Narcissism -- a very positive and inflated view of the self -- is everywhere. It's what you have if you're a politician and you've st...
read full description
reviews
May 23, 2011
Ken
rated it: 
When I first saw the title of this book I thought it looked interesting. I have to admit that the authors have a good idea they are trying to present. However, they do a terrible job of presenting the topic of narcissism and are simply pushing their own agenda. You know the old saying of "Statistics are great because you can always have them show what you want". Well, that is exactly what the authors do. They use ridiculous examples that are not realistic and do not always apply t
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 07, 2011
Alasse
rated it: 
This is a very important book, and it makes a few really valid points. Ms. Twenge and Mr. Campbell make a great job of connecting the dots on many cultural trends that would otherwise seem unrelated. This is particularly interesting for a non-American reader, since when I see that sort of stuff on TV I never know if what I'm noticing is real, hyperbolic or just irony. So it was really helpful having someone lay out the big picture for me.
Still, I think this book would be much more co More...
Still, I think this book would be much more co More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 28, 2011
Glitnir
rated it: 
Overall, I had high expectations of this book. After all, here were some PhDs looking into some of the things about American culture that I had been ruminating over for a few years now. And overall, they touch on many of the facets that I expected: vanity, a sense of entitlement, materialism, and celebrity status. They even came up with a few that I hadn’t considered—namely easy monetary credit and the role of religion and volunteerism.
Ultimately, however, the book fell short my exp More...
Ultimately, however, the book fell short my exp More...
Oct 20, 2011
Jenney
rated it:
Terrific read, have given this book 4 stars (would like to give it 4 1/2)because of the insight (mainly statistics) about the slowly changing culture and society we live in. You only have to look around you to see narcissism invading our lives ever so subtly...it doesn't hit you like a tonne of bricks but after reading this book it has only consolidated the suspicions I harbour.
I've always thought Facebooks and MySpace were/are nothing but a scurge to our society and this puts thin More...
I've always thought Facebooks and MySpace were/are nothing but a scurge to our society and this puts thin More...
Sep 12, 2011
Nicole
rated it:
The book was as pop-psychology cheesy as I expected it to be, although it did make some valid points which I figured it would and that's why I read it. However, I think I disagree that what we see in society today is 'narcissism', I would call it old-fashioned immaturity and self-absorption. The sometimes overdramatic approach to cataloguing America's self-impressed celebrities, wannabe celebrities and Facebook/MySpace publicity whores grated on my nerves. People in rich countries - all of th
More...
Jul 02, 2011
This is pop psychology, so don't expect a sophisticated analysis of what really does seem to be a trending problem. I like the structure of the book--diagnosis, etiology, remedies--but the ideas falling under the latter two categories are disappointing in their superficiality. The authors do a very fine job of outlining the problem, providing plenty of anecdotal and research evidence of increased and increasing narcissism. Some of their ideas about the causes of this--e.g., "you deserve it"
More...
Jun 30, 2011
David
rated it:
It's kind of funny to write a review about this book on goodreads, since it is the type of behavior that the authors of this book would find to be a prime example if narcissism in our culture. However, goodreads is a lot less prone to moronic behavior than the prime examples of online activity that are mentioned here.
I liked the book in that it does present several good arguments for how narcissism has taken hold of American society. However, several of the arguments are made poorly. T More...
I liked the book in that it does present several good arguments for how narcissism has taken hold of American society. However, several of the arguments are made poorly. T More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
May 24, 2011
Poppy
rated it:
The book started out with a drumroll of flair and drama - OH NOES! THE NARCISSISTS ARE COMING! - but settled down in the second chapter with some research references and scientific evidence. I am cautiously swayed by the evidence - I'd need a second opinion of the evidence to be more certain. I appreciate that the authors are honest both about the research used and their own biases - in several places, they admit to times and places where they have fallen to the competitive standard in homes or
More...
Feb 08, 2011
Diana
rated it: 
I'm glad I read this book because it made some good points and made me think. I believe it could have been more powerful if it had been condensed considerably. They refer to the same examples too many times, and insert their own opinions/blanket statements without anything to back it up too many times. I think that overall the book would have been better if they had done one strong quantitative/qualitative research project that the book revolved around, rather than only refer to several small
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 10, 2009
Rodger
rated it:
Twenge and Campbell cover a multitude of literature and everyday examples that provide support for believing narcissism has become and is growing as a dominant paradigm in the United States. It is amazing how many subtle aspects of narcissism are regarded as normal and acceptable in today's American culture where merely one or two decades ago the same things would be considered generally shameful.
I believe this book is a must-read for teens and parents of teens. Of course, it is neve More...
I believe this book is a must-read for teens and parents of teens. Of course, it is neve More...
0 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Apr 15, 2010
Martine
rated it:
Narcissism and self esteem are not the same thing.
I knew that people were becoming increasingly self absorbed but had no idea the stats are as high as they are! More to the point, the statistics have been rising at an alarming rate since the 70s and are even worse now. Interestingly, the boomers were not so much so as they worked for common good rather than self good however they became parents of children with an unrealistic sense of self importance and self abilities.
T More...
I knew that people were becoming increasingly self absorbed but had no idea the stats are as high as they are! More to the point, the statistics have been rising at an alarming rate since the 70s and are even worse now. Interestingly, the boomers were not so much so as they worked for common good rather than self good however they became parents of children with an unrealistic sense of self importance and self abilities.
T More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Mar 07, 2010
David
rated it:
The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement is quite good. I think that the authors are very much onto something in their analysis that narcissism has dramatically increased over the past few decades, and that the slope of the increase is itself increasing. The authors spare very few sacred cows - from the debt-fueled conspicuous consumption to sexy photos on myspace, to unwillingness to settle down in relationships, they point out the self-indulgent behavior as they see it.
More...
More...
Jul 14, 2009
Gian Fiero
rated it: 
If you have children this book will provide you with important parenting tips on how to prevent the root of the problem which plagues a large portion of today's adolescence: entitlement.
Entitlement is at the foundation upon which narcissism is built upon. This book does a wonderful job of making distinctions between the commonly confused concepts of self-admiration and high self-esteem, while illustrating how entitlement reveals itself in how we live, work, and play.
The More...
Entitlement is at the foundation upon which narcissism is built upon. This book does a wonderful job of making distinctions between the commonly confused concepts of self-admiration and high self-esteem, while illustrating how entitlement reveals itself in how we live, work, and play.
The More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
May 05, 2009
Cj
rated it:
I bought this book on a buying binge at Borders while eating a baguette. Therefore I didn't crack it open before purchase. Alas.
I was hoping for a rational, well-informed look at the growth of narcissism in american culture, with perhaps a discussion of the real psychological impacts. A scientific approach.
Instead what we get is a sermonizing, bitter yakfest about the evils of the internet age. Any counterpoints thrown in for the appearance of a balanced perspective a More...
I was hoping for a rational, well-informed look at the growth of narcissism in american culture, with perhaps a discussion of the real psychological impacts. A scientific approach.
Instead what we get is a sermonizing, bitter yakfest about the evils of the internet age. Any counterpoints thrown in for the appearance of a balanced perspective a More...
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Mar 03, 2010
Faye
rated it:
Hmm. Some of this stuff made we want to exclaim, "Yes! Finally" because it made so much sense, but some other aspects were a little tougher to wrap my brain around, given how ingrained the beliefs are that the book is speaking out against. Lot's of fodder for personal consideration and analyzing your parenting style, spouse, co-workers and kids.
Some of the antidotes suggested (family values) and religious references examples were kind of a turn off, but I guess the antidot More...
Some of the antidotes suggested (family values) and religious references examples were kind of a turn off, but I guess the antidot More...
Oct 27, 2009
Marcia
rated it:
This is an interesting book. It talks about the five key causes of the rising narcissism in American culture. They are our focus on self-admiration, child-centered parenting, celebrity glorification and media encouragement, attention seeking promoted on the internet and easy credit. While reading this book, I all of a sudden realized I was encountering things in my everyday life that showed this narcissism in action. A neighborhood ten year old boy who not only has Facebook with 150 friends
More...
Jun 06, 2011
Travis
rated it:
The Narcissism epidemic is about exactly what the title suggests how we as a nation have grown and raised our children to become narcissist. This is the second book about psychology problems vie read and I really enjoyed this one because of how easy it was to read they made it so an average person would be able to read, understand, and enjoy this book. There are parts in the book that do seem quite repetitive but that is understandable because they are trying to show how the different things rel
More...
Nov 10, 2009
Michael
rated it:
According to the authors, the exponential rise of narcissism within the US is yet one more shitty thing that’s origin, according to everything I’ve read lately, can be roughly traced to when I was four. That is, if you’re my age and especially attentive, then between day one and day 2,184 you should have noticed the beginning of the US dollar’s 75% relative devaluation, day one of our dysfunctional healthcare system, the end of “real” baseball, the last time income for the lower 90% actually ros
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 11, 2011
Lize
rated it:
Until the very last chapter, which provided some rather useful guidelines for keeping narcissism away from your life, what I liked best about this book was that I had borrowed it from the library.
It starts out innocently enough, as the authors discuss what they perceive as the growing narcissism in American culture, which they believe has become an ‘epidemic’ and they talk about the characteristics of narcissists, especially the malignant, ruin-your-life ones featured in psychology More...
It starts out innocently enough, as the authors discuss what they perceive as the growing narcissism in American culture, which they believe has become an ‘epidemic’ and they talk about the characteristics of narcissists, especially the malignant, ruin-your-life ones featured in psychology More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 14, 2010
Hollowspine
rated it:
A very interesting, and I believe truthful and well researched book. This makes it all the more frightening. Reading this really opened my eyes, not only to the narcissistic culture that America has become, but also to how the culture has effected my own views. Although, I was able to smile smugly at the many children with strangely spelled names that come to the library where I work and shake my head at the children who take for granted all the free stuff given out by the library, I also was
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 11, 2010
Mrs_M
rated it:
This might possibly the best book I have ever read. If I were an instructor of any class even remotely sociological, I would make this an assigned read. Honestly, for anyone who is living in this day and age which includes everyone in goodreads and the world, should read this book. I have never seen so much truth between any pages of any publication.
Things that have become commonplace in our culture are screaming narcissism.
This book covers social ills such as unnece More...
Things that have become commonplace in our culture are screaming narcissism.
This book covers social ills such as unnece More...
May 14, 2009
Tierney
rated it:
Focusing on everything from reality TV to the current financial crisis, the authors of this book make the convincing claim that our culture has become highly narcissistic on both an individual and societal level. They explore the roots of this change, the results, and attempt to predict the consequences for America and the world if we continue down this path. The authors balance a great deal of scientifically-conducted psychological and sociological research with entertaining anecdotes and a dow
More...
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 06, 2009
Monica
rated it:
The thing about clueless people is that they are clueless and go merrily along. Much the same can be said for narcissists. As the authors of the book say, you can tell them that narcissism is not healthy but they'll just say you're wrong. Even so, this is a topic worth exploring with them. There's something in this book that is bound to upset someone, but I found it very enlightening. The authors previously wrote a book on a generation of narcissists, so this one focuses on how American culture
More...
Oct 05, 2010
Stacy
rated it:
Wow. It is a little difficult for me to determine my reaction to this book. On one hand, I found it to be a bit too alarmist for my taste. I tend to be wary of the many folks who shout about the eminent downfall of our society at the hands of whatever particular vice they have decided to rally against. This book definitely had that air about it. I found some of their examples to be too anecdotal and some of their best points were overused. I was also a bit disturbed when they cited some fairly o
More...
Jun 07, 2010
Anne
rated it:
This is a fascinating book, and challenges assumptions about the importance of self-esteem, especially as it relates to society.
The authors use research into narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder to show how narcissistic tendencies are changing the culture of the United States, and not in pretty ways. From the emphasis on looking good through plastic surgery, the self centered celebrity culture (such as on reality tv and other celebrity focused programming), to helicopter More...
The authors use research into narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder to show how narcissistic tendencies are changing the culture of the United States, and not in pretty ways. From the emphasis on looking good through plastic surgery, the self centered celebrity culture (such as on reality tv and other celebrity focused programming), to helicopter More...
Jun 15, 2009
Rachael
rated it:
In a suprisingly funny book, the authors link the rise of the self-esteem movement (parents and schools telling their children how "special" they are and giving everyone -- not just winners -- a trophy or a good grade just for participating in sports or academics; school [and Sunday School:] curriculum that involves children singing songs about how special they are and spending time looking in mirrors to see how unique they are) to a rampant epidemic of narcissism in our culture. They
More...
Oct 28, 2009
Rebecca
rated it:
Narcissus fell in love with the reflection of his own images so much that he fell into a pool of water and to his own death. The rest of us are merely falling into a pool of debt. Twenge & Campbell exlpore the culture of narcissism spreading across America that is causing millions emotional and financial destruction. This is more than a mere examination of consumerism or materialism, however; the authors dig deep into the causes of narcissism, from the way we parent our children to the ongoing s
More...
Nov 16, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
This was a good book. There were very few points I disagreed with. I think it lacks in providing advice as to how to keep young children from following the path to narcissism but the authors are very direct about what aspects of society are damaging to young minds and how it impacts the world.
3 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 12, 2010
Patricia
rated it:
Deep down, I knew Facebook, Heidi Montag, and Hummers were the work of the devil, but could never back my theory up. That's exactly what Twenge and associates do in this book about the "narcissism epidemic" that's infiltrating our society. It sounds awful, I know, but this book is so readable and relevant that it's a breeze to go through and you'll find yourself diagnosing your friends and coworkers in no time. The writers relate a slew of societal woes to the epidemic--- some very obv
More...
Dec 03, 2011
Stacy
rated it:
Great examples, dry wit, very interesting through-out.
Examples mentioned in the book:
The teen who thought the street by a hospital should be blocked for her sweet 16 parade.
A bridesmaid whose bride who wanted her bridesmaids to get breast augmentation surgeries before the ceremony; the bride even provided a doctor who would give them a group rate.
An educational model known as "unschooling" where the kids decide what they want to learn.
More...
Examples mentioned in the book:
The teen who thought the street by a hospital should be blocked for her sweet 16 parade.
A bridesmaid whose bride who wanted her bridesmaids to get breast augmentation surgeries before the ceremony; the bride even provided a doctor who would give them a group rate.
An educational model known as "unschooling" where the kids decide what they want to learn.
More...
