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Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (Bk Currents) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)
by John de Graaf , David Wann , Thomas H Naylor
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Life guide Money & values American way of living Life style |
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MSL Pointer Review:
A necessary book and a valuable introduction to some of the perils of our consumer driven way of living.
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Author: John de Graaf , David Wann , Thomas H Naylor
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 2nd ed. edition
Pub. in: September, 2005
ISBN: 1576753573
Pages: 288
Measurements: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA01300
Other information: ISBN-13: 978-1576753576
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- MSL Picks -
"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.
(From quoting Rebecca Johnson, USA)
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Amazon.com (MSL quote), USA
<2008-04-02 00:00>
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 |
Library Journal (MSL quote), USA
<2008-04-02 00:00>
De Graaf, producer of the PBS documentaries Affluenza (1996) and Escape from Affluenza (1998); David Wann, a former EPA staffer and expert on sustainable lifestyles; and Thomas H. Naylor, professor emeritus in economics at Duke, have assembled an updated and more in-depth look at the epidemic of overconsumption sweeping the United States and the rest of the world, based on de Graaf's documentaries. They define "affluenza" as "a painful, contagious, socially-transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more" and examine the spiraling cycle of overconsumption, spending, stress, and broken relationships caused by America's obsession with uncontrolled economic growth at any cost. This witty yet hard-hitting book provides evidence of the social problems caused by the American obsession with acquiring "stuff" and proposes solutions for living more sustainably. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Mark Bay, Indiana Univ.
Purdue Univ. Lib., Indianapolis
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. |
Booklist (MSL quote), USA
<2008-04-02 00:00>
"Affluenza" is more than a clever pun. De Graaf argues that overconsumption is a disease whose symptoms include overload, debt, anxiety, and waste, and he warns of its pathological impact on society and the environment. De Graaf produces documentaries for television. Much of the content in this book was part of a 1997 PBS special with the same title. That show attracted more than 10 million viewers, was widely rebroadcast throughout the world, and is available in video format. De Graaf followed up with a second television special, Escape from Affluenza. He admits that "television, even at its most informative, is still a superficial medium." Therefore, he recruited Thomas Naylor, an economist and author of Downsizing the USA (1997) and more than two dozen other books, and David Wann, author of Biologic: Designing with Nature to Protect the Environment (1994), to provide more depth and offer more examples, more evidence, and updated data. The three explore "affluenza's" symptoms in depth, look for causes, and recommend treatments and cures. David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved |
Fast Company (MSL quote), USA
<2008-04-02 00:00>
The authors have packed their book with stunning facts, searing insights- and they point a path forward.
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