Stealing
Have you ever popped something in your pocket without paying for it? Have you ever tried on a couple of items of clothing and kept one of them on underneath your own clothes as you left the shop? Have you ever picked up two items and only paid for the one on top? Have you ever used the self-check-out and lied about what it is you're actually paying for (peanuts instead of cashews, for example, or one avocado instead of three)? If you answered yes to any of those questions or if you've ever thought about it, you might find this an interesting read.
The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting
by Rachel Shteir
This book explores the history of shoplifting and looks at the various ways the phenomenon has been approached over the years: with punishment, by naming & shaming, via surveillance, as a mental illness, or through drug treatment and rehabilitation groups.
Whether you think it is a crime, a disease, a mania, an anti-property protest or no more than a bit of thrill-seeking, nothing done to deal with the problem seems to have made much difference. No-one can decide why people shoplift. No-one can agree on how to stop it either. Rachel Shteir's book is an interesting commentary on society today and a fascinating study of shoplifting.
