Want to know which political party the top executives of that store you’re shopping in are giving their (your) money to, or whether the company has a written nondiscrimination policy, or offers insurance benefits to the domestic partners of its employees? Politically conscious shoppers can turn to The Blue Pages: A Directory of Companies Rated by Their Politics and Practices. The book is blue, literally, in a nod to the Blue States/Red States contrivance in the media of the national political map.

Designed as what the publishers call a “Zagat-style pocket reference,” it is divided into thirteen categories, or economic sectors, from “Clothing, Shoes and Accessories,” through “Vehicles, Parts and Gas.” Company listings within each category are alphabetical. A complete index of companies and brands is also included at the end.

In the interests of full disclosure, I purchased this book from Barnes & Noble (I had a coupon). Barnes & Noble can be found in the Media and Entertainment section, along with Borders, Blockbuster, Ticketmaster, and the Walt Disney Company, among others. At the beginning of each category are lists of the top ten Republican contributors and the top ten Democratic contributors within, including the amounts of their contributions. Rather unsurprisingly, many are the same. Would anyone be surprised to learn that General Electric is the top contributor in this category, on both sides of the color line–giving $1,013,039 to Republicans and about half that, $562,011, to Democrats.

What does it mean to know that internet giant Amazon contributed $73,506 to Republicans and $47,244 to Democrats. Readers can draw their own conclusions. I was left wondering what were the details behind the contribution choices of each company. Were they contributing to local, state, or national campaigns? Were they contributing to individual races or generally to each political party? And, did any company contribute to independent, green, libertarian, or other kinds of political candidates?

In addition to listing political contributions, each entry contains a brief paragraph on the company’s various “business practices,” including employee benefits and labor practices, lawsuits and investigations, and community and charitable programs. Readers can seek out companies that match their own political ideologies, concerns, and values.

According to The Blue Pages, the Barnes & Noble gang gave $88,000 to Democrats and $0 to Republicans. While rival mega-chain bookstore Borders did not make any political contributions. However, both chains paid $2 million each in fines in 2001, after they “were found to have unfairly competed with independent booksellers.”

Given the labyrinthine complexities of the corporate commercial sector faced by anyone trying to behave as a socially conscious consumer, as much readily information as possible is hugely beneficial. The Blue Pages may not be a thoroughly complete summary of corporate activities, but it’s a heck of a start. Happy Shopping.

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