The Velvet Rope
by Nelson D. Schwartz
Category: Business & Economics

"In nearly every realm of daily life--from health care to education, highways and home security--there is an invisible velvet rope, for a price, red tape is cut, lines are jumped, appointments are secured, and doors are opened. On the other side, middle- and working-class Americans fight to find an empty seat on the plane, a place in line with their kids at the amusement park, a college acceptance letter, or a hospital bed. We are all aware of the gap between the rich and everyone else, but when we weren't looking, business innovators stepped in to exploit it, shifting services away from the masses and finding new ways to profit by serving the privileged. Nelson Schwartz's must-read book brings us on a behind-the-scenes tour of this new reality and shows the toll the velvet rope divide takes on society."--provided by publisher.