Axiom Award Gold Medalist for Business Theory Finance expert law professor and fellow
overwhelmed consumer Kathryn Judge investigates the surprising ways that middlemen have taken
control of the economy at the expense of the rest of us and provides practical guidance about
how to regain control find more meaning and contribute to a more sustainable economy. Over
the past thirty years middlemen have built intricate financial and retail empires capable of
moving goods across the country and around the world-transforming the economy and our lives.
Because of middlemen we enjoy an unprecedented degree of choice and convenience. But the rise
of the middleman economy comes at a steep price. In Direct Columbia law professor Kathryn
Judge shows how overgrown middlemen became the backbone of modern capitalism and the cause of
many of its ailments. Middlemen today shape what people do how they invest and what they
consume. They use their troves of data to push people to buy more and more expensive
products. They use their massive profits and expertise to lobby lawmakers tilting the playing
field in their favor. Drawing on a decade of research Judge shows how to fight back: Go to the
source. The process of direct exchange-and the resulting ecosystem of makers and consumers
investors and entrepreneurs-fosters connection and community and helps promote a more just
resilient and accountable economic system. Direct exchange reminds us that our actions always
and inevitably impact others as it rekindles an appreciation of our inherent
interconnectedness. As Judge reveals in this much-needed book direct exchange is both the
cornerstone of the solution and a tool for revealing just how much is at stake in decisions
about through whom to buy invest and give.
