Book Description
A piercing and vital look at how capitalism is consuming U.S. society.
An apt sequel to Benjamin R. Barber's best-selling Jihad vs. McWorld, Consumed 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.
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.
Customer Reviews:
Hard read but.......2007-09-24
Benjamin R. Barber's "Consumed" is a hard book to read but a necessary one. Barber tells us how capitalism once met the "needs" of people and that it now just meets what he calls "faux" demand. It's the rise of the protestant ethics and ethos that has made capitalism thrive until today. The rise of infantilization and the dumbing of consumers has given corporations the power to control our so called "wants." Barber doesn't give us a solid solution to this (even he admits it will take a big effort) growing problem but it is a start.
How a book infantilizes adults and swallows citizens whole.......2007-09-03
It seems like there is an endless market for "Marx-lite" books by people who hate America and the West. Here is another example without a new idea in sight. Famous authors, such as Marx, Sombart, and Gaibraith, have previously rebottled this old wine. Like them, Barber hates our movies, our culture, our food, our sports, our consumer products, our free markets, and, of course, the likes of Wall Street, Silicon Valley, Gates, Gilder, Wal-Mart, GM, Google, and on and on. It is depressing just going through all the parts of America he feels are misdirected and even immoral. Is this really a person who loves America?
Where are the positive examples and why this perspective? Because, as the Nobel Prize winning economist Hayek has pointed out, for socialists, "Every activity must derive its justification from conscious social purpose." Thus Barber must tear down all those activities that he feels have either no purpose or the wrong social purpose. This quote by Hayek is a succinct summary of the motivation behind the book. Toward this end, Barber quotes many attention-grabbing sources. For example, on page 51 he asks us to consider, "Karl Marx who presciently explained how `the expansion of production and of needs becomes an ingenious and always calculating subservience to inhuman, depraved, unnatural, and imaginary appetites.'" A question: Does that really describe you or your friends?
Like most socialists, he has no respect for the individual: We are all at the mercy of those terrible companies who want to sucker us into buying things we don't want or need. Hey, but Barber will be happy to decide what we need. He knows the truth -- ask him. But why is he or some other group better qualified to decide what we need?
Barber has no understanding of free markets, the emerging global economy, or even the mom and pop shop on the corner. Like many academics, who have never produced anything but papers and books, he writes with absolute confidence and with noteworthy ignorance, not because he is unintelligent but rather because his starting perspective is wrong.
This is a long tedious book: Barber seems to crank this stuff out by the ton. As he would say, this book is an immoral waste of resources that we as consumers should reject because it has no larger social value. The only thing it has going for it is a mighty ad campaign aimed at corrupting children, infantilizing adults, and swallowing citizens whole. But, then again, each of us will have to decide that.
Right on the mark..........2007-08-16
I see a number of other reviewers belittling the book because of some trivial factual error regarding sports figures or celebrities, but in my eyes those points merely underscores the point that Barber is trying to make. In the end the constant media focus on these types of people is in my eyes a mass distraction. Does it change my life one iota when a drunken celebrity does something stupid? Not at all, but the media covers it for hour on end, and people lap it up.
People defend popular culture such as Harry Potter or Shrek, but these are all pure escapism and have very little relevance to our daily lives. Reviewers of those films make tortured comparisons to try and prove relevance to daily life, but the sad fact is that many people have become conditioned to not expect more, and perhaps not even have the patience to view a more substantive work.
Other reviewers insist that they aren't manipulated and that they have free choice. To an extent that is true, but one can easily argue that many people are making poor choices because they have been so deeply conditioned by advertisers. How can you justify spending 50K$ on a car, and replacing it when it is 3 years old when an inexpensive well-made car will fulfill the basic needs of transportation and may last 5-8 years instead? How can you justify spending money on bottled water when tap water in most areas is just fine? And how can you justify accumulating tens of thousands in consumer debt just to acquire all of this stuff? There are countless such examples all over the place.
And finally, there is the paradigm that runs deeply through our society that having more money and having more material goods will somehow make you happier. The problem is that these desires can never be satisfied - there is always something more, and there is always someone else who has more. In the end all of this materialism leaves people feeling empty, and the only tonic that they know to try and fill the void is to go out and shop some more.
On the other hand, if you can reach a point where you are content with what you have, you may find that many of the things that you do have are completely superfluous and can be donated to Goodwill or sold. Get rid of enough stuff, and that McMansion will seem empty, and a more modest and affordable house may meet your needs quite nicely.
Best Book I've Read in 5 Years.......2007-07-11
This is the best book I've read in 5 years. And I usually read 30 or so a year. It is the most challenging thing I've ever read. Throughout almost every sitting with the book, I would have to walk away and just sit to let it soak in. It was extremely cutting and exposing to me. And I dare say convicting. It's helped me to realize what a hyper-consumer I am and how childish I am in my tastes and entertainment. Even how childish I am in my spending. I never thought there would be a day when I felt like I needed to grow up and be a man, but this book helped me to entertain the possibility. The basic idea of the book focuses on the infantilization (dumbing down) of our society via the means of marketing and advertising. And the hyper-consumerism capitalism that we live with today. I couldn't recommend this book more highly. But I will give one disclaimer. It's 300+ pages of really small type. What makes it worse is that the author writes it like an academic paper. For example the first chapter which is only 35 pages long has 98 footnotes. It's just a really difficult read where reading 20 pages takes you an hour. So you'll either love the book or hate it. If you're a nerd, you might dig it. If you're not a nerd, you won't.
Try something else........2007-06-19
I confess, I didn't read the whole book. A friend gave it to me, and I parked it on the shelf after reading half and skimming the rest. Jeez-Louise! I'd hate to spend a week on an expedition cruise with this guy! He'd be the first one trying to feed the animals and then monopolizing the talk at dinner till everyone wanted to jump overboard. I didn't realize corporate America had captured everyone's free-will. The evil Bill Gates and Steve Jobs must be supressed along with Rupert Murdoch and the Walton family! I suggest reading Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville. He still rings true today. You'll sleep better at night. You want an entertaining picture of rampant consumption in America today, seen through the lens of 1840's when the all-corrupting market swallowed the entire continent of North America...and yes, is still swallowing it...There's a lot to eat out there, bunky! Read Heyday by Kurt Andersen. We may not be perfect but there must be some attraction if 12 million people will risk life and limb to get here one way or another. Mr. Barber and his book would probably be better fare in Venezuala or Cuba.
Book Description
With a strong empirical and market segmentation approach, this book focuses on how the Internet has changed the way people obtain information about potential purchases, giving readers the most up-to-date material on how technology is changing their lives as consumers. The Thirty-two mini-cases help readers learn by applying the theory, drawing on current business news to demonstrate specific consumer behavior concepts.
This edition now includes thirty-two Active Learning mini-cases. A clear consumer decision making model is set out in each chapter to facilitate learning—presented in the first chapter, this model serves as a structural framework for the concepts—the building blocks—examined in the following chapters. The book's final chapter ties all of these concepts together so readers see the interrelationships and relevance of individual concepts to consumer decision-making.
For those studying consumer behavior and/or marketing.
Amazon.com
If getting and spending define our lives, then Juliet Schor now has us covered. Six years ago, her book The Overworked American scrutinized the getting part. It focused public attention on the disappearance of leisure and the harmful effects thereof on families and society. It sparked a debate over whether Americans really work as much as we proudly claim. (If so, how to explain the audience for Monday Night Football?) Nevertheless, Schor can take credit for helping push Congress into passing the Family Leave Act in 1993.
Now she is back with a critique of our spending. Schor notes that, despite rising wealth and incomes, Americans do not feel any better off. In fact, we tell pollsters we do not have enough money to buy everything we need. And we are almost as likely to say so if we make $85,000 a year as we are if we make $35,000. Schor believes that "keeping up with the Joneses" is no longer enough for today's media-savvy office workers. We set our sights on the lifestyles of those higher up the organizational chart. We seek to emulate characters on TV. For teenagers, "enough" is the idle splendor that hardly exists outside of what MTV un-ironically calls The Real World. Schor offers an original and provocative analysis of why many Americans feel driven and unhappy despite our success. As an alternative, she profiles several "downshifters" who've taken up voluntary simplicity in search of a more satisfying way of life. No policy solutions suggest themselves this time, only a change of heart. --Barry Mitzman
Book Description
The Overspent American explores why so many of us feel materially dissatisfied, why we work staggeringly long hours and yet walk around with ever-present mental "wish lists" of things to buy or get, and why Americans save less than virtually anyone in the world. Unlike many experts, Harvard economist Juliet B. Schor does not blame consumers' lack of self-discipline. Nor does she blame advertisers. Instead she analyzes the crisis of the American consumer in a culture where spending has become the ultimate social art.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent analysis of contemporary American.......2007-08-16
The title says it all, doesn't it. We want, want, want, and spend, spend, spend. When I worked in corrections, I often said to the inmates (who lusted after fancy cars, expensive sneakers, and gold jewelry): "We want things we don't need and can't afford, and it gets us into big trouble." This book explains why we are captivated by the spirit of more is more is more.
Interesting book, with a few flaws........2007-05-15
This is a very well researched book and has many interesting ideas on how to spend less and worry less about things we don't really "need" but really "want." My only concerns were in the section about "downshifters" - people who work less and make less, but are happier. The book notes that most people who "downshift" were only making $30,000 a year or so to start with - not a lot of room to maneuver downward. I was interested more in those who made much more but kept spending more, which she also alludes to. Still, a very interesting book, with some intriguing ideas about how to control expenditures.
Good book . . . but it left me hungry.......2006-12-17
I thought this was a very good book, but I guess I was expecting more from the author. Having just read Fast Food Nation and then getting this book right after, the layout and format was similar but what Eric Schlosser did, fell very short in Juliet B. Schor's book.
I wanted so much more but as each chapter came to an end, I felt very let down. I wanted to point my finger at the big corporations and say "see what you did" but I found myself finding fault more with the author than the corporations. I really wanted to read a well researched book on this topic so now I find myself reading the books she cited.
They were a few good parts of the book where the author made reference to the sitcom Friends and how we as americans making $40,000 to $ 60,000 a year are trying to keep up with the Jonese making 1 million per episode. Also that the Jonese are no longer our next door neighbors but with the expanse of the internet and TV our Jones are actors, singers and record producers. I found this to be so true and wanted more, but time and time again her argument ended right there.
It was here that the author's solution would then be picked up, and what is her solution you may ask? (scratching your head) communal living. I found this advantageous because I acutally expected the author to skirt the issue. Juliet B. Schor's example, why have every house buy a lawn mower when one house can and the neighborhood could share it. I found so many arguments to refute this (I live in New York, was one) that I felt the book did not give the topic the right amount of justice. So I'm still searching . . .
The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need.......2006-11-15
Outstanding, the book is very well written and documented. Juliet B. Schor gives very cogent anecdotes in the book concerning consumerism. As a matter of fact, being in the process of "upgrading" the appliances in the house for no apparent reason, the book totally redirected my excesses.
A must read for every hedonist, capitalistic American.
Explores the psychology of spending.......2006-07-03
To change behavior, it helps to understand behavior. This book does a great job exploring the psychology behind why people spend so much money.
Some of the topics it covers include
-the strange need to keep up with "the Joneses"
-how some material goods force you to spend more to maintain and upkeep them (i.e., auto, large house)
-how kids are influenced by peers and advertisements at an early age and subsequently pressure parents to buy stuff
-how certain professions lead you to spend more on clothes and cars in order to succeed in that profession
-the correlation between increased television watching and increased spending
-the willingness of people to spend significantly more for certain brand name items (purses, lipsticks, shoes) that provide no more quality than generic items
The book also gives solid advice about how to break the overspending habit and provides interesting examples of people who have "downshifted" their lives.
Once you understand the etiologies of your thoughts and desires, you are better able to control and redirect them. For anyone who wants to decrease or have more control over their spending behavior, this is a great book for them. Even if you consider yourself frugal already, this is still a very interesting book.
It is very concise at 170 pages (the rest is references) so it doesn't get boring or repetitive. I think it is more effective than the similar book Affluenza.
Amazon.com
In their eye-opening, soul-prodding look at the excess of American society, the authors of Affluenza 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.
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.
Many books make you think the author has crammed everything he or she knows into it. The feeling you get reading Affluenza 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. Affluenza is, in fact, a clarion call for those interested in being part of the solution. --S. Ketchum
Book Description
Based on two highly acclaimed PBS documentaries watched by 10 million viewers, "Affluenza uses the whimsical metaphor of a disease to tackle a very serious subject: the damage done -- to our health, our families, our communities, and our environment -- by the obsessive quest for material gain. In cleverly titled chapters like "Swollen Expectations" and "A Rash of Bankruptcies," the authors examine the origins, evolution, and symptoms of the affluenza epidemic. Yet they also explore cures and suggest strategies for rebuilding families and communities and for restoring and respecting the earth.
Demonstrating that now, more than ever, Americans need ways of fighting the affliction, this edition includes a new introduction and updated figures, adds information on the impacts of stress and overwork, and provides an in-depth look at various campaigns and movements offering solutions for today's problems. Engaging, fast-paced, and accessible, it reexamines a serious, far-reaching issue for a wide audience.
Customer Reviews:
Book a of TV show - and it shows.......2007-10-01
I believe strongly in the message that this book is trying to get accross; that our current way of living in the Western world is unsustainable in the long term and it doesn't make us happy anyway. However, much like a TV show this book lacks depth and detail in it's arguments and tries to cover too much ground with too few words. AS the book progresses it feels less like new information and more like a cut and paste job from a whole range of sources, held together with some interesting graphics. On the upside, the book is set out well and it follows a logical order, building on firstly the problems and causes of Affluenza and then suggesting solutions, none of which would mean the end of life as we know it. The world, and more importantly your life, can be better and happier - just stop working so hard and consume less. Thats the general theme of the book.
As a better read, may I suggest 'Affluenza' by Clive Hamilton, which covers a lot of the same ground, but does so with a more cogent argument, albeit with an Australian slant.
Alternatively, watch the TV show.
Misses the mark but an important topic regardless..(2.5 stars).......2007-06-05
Affluenza has its heart in the right place but unfortunately fails in the execution, which is a shame since the message of the book is dead on. Western society has a serious problem with mass consumption brought on by media, politics and societal institutions. Studies have shown that people who simplify their lives and consume less, are actually happier in the long run.
The bulk of Affluenza sums up the issues from various different angles. It delves into the history of consumerism and how interest groups have their hold on the current system. As the book progresses it hints as various solutions to the problems which are pretty much of the buy less, drive less and eat less meat variety.
My problem with Affluenza is twofold. The book is poorly written and I'm referring mostly to the pacing. It will bring up a topic and quickly start describing a fictional family in some hokey situation to try to bring the point home. This gets old before it even begins and just doesn't work. The authors focus too long on most points and the I quickly started scanning through complete chapters that really offered little insight that logical people haven't already concluded.
This brings me to my next point....who is this book meant for? It's very preaching when it should be engaging. The people I know who would be interested in this book would find it too pedestrian because of their high knowledge content of the topic already. The people who should read this probably wouldn't be able to get through a third of it. This brings up the more important question of how to reach the general public on important issues that require people to sacrifice.
Bottom Line: Credits to the authors for the purpose, research and effort, but there is a very selective few I would give this book to.
I wanted it to be better..........2007-05-28
I love the concept of this book, and think it sheds light on a very important epidemic in our society. However, I have to agree with other reviewers that while the idea of Affluenza might have been revolutionary when the show was first aired, in 2007 the book just tells you a lot of stuff that - if you're tuned into the world - you probably already know.
Despite the fact that there isn't anything really groundbreaking in this book, I think it provides a lot of insights into a serious American problem (that we're exporting all over the world), and is a nice, easy read.
American Dream or Global Nightmare.......2007-02-03
"Affluenza" takes on the idea of materialism and survival, although by the time I had reached page fifteen, I wasn't sure it was having the desired effect. A visit to the Mall of America still sounded pretty good although traveling that far to shop seems less appealing in the days of "order it online" instant gratification. In the world of clutter clogged houses, shopping is often used as therapy which in the end can make us feel worse with looming credit card debts.
What does no recess for second graders, depression, bankruptcy and perhaps even suicide have in common? The authors present every possible societal problem for consideration. Is Affluenza the symptom or the problem? The authors would like us to believe that materialism is the disease and spending less money is the cure.
My thought on the matter (after taking the quiz and only having a score of 17 - I'm not yet afflicted even with a serious LUSH beauty product addiction looming :), is...this...Affluenza is a symptom of a society that has forgotten its soul. The book does briefly discuss gaining the world and losing your soul, but I've always thought this to be more of an eternal principle.
Will this book raise your blood pressure? It might in places where you read about the real reason whales seem to be washing up on beaches, why butterflies are dying from genetic engineering and how it could one day become possible to advertise on the moon (please no).
While the book presents problems for society to solve in very creative ways, they leave most of the solutions to the reader. However, if you think about it that is really where the responsibility rests in the end. Most of us realize money doesn't make you as happy as being in love or even as happy as having a life purpose you really believe in. In the end, I don't think having money to spend is the problem, buying gifts for friends and family, is not the problem.
If the way you live your life makes you and others around you unhappy, that might be a problem to consider. Then, on a more global scale, you can consider how your choices affect the world. If you really want
to change the world, I think sponsoring children all over the world is one step in the right direction. The way you spend your money could actually make you happy, I've found this to be true.
"Affluenza" is printed on recycled paper.
~The Rebecca Review
History, facts and insights are pointed and revealing messages addressing the modern condition........2007-01-07
The second edition of AFFLUENZA: THE ALL-CONSUMING EPIDEMIC will reach new audiences who might have missed one of the best nonfiction title nominees of 2001, providing updated details and healthy alternatives to the consumer oriented 'epidemic' of modern times. From shopaholics and bankruptcies to those seeking meaning in material goods, AFFLUENZA details the process of recovery from physical and cultural clutter, and offers both personal and political remedies for the problem. History, facts and insights are pointed and revealing messages addressing the modern condition.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Book Description
`This book is not simply the best book on the remarkable phenomenon of today's ethical consumer. It is a gift of advice and insight, from the people that know best, to the cause of tomorrow. Many of the writers deserve the plaudits of being pioneers of a new consumer movement. These are the issues of our time' -
Ed Mayo, Chief Executive of the UK's National Consumer Council (NCC)
Who are ethical consumers and why are they on the rise? Leading the way towards answering this question,
The Ethical Consumer is an indispensable introduction to the subject. Exploring areas like boycotts and fair trade projects, it gathers together the diverse experiences of scholars, campaigners and business practitioners from the international community.
The chapters in this book explore:
- ethical consumer behaviours, motivation and narratives
- the social, political and theoretical contexts in which ethical consumers operate
- the responsibilities of businesses and the effectiveness of ethical consumer actions
Contributions are informed by a broad range of research methods, from case studies, focus groups to surveys and interviews.
The text is of interest to business related graduates, undergraduates and their tutors on courses relating to consumption. It will also be relevant to academics in other disciplines, as well as to politicians, producers, practitioners, campaigners and not least consumers.
Amazon.com
Parents will be tempted to read Born to Buy as a kind of contemporary horror story, with ever more sophisticated marketing wunderkinds as Dr. Frankensteins and their children as the relentless monsters they create. Indeed, it's difficult to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the avariciousness, omnipotence, and ingenuity of the advertising industry Juliet B. Schor portrays when it comes to transforming preschool kids into voracious, 'tude-infused consumers. Intermixing research data with anecdotal illustrations, Schor chronicles the rapid development of a once-shackled industry that now markets R-rated movies to 9-year-olds. The mind boggles at the notion that Seventeen magazine's target readership is now pre-teens. While Schor unearths a surplus of information on the effectiveness of advertising, she's not nearly as adept at proposing effective responses. Reacting to the power and creativity of the consumer culture with politically unfeasible regulation and parental diligence is a little like attacking Frankenstein's creature with torches. Still, Born to Buy is an eye-opening account of an industry that is commercializing childhood with remarkable effectiveness and insouciance. --Steven Stolder
Book Description
Marketing targeted at kids is virtually everywhere -- in classrooms and textbooks, on the Internet, even at Girl Scout meetings, slumber parties, and the playground. Product placement and other innovations have introduced more subtle advertising to movies and television. Drawing on her own survey research and unprecedented access to the advertising industry, Juliet B. Schor, New York Times bestselling author of The Overworked American, examines how marketing efforts of vast size, scope, and effectiveness have created "commercialized children." Ads and their messages about sex, drugs, and food affect not just what children want to buy, but who they think they are. In this groundbreaking and crucial book, Schor looks at the consequences of the commercialization of childhood and provides guidelines for parents and teachers. What is at stake is the emotional and social well-being of our children.
Like Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed, Mary Pipher's Reviving Ophelia, and Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, Born to Buy is a major contribution to our understanding of a contemporary trend and its effects on the culture.
Customer Reviews:
Very interesting.......2007-06-22
As a new parent this book opened by eyes to a lot of things I would never have recognized as "marketing" and would not have occurred to me how potentially harmful this culture is the psyche of a child. The data gets a little cumbersome at times, and I skimmed over some of the detail so that I didn't get bogged down in it, but lots of great information along the way.
Great analysis of a creepy industry.......2007-06-08
Advertising is creepy, advertising to children even creepier. This is not news. But a detailed study of the overall effects is. The bulk of this book presents the results of in-depth study of the industry, both through statistical study of two sample groups of children, and through study of the work environments of the advertisers themselves, with interviews of marketers, parents, teachers, and kids. The author takes into account the history of moral panics, the party line of the industry that "kids are savvy," and the specific work that has been done around small aspects of this issue, such as fast food and violent video games (which I love). The author takes an unusually balanced, non-partisan view, sympathizing with the easily-vilified advertisers she worked closely with as well as kids and parents. Her policy recommendations are unlikely to be implemented, but her analysis of the issue is extremely sharp.
What Every Parent Needs to Know.......2007-04-02
This is a book every parent (and teacher like myself)must read. It cuts to the heart of the exploitation of children that is tearing kids away from parents, family and culture. There is no way to protect children from the devious assault of advertising (you may be shocked at the tactics!) unless we are armed with the facts, and this book tells it like it is.
Solid argument against the commercially constructed childhood.......2006-04-23
There's not doubt that corporations, advertisers and marketers do not have your child's best interest at heart. Schor provides a comprehensive account of the what, why and how marketers are targeting your children.
Reading "Born to Buy" will make you want to throw out the TV, disconnect from the Internet, run to the country and home-school your children. Simply put, there's no way to avoid marketing techniques, and your child will succumb to the corporate-commercially constructed childhood. With all the doom and gloom in this book, Schor offers little hope of avoidance...in the end, she does provide a few solutions.
All in all, "Born to Buy" was very informative and an easy, entertaining read. However, some of Schor's original research and statistics caused me to get bogged down. I wasn't looking for scholarly research and did not need to see these statistics. Additionally, Schor seemed to use this book as a chance to take shots at the Bush administration. Although I'm not a fan of this administration and some of the criticism is valid, I do not think Bush started this problem...he's just done nothing to fix it.
All in all, this is well worth the read, especially if you have small children...just skip over the stats near the end, and forgive Schor's attempts at making this political.
If You Have a Child, Read This Book Immediately.......2006-01-04
Simply put . . . if you're not left in shock within the first 50 pages, you haven't been reading. Ms. Schor's account of our nation's perverse youth-directed advertising, market research and media practices is a profound eye-opener. You will be appalled at what our children are being subjected to - not to mention the hyper-sophisticated marketing strategies & manipulations that take place behind-the-scenes, to ensure our children's psychological captivity.
The only deficit to Ms. Schor's work are the, at times, specious and/or factually incorrect claims about macro and micro-level behavior of America's youth. She can be rather quick to jump to conclusions that serve her arguments' ends, while glossing-over counterpoints to highly debatable issues. Case-in-point -- she cites the youth increase is ADD/ADHD diagnoses as "mounting" "evidence of distress among children", while completely sidestepping the highly complex etiology behind the increase in those diagnoses.
She also appears to be somewhat out-of-touch with contemporary culture, to the point that she makes statements like (as appears on page 141), "He's supposed to do his homework, but he has lied and said he doesn't have any so he can spend his time playing a new Gameboy." A statement like that reads like someone saying referring to a car as a "motor carriage"; she more likely meant "...playing a new Gameboy game.", as effectively no child would ever receive a new Gameboy handheld console with enough frequency to refer to their current one as "new". Perhaps I'm being hypercritical, but, if someone is indicting elements of pop culture, I'd prefer their terminology be accurate.
However, an intelligent reader should be able to sift through the missteps and inconsistencies, as the vast majority of the book's content & assertions are reputable, well-researched and well-articulated.
This is A TRUE MUST-READ for all parents, as well as anyone concerned about the impact of media and advertising on their own life.
Average customer rating:
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Fashion Forecasting
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Textiles and Apparel in the Global Economy (3rd Edition)
ASIN: 013081122X |
Customer Reviews:
Great Transaction!.......2005-09-17
the book was in good condition and shipped quickly! thanks for a great experiance!
Book Description
The essential follow-up to the BusinessWeek bestseller Trading Up
A BMW in a Costco parking lot?
A working class family with a 50 inch plasma TV?
A 27-year-old Japanese administrative assistant with a collection of Coach purses?
An 87-year-old retiree in Ohio exclaiming the value of Aldi brand honey?
What's going on in the mind of the new consumer?
Today's consumers can seem impossible to understand, and even harder to please. For instance, the average mall shopper will spend her $100, then leave when she hits that limit. She'll probably buy shoes rather than clothing, because she doesn't want to think about her dress size. And the store most likely to get her money isn't the one with the nicest display or the deepest discounts... it's the one closest to her parking spot.
In his research with dozens of leading companies, Michael J. Silverstein has interviewed thousands of customers, extracting fascinating patterns about what really drives their purchase decisions. His first book, the acclaimed bestseller Trading Up, has taught a generation of marketers about the "new luxury" phenomenon, and why consumers will happily pay a steep premium for goods and services that are emotionally satisfying, from golf clubs to bathroom hardware to beauty products.
But Trading Up only revealed part of the story of the new consumer. The same middle class consumers who are happily trading up at Victoria's Secret and Panera are going on treasure hunts at Costco and Home Depot. And they are often getting as much emotional satisfaction in the discount stores as in the luxury stores. Silverstein's new book explains how the new consumer approaches bargain hunting, and how even the most mundane shopping - for things like paper towels and pet food -- have become an adventure rather than a tedious chore.
It turns out that, in just about every consumer category, both the high end and the low end are growing and innovation rich. Many middle class consumers gladly spend $5.00 a day for a vente Starbucks latte; others spend 40 cents a day on home brewed coffee, feel good about their frugality, and save up the difference to buy Apple's newest Nano. Treasure Hunt explains the success of companies as diverse as Dollar General, LG, H. E. Butt, Ebay, Commerce Bank, and Tchibo.
Beware: in our bifurcated global market, businesses need a clear strategy for aiming high or low, while staying away from the treacherous middle, where so many have recently stumbled. If your offering isn't exciting enough to inspire trading up, but not enough of a bargain to satisfy the treasure hunters, you'll have no emotional connection with your target audience. And, like General Motors or Sears in recent years, your tried-and-true marketing strategies will go into a severe stall.
Treasure Hunt takes us into the homes of real people making real decisions, and into the CEO's offices of innovative companies finding new ways to accommodate them. Written with the same flair, empathy, and intelligence that made Trading Up an instant business classic, this book is an essential guide to the moods and habits of the constantly changing consumer.
Customer Reviews:
Why we scrimp then spluge.......2007-06-27
The BMW in the Costco parking lot is the operative metaphor of "Treasure Hunt: Inside the Mind of the New Consumer." Silverstein describes the flip side of "trading up" -- the trend in the luxury sector that was the subject of his best-selling first book of the same name. Consumers are buying more pricey goods, he writes, but they are also "trading down" -- treasure hunting -- for bulk goods and items that do not have high emotional value.
The phenomenon creates huge opportunities for companies that figure out how to meet customers at the bottom or the top of the price continuum, and disaster for those stuck in the middle. Silverstein profiles the market, introduces us to consumers that exemplify a variety of buying behaviors, then shows us companies that have figured out how to adapt and win.
Laden with numbers, charts and examples, "Treasure Hunt" could be the treasure map for businesses seeking to understand better how their customers think and what they want. But it's almost more interesting to read it for the glimpses it gives of your own spending habits.
Emotional Drive of the Buyer.......2007-02-22
One of the best book I have read in the last years. Meets the consumer new trends, and gives a good inspiration to make a big transformation in sales, marketing and R&D.
Profitable look at the consumer's quest for bargains.......2007-02-17
Consumer behavior - especially in malls and restaurants - is made up of a complex matrix of facts, opinions and projections. Amid that maze, Michael J. Silverstein and John Butman deliver an interesting, in-depth guide to consumption. The authors clearly define and illustrate the sport of "treasure hunting," and then apply that term to an analysis of shoppers' activities in a variety of industries, stores and markets. Shoppers who read this will understand how and why they fill up their carts; businesses will understand why shoppers select certain stores and online portals. The book's greatest strengths are the profiles of actual consumers in the U.S. and abroad. The personal stories are fascinating, if sometimes repetitive. We highly recommend this book to consumers, retail executives and restaurant managers. It's a must-read for all.
A failed sequel.........2007-01-10
"Trading Up: Why Consumers Want New Luxury Goods" of 2004 was a very good (and very successful) book. Mr Silverstein had to come up with a sequel.
"Treasure Hunt" is the result, and its purpose is to address quite the opposite phenomenon; it could have been titled "Trading Down".
I think that most of the book's "stories" (or "case studies" if one wants a loftier description) are too loquacious and they very rarely make the author's point.
This book is, as most sequels, a let-down.
Needs an Editor, and Maybe the Editor Would Take a Pass.......2007-01-03
Over the last couple of years, I've read a number of Harvard MBA-type books on marketing and strategy, and I have to say this was the least useful, by far. Generally, I read and tip the pages that require followup in my own work--inject that sensibility into a marketing piece; develop a new piece that addresses x; develop an ongoing relationship with y consituency; etc.
I loved Trading Up and found it profoundly useful in my business. Likewise Blue Ocean Strategy. Others do great work emphasizing the key role women are playing in today's economy. Lots of tipped pages; lots of followup; lots of big benefits.
This book has its breakthrough point, which I appreciate. I shop at Costco and resale shops but don't need to, and my behavior is patterned on that of my mother. I splurge or trade up with my savings. And, as the book points out, this behavior is extremely prevalent among the upper income band. It's a lifestyle, not a poverty avoidance strategy--that's the point.
But jeez, Silverstein thanks literally 100 people at the end of the book (yes I read every page), and it reads like it. The cases don't link up with the text. Vaguely interesting stuff (e.g. material apparently trying to make the point that these trends are visible in Europe--a marketing ploy to sell books overseas?) are dropped into Chapter 2 and then fade away. You meet people; you meet companies. Some stories hang together and seem to have a purpose and some don't. And then you read the same sentence twice within a couple paragraphs. Earth to Butman--"their inner spirits first and their outer beauty second."
I sense that BCG decided they had a bunch of goodwill with a limited shelf life out there from the first book. "Let's pull a bunch of staffers together, crank for a couple of weeks, and see what we come up with."
My advice: Go to the library, take 8 minutes to read the cogent first chapter, and then "trade up" with the financial and time savings by buying five friends great lattes at the closest Peets.
--Kennedy School Grad with No Tipped Pages Tonight
Book Description
"The bargain hunter's bible." --Modern Maturity
The newest edition of this proven bestseller, which has sold more than 850,000 copies, is completely revised and updated with even more information about trips, discounts, clubs, programs, and special perks for anyone over 50. Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're Over 50 includes amazing bargains on:
- Airfares and hotels
- Car rentals and public transportation
- Vacations designed for grandparents and grandkids
- Adventure destinations
- Bike trips and walking tours
- Golf, tennis, and other sports
- Free or discounted educational opportunities
- And much more!
In addition, you are offered an overview of organizations for those over 50, an especially useful feature for baby boomers who are just turning 50 and looking for action and excitement. The market is growing exponentially every year, and it's getting more and more active. This edition is ideal for those with a penchant for travel, exercise, fun, and big savings.
Customer Reviews:
Save Yourself Alot of Money.......2006-06-11
Here's a great way to feel better about getting older. You can save alot of money with the tips in this book. Some you may already know about but there's bound to be many you haven't heard of before. I am a legal aid attorney and owner of an online medical supply and equipment business and would recommend this book to my clients and customers. Of course, with any book like this, information can quickly become outdated so calling first is a good idea.
Perfect for road trippers too!.......2005-12-11
If you are going on an extended road trip, this book is a "must have" on your list. Whether you are traveling by auto or RV, staying in campgrounds or motels, eating in or eating out, this book has something for you. It would make a great companion to the ultimate road trip planning book, "Live Your Road Trip Dream".
Unbelievable Good Deals and Great Adventures................2005-10-09
A nice compilation of deals available to all seniors, most already known if you have asked before buying or planning.
Good tips for the silver set.......2005-08-01
I'm planning a trip to London next year and learned some valuable tips even my well-traveled friends didn't know.
Great Deals For Those Who Have Reached The "Big Five O".......2005-01-11
No age group represents such an enormous market of potential consumers than those over the age of fifty.
According to author Joan Rather Heilman, author of Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're Over 50 (2005-2006),
more than a quarter of the population of the United States is over 50, and by the 2020 it is expected to reach one third.
It is little wonder why the business community actively courts this sector of the population that controls most of the wealth of the USA.
If you are one of the lucky ones who have reached the "big five O," hold onto your wallets before you fork out money for hotels, car rentals, tour packages, college courses, airfare, entrance admission to parks, restaurants, buses, trains, sports activities, and even shopping.
Heilman passes out all kinds of "goodies," as if we are children in a candy shop, with hundreds of tips as to how to stretch your vacation dollars.
Dividing the book into twenty chapters, the author presents excellent insights pertaining to various value-added possibilities. However, as stated by the author, it is essential that if you are over fifty, you must very often ask for these discounts. Most vendors and their representatives will not voluntarily offer them to you.
Most of the book is devoted to savings the over fifty crowd can enjoy from the travel industry. Realizing that this sector of the population is the most ardent travelers, it is only logical that the travel industry would offer all kinds of price reductions.
Heilman details the offerings of the various airlines with their names, phone numbers and web sites. Similarly, discounts pertaining to hotels, motels, car rental companies are listed.
Are you looking for some alternative lodging? Did you know that Del Webb Sun Cities, the largest builder of active communities offers a Vacation Getaway program, where you can enjoy low-cost, short vacation stays so that you can sample the lifestyle to see whether you would like to move in? Bear in mind, however, that in order to qualify one partner in a visiting couple must be over the age of 55.
In addition, the reader will discover all kinds of deals concerning trains, buses and boats pertaining to North America and elsewhere. Companies such as Amtrak, Via Rail in Canada, Greyhound Lines, train passes in Britain, France and other European countries offer some kind of a discounts, although requirements as to age may differ.
If you are a sport's enthusiast, Heilman presents a comprehensive rundown of assorted clubs, tours, associations, and other institutions that offer different vacation possibilities as skiing, cycling, walking, golfing, even softball, where special privileges and discounts are offered. Names, phone numbers, and website addresses are included.
In addition to being a nifty addition to one's library, this reader friendly book would make a great birthday gift for anyone celebrating his or her big five O.
Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures.com
Average customer rating:
|
Skills for Consumer Success (with CD-ROM)
Mary Queen Donnelly
Manufacturer: South-Western Educational Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0538438649 |
Book Description
Skills for Consumer Success provides the users with information about their roles in the marketplace and how to sharpen their consumer skills. The text presents the process of opening a checking account, renting an apartment, applying for credit, looking for a job, buying a car, and paying taxes. Students learn the activities necessary for financial management and independence as they work through the text.
Customer Reviews:
a.k.a. Skills for Life.......2007-05-13
As textbooks go, this one was amazing. Not only was it helpful for the online class, but also it was full of detailed explanations about everything from the basics of balancing a checkbook, to opening own's own retirement account, to basic stock market accounting. I found the examples helpful and the text itself enlightening. I highly recommend this book and am glad to have it in my library as a consumer reference.
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- Diffusion of Innovations, 5th Edition
- Elements of Dynamic Optimization
- Elements of Forecasting (with InfoTrac 1-Semester, Economic Applications Online Product, Data Sets Printed Access Card)
- Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture
- Essay On Devel Of Christian Doctrine: Theology (Notre Dame Series in the Great Books, No 4)
- Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying
- Foundations of Financial Management (The Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate)
- Foundations of International Macroeconomics
Books Index
Books Home
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