false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170356655m/48829.jpg 48829 4 In their eye-opening, soul-prodding look at the excess of American society, the authors of <I>Affluenza</I> include two quotations that encapsulate much of the book: T.S. Eliot's line "We are the hollow men / We are the stuffed men," which opens one of this book's chapters, and a quote from a newspaper article that notes "We are a nation that shouts at a microwave oven to hurry up." If these observations make you grimace at your own ruthless consumption or sigh at the hurried pace of your life, you may already be ill. Read on.<p> The definition of affluenza, according to de Graaf, Wann, and Naylor, is something akin to "a painful, contagious, socially-transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more." It's a powerful virus running rampant in our society, infecting our souls, affecting our wallets and financial well-being, and threatening to destroy not only the environment but also our families and communities. Having begun life as two PBS programs coproduced by de Graaf, this book takes a hard look at the symptoms of affluenza, the history of its development into an epidemic, and the options for treatment. In examining this pervasive disease in an age when "the urge to splurge continues to surge," the first section is the book's most provocative. According to figures the authors quote and expound upon, Americans each spend more than $21,000 per year on consumer goods, our average rate of saving has fallen from about 10 percent of our income in 1980 to zero in 2000, our credit card indebtedness tripled in the 1990s, more people are filing for bankruptcy each year than graduate from college, and we spend more for trash bags than 90 of the world's 210 countries spend for everything. "To live, we buy," explain the authors--everything from food and good sex to religion and recreation--all the while squelching our intrinsic curiosity, self-motivation, and creativity. They offer historical, political, and socioeconomic reasons that affluenza has taken such strong root in our society, and in the final section, offer practical ideas for change. These use the intriguing stories of those who have already opted for simpler living and who are creatively combating the disease, from making simple habit alterations to taking more in-depth environmental considerations, and from living lightly to managing wealth responsibly. <p> Many books make you think the author has crammed everything he or she knows into it. The feeling you get reading <I>Affluenza</I> is quite different; the authors appear well-read, well-rounded, and intelligent, knowledgeable beyond the content of their book but smart enough to realize that we need a short, sharp jolt to recognize our current ailment. It's a well-worn cliché that money can't buy happiness, but this book will strike a chord with anyone who realizes that more time is more valuable than toys, and that our relentless quest for the latest stuff is breeding sick individuals and sick societies. <I>Affluenza</I> is, in fact, a clarion call for those interested in being part of the solution. --<I>S. Ketchum</I> 47773 2001 Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (Bk Currents) total:606|5:152|4:228|3:171|2:41|1:14| 606 2281 1067 144 5 6 false false Sat Jul 19 10:46:21 -0700 2008 Sat Jul 19 10:46:55 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 2 false false Thu Feb 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Sep 11 19:34:33 -0700 2008 Thu Feb 26 13:02:43 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 1 false false Mon Aug 04 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 20 07:41:06 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 08:21:05 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 1 false false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 16 09:35:46 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 16 09:42:56 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 1 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 06 14:27:01 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 06 14:36:36 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 01 17:30:42 -0700 2007 Mon Nov 05 06:52:25 -0800 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Jul 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 28 16:53:15 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 03 12:21:21 -0700 2009 Affluenza is a discursive smorgasbord. It has some interesting and useful descriptions and prescriptions (e.g., the 30 hour workweek as implemented by the Kellogg Company from the '30s to the '80s; tax policies that target big spenders on luxury items). But there's too much explored and explained to...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jul 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 28 22:22:40 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 17:33:40 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Jun 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 11:33:57 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 02 11:55:55 -0700 2009 1
The book starts with Symptoms of Affluenza. I was going right along with them, no...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jun 17 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 22 08:18:13 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 18 09:16:29 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Nov 20 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 26 21:40:59 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 26 21:45:49 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun May 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 16 12:05:09 -0700 2009 Mon May 04 10:08:13 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jan 19 20:17:21 -0800 2009 Sun Aug 09 13:59:46 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Mar 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 01 11:01:38 -0700 2008 Wed Mar 18 11:34:54 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu May 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Feb 05 12:08:45 -0800 2008 Thu May 07 19:07:24 -0700 2009
What I liked...

It does a good job listing the obsessions of the American consumer. For years, watching the houses spout like mushrooms all over suburban Orlando and the prices of those homes skyrocketing, I wondered where is...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 12 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Mon Jan 28 18:00:43 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 28 18:01:06 -0800 2008
The book was written around November 2000 and is still very true today. Fun, witty, and filled with illustrations ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 21 14:11:35 -0800 2008 Mon Mar 03 14:21:48 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Oct 12 10:45:24 -0700 2007 Sat Oct 27 09:02:32 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jun 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 28 21:19:51 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 16:09:11 -0700 2009 30% of Americans buy Christmas gifts for their pets; 11% buy them for their neighbors.
70% of Americans attend malls every week, more than attend h...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Apr 11 12:11:55 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 11 12:16:09 -0700 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=48829