Competition overdose : how free market mythology transformed us from citizen kings to market servants / Maurice E. Stucke and Ariel Ezrachi.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 309-388) and index.

When is competition toxic? -- Who is pushing the toxic competition? -- What can we do about it?.

"Using dozens of vivid examples, two free market thinkers show how competition has been overprescribed as the solution to all of society's ills. Whatever illness our society suffers, competition is the remedy. Do we want better schools for our children? Cheaper prices for everything? More choices in the marketplace? The answer is always: Increase competition. Yet, many of us are unhappy with the results. We think we're paying less, but we're getting much less. Our food has undeclared additives (or worse), our drinking water contains toxic chemicals, our hotel bills reveal surprise additions, our kids' schools are failing, our activities are tracked so that advertisers can target us with relentless promotions. All will be cured, we are told, by increasing the competitive pressure and defanging the bloated regulatory state. In a captivating exposé, Maurice E. Stucke and Ariel Ezrachi show how we are falling prey to greed, chicanery, and cronyism. Refuting the almost religious belief in rivalry as the vehicle for prosperity, the authors identify the powerful corporations, lobbyists, and lawmakers responsible for pushing this toxic competition-and argue instead for a healthier, even nobler, form of competition."--inside jacket.