I came across this article today, the Best Magazine Articles Ever, and was pleased at the quality of the list and, indeed, how many I have read over the years.
But there is a glaring omission. In 1997, the Baffler published in its tenth edition a feature article by Matt Roth entitled Dreams Incorporated: Living the Delayed Life with Amway.
Roth uses his anthropology background to follow the lives of some people who believe that Amway will fill the void, spiritual as well as financial, in their lives. Like the Amway system, he follows the levels from the sad sacks at the bottom to the high-rollers at the top. It’s a sad and angry piece and, 13 years later, I can still recall the elegance of Roth’s writing.
I’m not sure when this happened, but the Baffler has started giving away the first volume, all 17 editions, for free as PDFs. You can find them here.
I don’t yet have an iPad, but this is the perfect thing to read in iBooks. I’ve put them on my iPhone book reader and it’s great bedtime reading.
Dreams Incorporated can be found in Number 10. [PDF] The story begins on page 39.