With keen determination and perception, David Sanford peers behind the posh public relations offices into the back rooms where policies are made, into the minds that decide what the consumer will buy, how much it will cost, and how it will be packaged and publicized.

Do the presidents of General Mills and Pillsbury eat their own pre-packaged macaroni-and-cheese and canned hollandaise sauce? Absurd! declares Sanford, and he discloses the profit motivation behind such seemingly public-oriented products as vitamin additives and add-your-own-egg mixes. From children’s toys to harmless drugs, Sanford shows how big business plays on public weaknesses, current fads, and the consumer’s lack of precise information in order to sell its products.