Manyebook

Do Americans Shop Too Much?

Juliet Schor breaks a taboo by exposing Americans' shopping habits to moral society. Schor disapproves of unfettered private consumption, not only because we already use up so much, but also because overspending to bolster a sense of self does not lead to happiness. Along with her critique, Schor suggests intriguing ideas for making 'status' goods accessible for all — for example, imposing high taxes on expensive items to subsidize lines of affordable 'luxury' goods. A firestorm of responses follow from economist Robert Frank and others.

The New Democracy Forum is a series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns.

"A civic treasure... A truly good idea, carried out with intelligence and panache." — Robert Pinsky

  • Format
  • paperback
  • Pages
  • 118
  • Language
  • english
  • ISBN
  • 9780807004432
  • Release date
  • 2000