Affluenza: How Overconsumption Is Killing Us – And How to Fight Back

In this third edition of Affluenza, a publication that first appeared in 2001 and again in 2005 decrying the conspicuous consumption that marks our current lifestyle, the authors updates the changes in societal behavior, compare a happiness scale with economic expansion, and suggest further remediative tactics to diminish the current crisis. Divided into three sections, the first part looks at the symptoms of this materialistic disease that gives us more than we need, induces monetary stress with credit card overload, unhinges community fellowship, causes resource depletion, and lets the rich get richer and the poor to grow poorer, along with many more indications of this infection. The second section looks at the causes and here the blame is placed on cultural changes along with the technological explosion sparking accelerated demands and premature obsolescence. The final chapter reads like a self-help guide with many prescriptions that probably will not be filled. The authors pointedly detail the many aspects of our materialistic and disposable society that must be examined and modified to improve our culture, moral values, sense of happiness, and world community. While the first appearance of this book commanded attention, this time lapse between editions suggests that another line of attack should be used to arouse a complacent public.