false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg 459984 3 <B>A piercing and vital look at how capitalism is consuming U.S. society.</B><BR><BR>An apt sequel to Benjamin R. Barber's best-selling <I>Jihad vs. McWorld, Consumed</I> offers a wrenching portrait of how adult consumers are infantilized in a global economy that overproduces goods and targets children as consumers in a market where there are never enough shoppers. Driven by a frantic imperative to sell, consumer capitalism specializes today in the manufacture not of goods but of needs.<BR><BR>This provocative culmination of Barber's lifelong study of democracy and capitalism shows how the infantilist ethos deprives society of responsible citizens and displaces public goods with private commodities. Traditional liberal democratic society is colonized by an all-pervasive market imperative. Public space is privatized. Identity is branded. Our world, homogenized. With brilliance and depth, Barber confronts the likely consequences for our children, our liberty, and our citizenship, and shows finally how citizens can resist and transcend the civic schizophrenia with which consumerism has infected them. 448456 19 3 2007 Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole total:203|5:24|4:67|3:74|2:25|1:13| 203 673 542 56 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 1 3 false Sun Aug 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 23 11:48:01 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 10 17:20:48 -0700 2008 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 4 2 false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 17 06:47:19 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 20 16:11:39 -0800 2009
And really, it's an important work, and I fully agree with Barber's basic notions of reclaiming notions of civic space and the commons.

On the other hand:
...more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 3 2 false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Jun 10 18:44:49 -0700 2007 Sat Jun 16 07:08:43 -0700 2007 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 3 1 false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Sep 26 06:12:55 -0700 2007 Wed Nov 07 08:26:24 -0800 2007
The premise is that the international economy is pushing companies to make and market their products to "The lowest common denominator". The result is that more people buy them, which is good for business, but bad for society. ...more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 4 0 false Fri Jan 02 21:52:25 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 02 22:27:30 -0800 2009 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 0 1 false Mon Aug 04 06:43:35 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 04 06:52:22 -0700 2008 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 3 0 false Thu Jun 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 01 06:48:51 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 06:46:00 -0700 2009 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 1 1 false Mon Sep 24 10:04:19 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 04 11:07:22 -0700 2007 Mon Sep 24 10:04:02 -0700 2007 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 3 1 false Tue Jun 12 06:46:40 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 01 10:52:53 -0700 2007 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 3 0 false Sun Nov 30 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Jul 15 11:49:22 -0700 2008 Sun Nov 30 16:03:38 -0800 2008 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 3 0 false Thu Sep 04 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 22 18:38:36 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 07 07:02:40 -0700 2008 2
Second review a year later:
After increasing my knowledge of libertarianism, consumerism and...more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 3 0 false Sun Jun 22 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri May 23 17:57:10 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 22 18:02:38 -0700 2008 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 4 0 false Thu Apr 17 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 09 17:27:12 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 20 19:12:05 -0700 2008 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 3 0 false Wed Apr 02 11:46:05 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 03 11:33:41 -0800 2008 Wed Apr 02 11:45:42 -0700 2008
I have the same complaints I've had for all the non-fiction books I've read that cover "...more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 3 0 false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 11 22:09:46 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 11 22:09:51 -0800 2008 more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 1 0 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Fri Jul 20 12:18:06 -0700 2007 Thu Feb 07 05:45:55 -0800 2008
I had issues with the author's reliance on technological gadgetry as proof of advertising's grip and an individual's reduction to "infantilized" state. I had issue...more...]]> 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 4 0 false Thu Sep 25 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jan 25 18:42:35 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 25 18:46:51 -0800 2009 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 4 0 false Tue Feb 03 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 23 19:15:33 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 23 19:19:41 -0800 2009 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 2 0 false Sun Aug 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 07:44:04 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 07:47:09 -0700 2009 459984 0393049612 9780393049619 198 56 3.32 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174947908m/459984.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/459984.Consumed_How_Markets_Corrupt_Children_Infantilize_Adults_and_Swallow_Citizens_Whole 0 0 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Jan 07 08:27:06 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 07 08:33:38 -0800 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=459984