Noshing With David & Susan Schwartz – September 21, 2023

Ira's Everything Bagel

Authors, The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z

This week, Ira spoke with David and Susan Schwartz, authors of The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z. In this low-price but quality episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” David and Susan talk about why they decided to write the book as a couple; Costco’s business model; strategies for buying holiday merchandise and food there; the importance of the culture of the company; and how their book, in a whimsical A to Z format, covers topics ranging from chicken and eggs to more serious topics like Costco’s code of ethics, sustainability and good works.

David Schwartz is the author of several books, most recently “The Last Man Who Knew Everything: The Life and Times of Enrico Fermi, Father of the Nuclear Age,” (Basic Books, 2017). He holds a BA from Stanford and a PhD from MIT. He has had a varied career, as a foreign policy specialist, an investment banker, and HR specialist, and an executive search recruitment professional. David spent much of his youth in San Francisco, where his parents were early members of Price Club, Costco’s predecessor.

Susan Schwartz received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University, and has worked at Nabisco and General Foods. After leaving corporate America, she worked freelance making TV commercials for thirteen years before joining her husband David in executive search consulting. She worked as a professional baker for two years after college. She grew up in Philadelphia where she delighted in shopping at The Joy of Costco with her beloved parents. She became a member of Costco in 2009. Susan and David are proud grandparents and avid birdwatchers.

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