MailBeautifully illustrated and just
bizarre enough to adorn your coffee table...The Joy of Costco won't
just sit pretty in your living room. It will have you enraptured
with fun facts and inspire you to leave right now to buy a
wholesale box of cashews.This book has made me a Costco fan, and
I'm sure anyone else who picks up this book will be excited to
withstand the treacherous obstacle that is the parking lot just to
experience Costco the way that David and Susan Schwartz do.-
Samantha Hui, The Independent Book Review
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