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

Author: Juliet Schor
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Beacon Press
Published: 04/24/2000
Series: New Democracy Forum #6
Pages: 118
Weight: 0.33lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.38w x 0.28d
ISBN: 9780807004432