Consumerism Books

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this compelling history, Peter Chapman shows how the United Fruit Company took bananas from the jungles of Costa Rica to the halls of power in Washington, D.C., with not just clever marketing, but covert CIA operations, bloody coups and brutalised workforces. And how along the way they turned the banana into a blueprint for a new model of unfettered global capitalism: one that serves corporate power at any cost.Trade ReviewA gripping story of the ebbs and flows of US capitalism * * Guardian * *[An] insightful history of the company . . . [A] witty, energetic narrative * * New York Times Book Review * *A powerful example from the past . . . a century-long tale of plunder, bribery, corruption, labour abuse, death squads, military coups and war * * Financial Times * *Finely crafted . . . Chapman's broad-brush approach to history gives it a vigorous and entertaining narrative drive . . . Chapman's achievement is to make us realise what a long and complex moral journey even something as seemingly innocent as a banana has made to our fruit bowls -- Mark Cocker * * Guardian * *If you only read a handful of non-fiction books this year, [Bananas] is among your recommended five portions * * Observer * *Engagingly told . . . Delightful cameos of Carmen Miranda, Andy Warhol and Evelyn Waugh . . . Best is Chapman's account of the precarious ecology of the modern banana * * Independent * *The term banana republic has become so divested of meaning that it's been adopted by a mid-range clothing chain. Its sobering reality is spelled out in this clear, dryly witty account of United Fruit * * Metro * *Excellent, darkly humorous expose * * Herald * *A tale of corporate skulduggery, an irreversible lesson in agricultural folly and a musing on the banana's place on our collective palate . . . An impressive indictment of a deeply flawed corporation * * The Nation * *Any tinpot regime these days tends to get called a banana republic. We have to remember they were real, vicious and bloody regimes set up and toppled at the behest of US fruit companies. Those corporations gave globalisation a bad name before we even used the term, and Peter Chapman's racy but erudite read constantly makes you wonder how much has changed * * New Scientist * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAttention merchant: an industrial-scale harvester of human attention. A firm whose business model is the mass capture of attention for resale to advertisers.In nearly every moment of our waking lives, we face a barrage of advertising enticements, branding efforts, sponsored social media, commercials and other efforts to harvest our attention. Over the last century, few times or spaces have remained uncultivated by the 'attention merchants', contributing to the distracted, unfocused tenor of our times. Tim Wu argues that this is not simply the byproduct of recent inventions but the end result of more than a century's growth and expansion in the industries that feed on human attention. From the pre-Madison Avenue birth of advertising to TV's golden age to our present age of radically individualized choices, the business model of 'attention merchants' has always been the same. He describes the revolts that have risen against these relentless attempts to influence our consumption, from the remote control to FDA regulations to Apple's ad-blocking OS. But he makes clear that attention merchants grow ever-new heads, and their means of harvesting our attention have given rise to the defining industries of our time, changing our nature - cognitive, social, and otherwise - in ways unimaginable even a generation ago.Trade Review[Tim Wu] writes books that make a big impact... The Attention Merchants is a sobering and significant book. * John Naughton, The Guardian *'Wu writes about the uglier consequences of our great migration to the web with the bruised zeal of an ex-millenarian.' * The Times *'Wu is much better than most, partly because he is a sceptic, but mainly because he has narrative flair and an eye for the most telling examples.' * The Sunday Times *In this revelatory book, Tim Wu tells the story of how advertisers and programmers came to seize control of our eyes and minds. The Attention Merchants deserves everyone's attention. * Nicholas Carr, author of THE SHALLOWS *[Wu] could hardly have chosen a better time to publish a history of attention-grabbing... He traces a sustained march of marketers further into our lives. * Financial Times *'Wu's book ... record[s] the extraordinarily successful attempts by advertisers to occupy more and more of our attention over the past 100 years.' * Ben Tarnoff, The Guardian *I couldn't put this fascinating book down. Gripping from page one with its insight, vivid writing, and panoramic sweep, [it] is also a book of urgent importance, revealing how our preeminent industries work to fleece our consciousness rather than help us cultivate it. * Amy Chua, Yale Law Professor and author of BATTLE HYMN OF THE TIGER MOTHER *A profoundly important book... Attention itself has become the currency of the information age, and, as Wu meticulously and eloquently demonstrates, we allow it to be bought and sold at our peril. * James Gleick, author of TIME TRAVEL: A HISTORY *The question of how to get people to care about something important to you is central to religion, government, commerce, and the arts. For more than a century, America has experimented with buying and selling this attention, and Wu's history of that experiment is nothing less than a history of the human condition and its discontents. -- Cory Doctorow * BOING BOING *Forget subliminal seduction: every day, we are openly bought and sold, as this provocative book shows. * Kirkus *[A] startling and sweeping examination of the increasingly ubiquitous commercial effort to capture and commodify our attention * New Republic *Illuminating * New York Review of Books *[An] energetic and original new book * London Review of Books *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDana Thomas''s Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Lustre goes deep inside the workings of today''s world of profit margins and market share to discover the real meaning of ''luxury''. Fashion may be fabulous, but what''s the true price of luxury? From the importance of fashion owners, to red carpet stars and the seasonal ''must-have'' handbags, Dana Thomas shows how far illustrious houses have moved from their roots. Thomas witnesses how these ''luxury'' handbags are no longer one in a million, discovers why luxury brand clothing doesn''t last as long, and finds out just who is making your perfume. From terrifying raids on the Chinese sweat shops to the daunting chic of Paris workshops, from the handcrafting and economics of early-twentieth century designers to the violent truth behind the ''harmless'' fakes, Deluxe goes deep into the world of extravagance, and asks: where can true luxury go now? ''Definitive''  Daily Telegraph ''Thomas''s message is relevant to shoppers of every stripe''  The New York Times ''Thomas explores what luxury meant before the word was both inflated and devalued''  Guardian ''Great aversion therapy ... we suspect we''re being fleeced, but we don''t know with what cynical dedication''  The Times Dana Thomas is now European Editor for Portfolio following twelve years as the cultural and fashion writer for Newsweek in Paris. She has written about style for the New York Times Magazine since 1994, and has contributed to various publications including the New Yorker, Harper''s Bazaar, Vogue and the Financial Times.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNo Logo' was a book that defined a generation when it was first published in 1999. For its 10th anniversary Naomi Klein has updated this iconic book.By the time you're twenty-one, you'll have seen or heard a million advertisements. But you won't be happier for it.This is a book about that much-maligned, much-misunderstood generation coming up behind the slackers, who are being intelligent and active about the world in which they find themselves. It is a world in which all that is alternative' is sold, where any innovation or subversion is immediately adopted by un-radical, faceless corporations. But, gradually, tentatively, a new generation is beginning to fight consumerism with its own best weapons; and it is the first skirmishes in this war that this abrasively intelligent book documents brilliantly.Trade Review‘The Das Kapital of the growing anti-corporate movement’ Guardian ‘A riveting, conscientious piece of journalism and a strident call to arms. Packed with enlightening statistics and extraordinary anecdotal evidence, “No Logo” is fluent, undogmatically alive to its contradictions and omissions and positively seethes with intelligent anger.’ Sam Leith, Observer ‘A fascinating ride through the history of marketing…Klein brilliantly humanises “No Logo” with fascinating personal stories, her voice firm but never preachy, her argument detailed but never obscure.’ Alex O’Connell, The Times ‘Naomi Klein brilliantly charts the protean nature of consumer capitalism, how it absorbs radical challenges to its dominance and turns them into consumer products.’ Madeleine Bunting, Guardian ‘A sharp and very timely book … A couple of chapters in, your mind is already reeling … convincing and necessary, clear and fresh, calm but unsparing’ Guardian ‘A manifesto and a call to arms that sometimes reads like an Orwellian nightmare’ Financial Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe can't stop shopping but we must stop shopping - the consumer dilemma that defines our lives and our future. What would happen if we did?We are using up the planet at almost double the rate it can regenerate. To support our economies, we're told we must shop now like we've never shopped before, yet the scale of our consumption remains the biggest factor in the ruination of the world. But what would life look like if we stopped? Visiting places where economies have experienced temporary shut-downs, artisan producers, zero-consumption societies and bringing together a host of expert views, this is both a history of our relationship with consumption and a story about the future.'Lays out a wealth of knowledge and wisdom' Ronald Wright, author of A Short History of ProgressTrade ReviewLays out a wealth of knowledge and wisdom -- Ronald Wright, author of A Short History of ProgressA delight. MacKinnon has given us a powerful exploration of a riddle central to our days and lives * Andrew Blum, author of Tubes *Stands out for its curiosity, humanity and genuinely global appreciation of why we consume too much and what to do about it -- Frank Trentmann, author of Empire of ThingsAn exciting and truly inspiring read. I couldn't put it down -- Joel Bakan, author of The CorporationA delight. MacKinnon shows us afresh the world we thought we knew through a kaleidoscopic lens of startling facts, illuminating insight and flatout-wonderful writing. (Praise for The Once and Future World) -- John Vaillant, author of The Tiger

Read more less

Book SynopsisSelected as one of LitHub's 38 Favorite Books of 2022Finalist for the 2022 Big Other Book Award for NonfictionIn this uncompromising essay, Jonathan Crary presents the obvious but unsayable reality: our 'digital age' is synonymous with the disastrous terminal stage of global capitalism and its financialization of social existence, mass impoverishment, ecocide, and military terror. Scorched Earth surveys the wrecking of a living world by the internet complex and its devastation of communities and their capacities for mutual support. This polemic by the author of 24/7 dismantles the presumption that social media could be instruments of radical change and contends that the networks and platforms of transnational corporations are intrinsically incompatible with a habitable earth or with the human interdependence needed to build egalitarian post-capitalist forms of life.Trade ReviewAt last a book about the urgency to find a way out from a system that has crossed a threshold of irreparability and toxicity. A book that is simultaneously desperate and refreshing. -- Franco "Bifo" BerardiFollowing on 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep, Jonathan Crary here confirms his position as our most ruthless critic of all that exists. With a hammer of critical theory, he smashes the golden calf around which our lives revolve: the very internet itself. His sentences come packed with urgent truths long felt but only now articulated with the force they deserve. His clear-sightedness is the gift of prophets. -- Andreas MalmA passionate denunciation of the destructive character of capitalist technology, built on evidence drawn from every corner of the world, Scorched Earth is a major contribution to the reclaiming of our radical imagination and the creation of a new internationalism. -- Silvia FedericiIn an era in which there is an overarching prohibition on wishes other than those linked to individual acquisition, accumulation, and power, Crary's book resonates for his refusal to accept the idea that this is how we must live our lives. -- Alexandre Leskanich * Political Quarterly *Scorched Earth presents a piercing critique of Western techno-consumer culture and the innumerable digital landscapes now created by the internet...Crary's essay comes at a critical juncture in understanding the effects and consequences in continuing to entertain the fantasies of 24/7 capitalism. -- Henry Powell * Theory, Culture, and Society *Crary wants to jar people out of the widespread faith that because we've grown accustomed to the internet, and because we've allowed it to infiltrate nearly every hour of our lives, and because it may be hard to imagine a future without the internet, therefore the internet should and will endure...thought-provoking and sobering. -- Bart Hawkins Kreps * Resilience *And as easily as man uses the advances of technology for the good of humanity, he has at the same time created a technological arsenal in the service of a toxic capitalist grid that breeds wars, as Jonathan Crary states in his book Scorched Earth. * The Art Newspaper *Scorched Earth by Jonathan Crary, has a multiple-entendre title - he's describing what the internet is doing to society, he's describing what capitalism's long trajectory is doing to the Earth, and he's writing in a style that can only be characterized as a scorched-earth approach to the platitudes that dominate our contemporary lives...Rarely do authors address our common predicament with the fine-tuned anger and precise rhetorical scalpel of a skilled surgeon working on the body politic. -- Chris Carlsson * The Fabulist *One could say that Crary's latest book is 'punk theory' because of the radically refreshing and absolutely necessary challenges that he brings to the table. More than ever in these days of compounding eco-social crises, we need the punkiest of critical attitudes, and Crary's essays are an excellent place to find that energy. -- Miguel Sebastián-Martín * Oxonian Review *Brilliant -- Eric Bulson * Times Literary Supplement *Explosive...a polemic crackling with anger and commitment...inspired -- Marcus Verhagen * Art Monthly *Excellent. -- Helena Granström * Expressen, Books of the Year *[Scorched Earth] will do nothing to cessate any Black Mirror-style creeping anxieties you have that everything is going horribly wrong. -- Tim Gallagher * Euronews, Best of Literature 2022 *Crary convincingly outlines that the globalization of scorched earth capitalism has defaced the world and its inhabitants on a massive scale...Given the intensifying strain that global capitalism in its material and digital forms is putting on our selves, our communities, and our world, the just, compassionate, and direct vision of the future that Crary presents in Scorched Earth is one that demands our consideration. -- Owen Schalk * Canadian Dimension *Notable book, 2022 * Seminary Co-op *With Scorched Earth, the distinguished cultural critic continues his vivisection of capitalism; the result is a brilliant, searing critique of the growing dominance of the internet, and especially social media, over all aspects of private and civic life. -- Rod Barnett * Places Journal *Scorched Earth is perhaps the first successful attempt at a vision of what a post-internet society might be like - a position [Crary] arrives at through a merciless critique of our hyperconnected world, and an analysis of how the internet complex has reshaped our perception of time, space, and individual agency. * Real Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAesthetic Intelligence emphasizes how important it is for people to develop a strong voice—a voice that expresses who they are, that is inspired by their personal stories and desire to help others, and that helps them build a business that captivates others. — Donna Karan, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Successful leaders and innovators are skilled at looking outside their own fields for inspiration and knowledge. In Aesthetic Intelligence, Pauline Brown shows how you can apply critical lessons from fields like fashion and beauty to transform all types of businesses. — Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Aesthetic intelligence is not just important for those who are leading luxury brands; it’s also important for businesspeople in all sectors. In her groundbreaking book, Pauline Brown shows how aesthetics have the power to transform all types of businesses, and how individuals can develop and use their own AI to engage, inspire, and delight their customers. — Mindy Grossman, CEO of WW International (formerly Weight Watchers) Aesthetic Intelligence shows executives and entrepreneurs how to harness and apply their personality, preferences, and tastes to their companies, and, in so doing, create long-term sustainable advantage. — John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market It’s fascinating to realize how much of our economy is premised on consumers making aesthetic choices. Yet this aspect of what drives behavior has been largely ignored by thoughtful analysts until now. Pauline Brown opens up a new area of inquiry as she highlights the power of aesthetic intelligence as a success factor for business leaders today. — Dan Nordstrom, consumer brand investor and former retail leader

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat happens when there is almost unlimited choice? When everything becomes available to everyone? And when the combined value of the millions of items that only sell in small quantities equals or even exceeds the value of a handful of best-sellers?In this ground-breaking book, Chris Anderson shows that the future of business does not lie in hits - the high-volume end of a traditional demand curve - but in what used to be regarded as misses - the endlessly long tail of that same curve. As our world is transformed by the Internet and the near infinite choice it offers consumers, so traditional business models are being overturned and new truths revealed about what consumers want and how they want to get it. Chris Anderson first explored the Long Tail in an article in Wired magazine that has become one of the most influential business essays of our time. Now, in this eagerly anticipated book, he takes a closer look at the new economics of the Internet age, showing where business is going and exploring the huge opportunities that exist: for new producers, new e-tailers, and new tastemakers. He demonstrates how long tail economics apply to industries ranging from the toy business to advertising to kitchen appliances. He sets down the rules for operating in a long tail economy. And he provides a glimpse of a future that's already here.Trade ReviewThe Long Tail has helped to reinterpret our world * The Times *A smart, timely and oddly inspiring book * Time Out *Snappily argued and thought-provoking * New Yorker *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe award-winning classic on why we must revolutionise the fashion industryTrade Review'Makes a strong case for nothing less than a revolution' -- Emma Watson, actor'An incredible accomplishment' -- Susie Orbach, author of 'Fat is a Feminist Issue''Interrogates today's fashion landscape with rigour - will make you view your wardrobe through a different lens' -- Lucy Siegle, author of 'Turning the Tide on Plastic''A masterclass in unpicking the threads of injustice, exploitation and oppression woven into our clothing. By joining the dots between fashion and capitalism, this is a route map to weave a different story for our clothing, our planet and its people' -- Asad Rehman, Executive Director of War on Want'Thoroughly researched with a reach extending both globally and historically, the book is packed with interesting examples, and Hoskins' engaging style makes it eminently readable' -- 'LSE Review of Books''A staple of contemporary fashion literature' -- ‘Austrian Fashion Association’'A classic read for all fashion students, and of course those interested in the politics of fashion. I will refer to my copy for a long time to come' -- Caryn Franklin MBE, fashion commentator and body image activist'A book that hangs like a garment on a coat-hanger. A garment with many pockets. In the pockets numberless notes and remarks about clothes and history. Take it off the hanger and put it on. By which I mean - read it and walk through history' -- John Berger'A controlled demolition, Hoskins uses facts to strip away the apparel trade's decorative exterior and then dynamites the foundations' -- 'Monthly Review''Once you see the fashion industry through Hoskins' anti-capitalist lens what lies behind cannot be unseen' -- 'Public Reading Rooms''A failure to imagine the end of capitalism goes hand-in-hand with a failure to imagine the end of fashion as a commodified sphere in which countless exploited workers labour so that the powerful can wear power-affirming garments. Hoskins' book does wonders to help its readers overcome both failures' -- Yanis VaroufakisTable of ContentsForeword by Andreja Pejić Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Owning It 2. The Fashion Media 3. Buyology 4. Stitching It 5. A Bitter Harvest 6. The Body Politic 7. Is Fashion Racist? 8. Resisting Fashion 9. Reforming Fashion 10. Revolutionising Fashion About the Illustrator Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere is currently an epidemic of ''affluenza'' throughout the world - an obsessive, envious, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses - that has resulted in huge increases in depression and anxiety among millions. Over a nine-month period, bestselling author Oliver James travelled around the world to try and find out why. He discovered how, despite very different cultures and levels of wealth, affluenza is spreading. Cities he visited include Sydney, Singapore, Moscow, Copenhagen, New York and Shanghai, and in each place he interviewed several groups of people in the hope of finding out not only why this is happening, but also how one can increase the strength of one''s emotional immune system. He asks: why do so many more people want what they haven''t got and want to be someone they''re not, despite being richer and freer from traditional restraints? And, in so doing, uncovers the answer to how to reconnect with what really matters and learn to value what you''ve already got. In other words, howTrade ReviewOliver James is excellent at showing why social scientists think that the surge in material affluence can produce the opposite of happiness. -- Avner Offer, Professor of Economic History, University of OxfordShould be mandatory reading for everyone -- Will SelfNever before have I read a book that so precisely captures the way we are all being emotionally snookered by the demands of 21st-century living... read this book -- Jeremy VineA wonderfully clear and cogent thesis * Guardian *An absorbing and effective wake-up call * London Lite *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHolidays with Hitler tells the story of how Germans spent their leisure time. It looks at consumerism, entertainment and travel in National Socialist Germany. Meticulously researched, this is a fascinating insight into everyday life under the Nazi regime.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWellness has become synonymous with yoga, meditation, and other forms of self-care. Over the past 60 years, what began as an alternative to mainstream medicine has coalesced with consumer culture and has been commercialised to such an extent that the term is now synonymous with an industry of exclusive products and services. This book traces the emergence of wellness culture as a countercultural movement to a trillion-dollar industry, examining the social, economic and political conditions that enabled wellness to assume mainstream cultural significance. It explores the role of the internet in making wellness more accessible to consumers, while simultaneously questioning who wields influence in these digital spaces. A must read for anyone interested in learning about wellness and its online penetration, Wellness Culture offers an in-depth yet accessible examination of how wellness has been weaponised during the COVID-19 pandemic to spread medical misinformation, conspiratorial thinking and political extremism.Table of ContentsChapter 1. What is Wellness Culture? Chapter 2. The Countercultural Origins of Wellness Culture Chapter 3. From the Wellness Movement to the Wellness Industry Chapter 4. Wellness Gurus, Internet Celebrities and Influencers Chapter 5. Wellness as a Gateway to Misinformation, Disinformation and Conspiracy Chapter 6. The Future of Wellness as a Cultural Pursuit

Read more less

Book SynopsisPeople hunting monkeys in the jungle once devised a simple yet effective trap: When the creature found a banana in a large jar with a narrow neck, it would plunge its paw in to retrieve it. But it couldn’t let go. And unless the monkey released the banana, it was stuck. We are, of course, the stuck monkey, paralysed by our modern lifestyles and consumer habits: our constant stream of online shopping deliveries, our compulsive dependence on digital devices, our obsession with our pets. These addictions, as small and harmless as they may seem, are quietly destroying the planet. And the eco-friendly alternatives that alleviate our guilt are often not much better. In Stuck Monkey, James Hamilton-Paterson uncovers the truth behind the everyday habits fuelling the climate crisis. Drawing on eye-opening research and shocking statistics, he mercilessly dissects a wide spectrum of modern life: pets, gardening, sports, vehicles, fashion, wellness, holidays, and more. Ferociously unflinching and intelligent, this book will make you think twice about the ‘innocent’ habits we often take for granted.Trade ReviewA marvellous, anecdote-packed mix of head-on and sideways takes on how corporate, personal and collective actions are trashing the planet and bringing about a climate and ecological emergency ... I would defy anyone to read this excellent book and not be forced into taking a long, hard look at how they live their life, and then take urgent steps to change it. * Professor Bill McGuire *A highly original and lucid portrayal of the eco-catastrophe we face ... throughout, Hamilton-Paterson's mordant humour offers some solace * Literary Review *Not an easy read, but a timely one, which cuts through a lot of nonsense * Saga Magazine *PRAISE FOR JAMES HAMILTON-PATERSON: 'A superb book, not only meticulously researched but also supremely readable' - Daily Mail 'A terrific story, told with tremendous relish, elegance and attention to detail' * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPeople hunting monkeys in the jungle once devised a simple yet effective trap: When the creature found a banana in a large jar with a narrow neck, it would plunge its paw in to retrieve it. But it couldn''t let go. And unless the monkey released the banana, it was stuck.We are, of course, the stuck monkey, paralysed by our modern lifestyles and consumer habits: our constant stream of online shopping deliveries, our compulsive dependence on digital devices, our obsession with our pets. These addictions, as small and harmless as they may seem, are quietly destroying the planet. And the eco-friendly alternatives that alleviate our guilt are often not much better.In Stuck Monkey, James Hamilton-Paterson uncovers the truth behind the everyday habits fuelling the climate crisis. Drawing on eye-opening research and shocking statistics, he mercilessly dissects a wide spectrum of modern life: pets, gardening, sports, vehicles, fashion, wellness, holidays, and mo

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe are encouraged from all sides to view our lives as being full of choices. Like the products on a supermarket shelf, our careers, our relationships, our bodies, our very identities seem to be there for the choosing. But paradoxically this seeming freedom to choose can create extreme anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy and guilt. The Tyranny of Choice explores how late capitalism's shrill exhortations to 'be oneself' can be a tyranny which only leads to ever-greater disquiet and how insistence on choice being a purely individual matter prevents social change. With wisdom, humour and sensitivity, Renata Salecl examines the complexity of the essential human capacity to choose which has become mired in consumerist ironies.Trade ReviewIn this elegant, thoughtful essay, Renata Salecl shows us how today's abundance of choice makes us more anxious than ever before and less free than we might like to think. Beautifully crafted and concise, it will make readers question the hidden logic of their everyday lives. -- Darian Leader, psychoanalyst and author of The New Black: Mourning, Melancholia and DepressionCasting a clear light on our choice-saturated lives * Observer *A penetrating analysis * Evening Standard *

Read more less

Book SynopsisGenerative design research is an approach to bring the people we serve through design directly into the design process in order to ensure that we can meet their needs and dreams for the future. The book introduces an emerging domain of design that is of immense interest today not only to the academic design research community but also to those in the business community charged with the development of human-centred products, systems, services, and environments. There are no other books with this focus and coverage currently available.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn expose on the fashion industry written by the Observer''s ''Ethical Living'' columnist, examining the inhumane and environmentally devastating story behind the clothes we so casually buy and wear.Coming at a time when the global financial crisis and contracting of consumer spending is ushering in a new epoch for the fashion industry, To Die For offers a very plausible vision of how green could really be the new black.Taking particular issue with our current mania for both big-name labels and cheap fashion, To Die For sets an agenda for the urgent changes that can and need to be made by both the industry and the consumer. Far from outlining a future of drab, ethical clothing, Lucy Siegle believes that it is indeed possible to be an ''ethical fashionista'', simply by being aware of how and where (and by whom) clothing is manufactured.The global banking crisis has put the consumer at a crossroads: when money is tight should we embrace cheap fast fashion to prop up an already engorged w

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrank Trentmann is Professor of History at Birkbeck College, University of London, and directed the 5 million Cultures of Consumption research programme. His last book, Free Trade Nation, won the Whitfield Prize for outstanding historical scholarship and achievement from the Royal Historical Society. He was educated at Hamburg University, the LSE and at Harvard, where he received his PhD. In 2014 he was Moore Distinguished Fellow at Caltech.Trade Reviewa monumental work that deserves a wide audience. It is both a highly engaging global history of consumer culture and a masterful synthesis of a vast body of literature ... There are few truly global histories of consumer culture, and no study is as meticulous or comprehensive. ... In sum, Frank Trentmann's Empire of Things is a masterpiece of historical analysis that offers a wealth of insights into material desire, changing social norms, state policies, transnational connectivity, and other themes in the history of consumption. Indeed, Empire of Things is a field-defining work that will surely be the standard by which global histories of consumption are measured. -- Professor Jeremy Prestholdt * American Historical Review *Utterly fascinating ... What makes Trentmann's book such a pleasure to read is not just the wealth of detail or the staggering international range, but the refreshing absence of moaning or moralising about our supposed addiction to owning more stuff -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *You can't not learn something new here ... [An] epic tale -- Marcus Tanner * Independent *A history not merely of consumption (and attitudes toward consumption) but also of the very idea of goods as a thing to be produced and consumed. Every page fascinates -- Stephen L. Carter, 'Great History Books of 2016' * Bloomberg *I read Empire Of Things with unflagging fascination ... [Trentmann] is not only an elegant, adventurous and colourful writer, he also manages the tricky balancing act of being eminently sensible and gleefully provocative -- John Preston * Daily Mail *Laden with fascinating insights and accounts, the result no doubt of extensive research, this study spans not only six centuries and numerous civilisations, cultures and individuals but also finds time to comment on the beginnings, direction and outcomes of consumerism itself. This is a hugely impressive undertaking and an ambitious narrative -- James Sheridan * Irish Times *A monumental book on a monumental subject ... Rich and illuminating ... No-one who reads it will think about consumer society in the same way * Revista de Libros *[Empire of Things] is wider in scope geographically, historically and socially than anything preceding it ... The epilogue to this story of consumption is salutary: history is essential to our understanding of the continuing rise in material consumption far beyond a sustainable level * Ethical Consumer *Jam-packed with telling facts and counterintuitive provocations ... Empire of Things is that rare tour d'horizon that expands your sense of what should count as the subject ... A bracing argument * New York Review of Books *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book does not set out once more to raise the alarm to encourage us to take radical measures to head off climate chaos. There have been any number of books and reports in recent years explaining just how dire the future looks and how little time we have left to act. This book is about why we have ignored those warnings, and why it is now too late. It is a book about the frailties of the human species as expressed in both the institutions we built and the psychological dispositions that have led us on the path of self-destruction. It is about our strange obsessions, our hubris, and our penchant for avoiding the facts. It is the story of a battle within us between the forces that should have caused us to protect the Earth - our capacity to reason and our connection to Nature - and those that, in the end, have won out - our greed, materialism and alienation from Nature. And it is about the 21st century consequences of these failures. Clive Hamilton is author of the bestselling AffTrade Review'Listen to this Requiem and weep, if it helps. False hope is as dangerous as despair. But don't get mired in helplessness. Above all, Requiem is a call to arms; to the urgent task of overhauling democracy in pursuit of survival. At stake, the biggest prize of all: our own humanity.' Tim Jackson, author of Prosperity Without Growth 'I am afraid Clive Hamilton has it right about climate change - deeply afraid. Requiem is a brave and searingly honest book by a brilliant scholar. Ignoring it will only make a bad situation worse, so, please, read this book now.' James Gustave Speth, author of The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability and Dean Emeritus, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies 'Requiem for a Species is a remarkable publication which brings together the scientific imperatives of taking action in the field of climate change. Hamilton highlights the political inertia which is currently acting as a roadblock. In the wake of the weak outcome of Copenhagen, this book assumes added significance in breaking the resistance to the truth about climate change.' R K Pachauri, Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Director-General, TERI 'I find it hard to imagine what life would be like if I had genuinely come to the irrevocable conclusion that it was too late to do anything serious about preventing runaway climate change� For me, this ongoing internal dialogue gets a little bit more painful, every year � And having just finished reading Clive Hamilton's excellent (but deeply disturbing!) Requiem for a Species, I'm now going to have to think it all through all over again.' Jonathon Porritt, Founder, Forum for the Future, and author of Capitalism As if the World Matters 'Requiem offers an insightful and informative look at why the human species can't come to terms with a changing climate. And Hamilton's conclusion--To despair, accept, then act--is an important call for us to respond to climate change immediately and decisively or spend the rest of our lives reacting to a warming world and an unraveling civilization.' Erik Assadourian, Director: State of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to Sustainability and Senior Researcher, Worldwatch Institute 'Clive Hamilton investigates - in real time - our society's choice not to act to protect ourselves from devastating climate change. We know the science, but 'scientific facts are fighting against more powerful forces' - power, money, bureaucratic inertia and our innate desire to ignore what we don't want to believe. 'It's too late,' he says. 'Humanity failed.' That past tense is devastating.' Fred Pearce, writer and author of The Last Generation: How Nature will take her Revenge for Climate Change 'Hamilton's book presents a powerful statement of the problems confronting us - not just the problem of climate change itself, but the tendency to wish the problem away by denial (which in less extreme circumstances can arguably be an adaptive response to difficult situations). And all compounded by the fact that neither our institutions nor we ourselves have experience in acting on behalf of a seemingly distant future. Read this book.' Robert M May OM AC FRS 'When future generations look out on a planet ravaged by climate change, they will ask of our generation 'When you knew what was happening--surely the greatest debacle since we came out of our caves--why didn't you stop it?' Clive Hamilton proposes the problem lies with 'the perversity of our institutions, our psychological dispositions, our strange obsessions, our penchant for avoiding facts, and, especially, our hubris.' It all makes for a riveting read because (alas) it is all too true--just like Greek tragedy.' Norman Myers, 21st Century School, University of Oxford 'Requiem for a Species magnificently captures the idea that by and large, none of us want to believe that climate change is real. It explains our inability to seriously weigh the evidence of climate change, and to take appropriate action to ensure our own survival.' Tim Costello, CEO, World Vision Australia 'Clive Hamilton, as usual, has courageously challenged the current nature of our society in this inspirational new book.' Graeme Pearman, former head of the CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research 'Books that change one's life are rare... Requiem is a tour de force of compression and analysis that cannot help but shift climate change thinking.' Andres Kabel, Cultural Pilgrim (www.andreskabel.com) 'Requiem for a Species is a call to immediate action. It should be sent to every elected official at each level of government. All concerned citizen should read it in order to hold government and industry accountable for knowing the facts, altering policy, and developing clean technologies-not at some later point in time but now. The future looks grim; but, as Hamilton says, action is the best cure for despair. It may also be our only hope.' Courier Mail 'Well worth reading by anyone who takes a serious interest in climate change. It's concise, accessible, and full of insights and information which I suspect most readers will find new and revealing.' Permaculture Magazine 'Requiem for a Species is recommended for those who want to get a clearer picture of the science of climate change' Camilla Royle, Socialist Review 'Anyone even superficially concerned about climate change would fo well to read CLive Hamilton's Requiem for a Species...highly entertaining and excellently sources book' Talitha Haller, Ecosystem Marketplace. 'Even more strongly, Hamilton argues that humans have become docile puppets of the growth-focused system and that only those 'who have internalized the goals of the system most faithfully' become political leaders.' Climate Policy 'Hamilton advises that we grieve appropriately. That is, we should despair about the failure of humanity to prevent the climate change problem from reaching current levels, we should accept the new vision of the future that this entails and the need to transform our previous way of life, and we should act to make the best of the situation as we can. Unlike other drier reports and softly spoken analyses of climate change, this book frankly communicates the urgency of the problem, and I hope many people read it.' Katie Steele, Climate Law. 'As Hamilton so convincingly demonstrates, climate change is not only an inconvenient, but a distressing and fundamentally life-changing, truth. When faced with facts so alien to our ideology, we experience 'cognitive dissonance', and become almost incapable of accepting the evidence before us. So if, psychologically, humans as a species were never able to deal with the threat of climate change, is anyone really to blame? Well, Hamilton lays the blame firmly with the corporations.' Green World 'Requiem for a Species by Clive Hamilton was chosen as the May 2010 Book of the Month on my website, www.globalforesightbooks.org. Very important book.' Michael Marien, Editor, GlobalForesightBooks.org 'Anyone concerned with global affairs, facing up to climate change, and long-term futures should read this book' Michael Marien, Editor, GlobalForesightBooks.org 'Refreshing in its candour, clearly-written and well-sourced, Requiem for a Species is a landmark polemic. So while it is undoubtedly an important book for activists, it is clear humanity's future depends on those who are currently not involved in climate activism reading and acting on the facts and arguments contained within. Spread the word.' Ian Sinclair, Peace News "This book succeeds in revealing why we have ignored the scientific warnings of climate change. Hamilton analyses the science and underlying reasons for global warming with an appropriate blend of dispassion and compassion." -Suzanne Simard, PhD, RPF, BC Forest Professional MagazineTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface 1. No Escaping the Science 2. Growth Fetishism 3. The Consumer Self 4. Many Forms of Denial 5. Disconnection from Nature 6. Is There a Way Out? 7. The Four-Degree World 8. Reconstructing a Future Appendix: Greenhouse Gases Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe question of consumption emerged as a major focus of research and scholarship in the 1990s butthe breadth and diversity of consumer culture has not been fully enough explored. The meanings of consumption,particularly in relation to lifestyle and identity, are of great importance toacademic areasincluding business studies, sociology, cultural and media studies, psychology, geography and politics. The SAGE Handbook ofConsumerCultureis a one-stop resource for scholars and students of consumption, where the key dimensions of consumer culture are critically discussed and articulated. The editors have organised contributions from a global and interdisciplinary team of scholars into six key sections: Part 1: Sociology of Consumption Part 2: Geographies of Consumer Culture Part 3: Consumer Culture Studies in Marketing Part 4: Consumer Culture in Media and CultTrade ReviewA thorough and comprehensive guide filled with insightful and up to date articles written by foremost experts. This belongs on the bookshelves of researchers and practitioners, indeed anyone with an interest in the consumer culture that dominates the world. -- Richard WilkTwo of the most important elements of this volume are a) the truly diverse approaches to the study of consumer culture at the global level, and b) the rich bibliographies provided by each of the chapters. The authors come from around the world, teaching at institutions in at least 10 different countries, in a variety of disciplines. Academic libraries with programs in any or all of the disciplines mentioned in the book [business, psychology and sociology, geography and politics] should consider adding this volume to their collections. -- Mark SchumacherThis Consumer Culture Handbook is an exciting, useful and frankly valiant overview of the intensely multidisciplinary field that consumer culture studies have become. It will provide an excellent vantage point from which to make sense of this dynamic field. -- Don SlaterThe Sage Handbook of Consumer Culture provides a remarkably comprehensive treatment of how this controversial, contested, and consequential intersection of consumption, the market, and culture is conceptualized and investigated across diverse intellectual fields. More than just a review, each chapter recognizes past influences while articulating cutting edge ideas, new analytic tools, and anticipating future directories. The Sage Handbook of Consumer Culture allows for a ready and intellectually enriching comparison of how the complexities of consumer culture are addresses across the spheres of sociology, anthropology, history, media studies, material studies and business/marketing. In its grand finale, this collection offers a series of integrative, interdisciplinary studies that explore how forces of neoliberalism, consumer activism, discourses of sustainability, and nationalism are inflected through the marketized prism of consumer culture, generating a nexus of political and societal effects. The Sage Handbook of Consumer Culture is essential reading for anyone seeking a fuller understanding of this interdisciplinary and dynamic sphere of inquiry. -- Craig ThompsonTable of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction - Olga Kravets, Pauline Maclaran, Steven Miles and Alladi Venkatesh PART 1: Sociology of Consumption Chapter 2: The Emergence of Contemporary Consumer Culture - Stephen Miles Chapter 3: The Systems of Provision Approach to Understanding Consumption - Ben Fine, Kate Bayliss and Mary Robertson Chapter 4: The Making of the Consumer: Historical and Sociological Perspectives - Marie-Emmanuelle Chessel and Sophie Dubuisson-Quellier Chapter 5: Consumption, Class and Taste - Jessica Paddock PART 2: Geographies of Consumer Culture Chapter 6: Debunking the Myths of Global Consumer Culture Literature - Güliz Ger, Eminegül Karababa, Alev Kuruoglu, Meltem Türe, Tuba Üstüner and Baskin Yenicioglu Chapter 7: Consumer Culture in Socialist Russia - Olga Gurova Chapter 8: New Urbanism, Post-nationalism and Consumerist Modernity in India - Sanja Srivastava Chapter 9: Consumption and Consumer Rights in Contemporary China - Erika Kuever Chapter 10: Spaces of (Consumer) Resistance - Andreas Chatzidakis and Vera Hoelscher PART 3: Consumer Culture Studies in Marketing Chapter 11: Consumer Culture Theory: A Front-row Seat at the Sidelines - Linda Price Chapter 12: Consumer Identity Projects - Gretchen Larsen and Maurice Patterson Chapter 13: Re-presenting, Reinvigorating and Reconciling: Gift-Giving Research within and beyond the CCT Paradigm - Cele C. Otnes Chapter 14: Prosumption Tribes: How Consumers collectively Rework Brands, Products, Services and Markets - Bernard Cova and Daniele Dalli Chapter 15: Contesting Understandings of Contestation: Rethinking Perspectives on Activism - Jay Handelman and Eileen Fischer PART 4: Consumer Culture in Media and Cultural Studies Chapter 16: Consumer Culture and The Media - Mehita Iqani Chapter 17: Body Projects: Fashion, Aesthetic Modifications and Stylised Selves - Rossella Ghigi and Roberta Sassatelli Chapter 18: Who takes the first bite? A Critical Overview of Gender Representations in Food Marketing - Daniela Pirani, Benedetta Cappellini and Vicki Harman Chapter 19: Biopolitical Marketing and Technologies of Enclosure - Detlev Zwick and Janice Denegri-Knott PART 5: Material Cultures of Consumption Chapter 20: The Materiality of Consumer Culture - Paul Mullins Chapter 21: Subject/Object Relations and Consumer Culture - Shona Bettany Chapter 22: Another Consumer Culture Theory: An ANT look at consumption, or how ′market-things′ help ′cultivate′ customers - Franck Cochoy and Alexandre Mallard Chapter 23: Objects: From Signs to Design - Benoit Heilbrunn Chapter 24: The War on Cash - Brett Scott PART 6: The Politics of Consumer Culture Chapter 25: Consumer-Citizens: Markets, Marketing and the Making of ′Choice′ - Stefan Schwarzkopf Chapter 26: Are you Neoliberal Fit? The Politics of Consumption under Neoliberalism - Anisha Datta and Indranil Chakraborty Chapter 27: Sustainable Consumption, Consumer Culture and The Politics of a Megatrend - William Kilbourne, Pierre McDonagh and Andrea Prothero Chapter 28: Buying into the Nation: The Politics of Consumption and Nationalism - Eleftheria J. Lekakis Chapter 29: The Politics of Consumption - Alan Bradshaw

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I'm 79 years old. So why on earth should I concern myself with speaking about youth?' This is the question with which renowned French philosopher Alain Badiou begins his passionate plea to the young. Today young people, at least in the West, are on the brink of a new world. With the decline of old traditions, they now face more choices than ever before. Yet powerful forces are pushing them in dangerous directions, into the vortex of consumerism or into reactive forms of traditionalism. This is a time when young people must be particularly attentive to the signs of the new and have the courage to venture forth and find out what they're capable of, without being constrained by the old prejudices and hierarchical ideas of the past. And if the aim of philosophy is to corrupt youth, as Socrates was accused of doing, this can mean only one thing: to help young people see that they don't have to go down the paths already mapped out for them, that they are not just condemned to obey social customs, that they can create something new and propose a different direction as regards the true life.Trade Review"Scarcely any other moral philosopher of our day is as politically clear-sighted and courageously polemical, so prepared to put notions of truth and university back on the agenda."—Terry Eagleton, Lancaster University, UK "Alain Badiou's plea in this stimulating little book contains the 'serious coquetry' one expects from a philosopher committed to the corruption of youth: young people, whether young in body or mind, reorganize your youth, and in so doing reanimate thinking in radically new directions!"—Jason Barker, Kyung Hee UniversityTable of ContentsNote 1. To be young, today: Sense and nonsense 2. About the contemporary fate of boys 3. About the contemporary fate of girls

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat if the problems of modern society don't come from production, but rather consumption and the system of cultural signs? In this classic work from the defining intellectual of the postmodern, Jean Baudrillard, For a Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign takes Marx's critique of political economy and its analysis of the commodity form as the starting point for an analysis of signs and their meaning in modern society. Influenced by Lefebvre's critique of everyday life, Barthes's semiology, and Situationism, Baudrillard analyses how objects are encoded within the system of signs and meanings that constitute contemporary media and consumer societies. Combining semiological studies and sociology of the consumer society, For a Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign contains Baudrillard's most extensive engagement with Marxism and shows him at a critical juncture for the development of his thought.Trade ReviewModest, independent, and devastatingly humorous, Jean's work transmitted the lost urbanity of the mid-20th century while speaking of and into the future. -- Chris KrausWhat can one say of Baudrillard? His strange and striking apercus captured the moment, and his predictive powers, as a man who saw early on the rise of the media state, were unique. -- Kathryn BigelowFor a Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign (1972) and The Mirror of Production (1973) constitutes, in my view, his most substantial contribution to philosophy, and deserves to be better known. From today's perspective, Baudrillard may seem a more significant prophet than he appeared at the time. * Philosophy Now *The most notorious intellectual celebrity to emerge from Paris since Roland Barthes and the most influential prophet of the media since Marshall McLuhan. * i-D magazine *Superstar of the simulacrum, shaman of the virtual, evangelist of the hyperreal. -- Geoff DyerThe most important French thinker of the past twenty years. -- J.G. BallardThe David Bowie of philosophy * The Guardian *

Read more less

Book Synopsisâ Why do people behave and think the way they do?â What makes people choose certain products and services?â How does consumption affect our everyday lives?Informed by psychological theory and supported by research, Consumer Psychology provides an overview to understanding consumer behaviour and underlying thought processes. Written in a clear and accessible style it is an essential read for students of consumer psychology. It is also important reading for anyone studying consumption, whether in marketing, consumer behaviour, sociology, anthropology, business studies, cyber psychology or sustainability.Psychology is central to an effective understanding of consumer behaviour and this book shows how it can be used to explain why people choose certain products and services, and how this affects their behaviour and psychological well-being. This book explores key theories from a broad range of psychology disciplines toTable of Contents1 Consumer Psychology: What it is and how it emerged2 Consumer memory and learning3 Perception and attention4 Identity and consumption5 The emotional consumer6 Attitudes7 Advertising psychology8 Motivational determinants of consumer behaviour9 Consumer decision-making and brand loyalty10 The Internet11 Children as consumers12 Consumption and happiness13 Consumers and the environment

Read more less

Book SynopsisNow more than ever, we live in a society where we covet new and shiny things. Not only has consumption risen dramatically over the last 60 years, but we are damaging the environment at the same time. That is why buying quality and why Tara Button's Buy Me Once brand has such popular appeal.Tara Button has become a champion of a lifestyle called mindful curation' a way of living in which we carefully choose each object in our lives, making sure we have the best, most classic, most pleasing and longest lasting kettles, desks, pots & pans, scissors, coats and dresses, instead of surrounding ourselves with throwaway stuff and appliances with built-in obsolescence. Tara advocates a life that celebrates what lasts, what is classic and what really suits a person.There are 10 steps to master mindful curation and each is explained in this book, from understanding and using techniques to freeing yourself from external manipulations. Finding your purpose and priorities and identifying your coreTrade Review‘I love the idea behind Buy Me Once’ – Ashton Kutcher – actor and activist ‘Brilliant Idea’ Caitlin Moran – author and journalist ‘An excellent new book tackles happiness v consumerism, and how to achieve more of the former with less of the latter. Tara Button’s A Life Less Throwaway promises a more contented way of living and rages amusingly against planned obsolescence, fast furniture, weaselly advertising and cunning shop design. It also offers tips on curating and caring for your possessions, as well as ad-blocking.’ Katrina Burroughs – The Sunday Times journalist

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book analyzes the legal challenges of consumer protection and product liability, focusing on the methods by which consumers can express dissatisfaction with products and their shortcomings. While consumer complaints are widespread and varied, often neither individual buyers are compensated nor is the whole class of consumers informed of defective products. Best calls for improvements that can make businesses more accountable, including mediation, arbitration, legal services, and small claims court, emphasizing how better behavior by businesses can also be good business.Trade ReviewThis will come to be known as the best book on consumer complaint handling... it is suitable for the classroom and for consumer and interest groups; it should stimulate further research and provide direction for policymaking in the area. Journal of Consumer AffairsTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction 1. The Universe of Consumer Troubles Part II. Obstacles in the Consumer Complaint Process 2. Perceiving Problems 3. Voicing Complaints 4. How Business Says No 5. Shortcomings of Third-Party Complaint Handlers 6. Surveying Consumer Troubles and Obstacles to Redress Part III. Prospects for Improvement 7. Consumer Initiatives for Improving Treatment of Complaints: At the Buyer-Seller Stage and Beyond 8. Mediation 9. Arbitration 10. Courts for Consumer Cases 11. Lower Cost Legal Service Part IV. Conclusion 12. Product and Service Reliability: A Goal for Consumer Protection Appendix Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsNote on Transliteration and TranslationIntroduction1. Mente: Consumer Grievances2. "Needs," Rights, and Protection3. Consumer Activism?4. Consumption as Civic Engagement 5. Consumer Politics after State SocialismEpilogue: "Enough is Enough."—The Moral Commitment of the StateAppendix. Notes on Fieldwork: An East Asian Ethnographer in Eastern EuropeBibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe production, acquisition, and use of consumer goods defines our daily lives, and yet consumerism is seen as increasingly controversial. Movements for sustainable and ethical consumerism are gaining momentum alongside an awareness of how our choices in the marketplace can affect public issues. How did we get here? This volume advances a bold new interpretation of the ''consumer revolution'' of the eighteenth century, when European elites, middling classes, and even certain labourers purchased unprecedented quantities of clothing, household goods, and colonial products. Michael Kwass adopts a global perspective that incorporates the expansion of European empires, the development of world trade, and the rise of plantation slavery in the Americas. Kwass analyses the emergence of Enlightenment material cultures, contentious philosophical debates on the morality of consumption, and new forms of consumer activism to offer a fresh interpretation of the politics of consumption in the age of Trade Review'The Consumer Revolution, 1650-1800 is a well-written and well-conceived book that presents an up-to-date account of scholarship on the Consumer Revolution alongside an expert's critical account of that scholarship and where it needs to go in the future. Students and scholars will surely appreciate the overview of the field provided and the suggestions for more specialized reading.' Clare Crowston, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign'For many years now, Michael Kwass has been one of the most innovative contributors to debates on consumer culture in early modern France. Now, his The Consumer Revolution provides a superbly comprehensive and intelligently nuanced account of the global impact of western consumerism before the industrial age, that remains nicely alert to comparisons with our own society.' Colin Jones, author of The Great Nation: France 1715-99'Kwass's The Consumer Revolution brilliantly charts the remarkable economic, cultural, and political consequences of new consumer practices in this era of skyrocketing global trade, from the rise of calicoes, sugar, or tobacco to the shifting politics of fashion in the age of revolutions. Comprehensive, imaginative, and a pleasure to read.' William Sewell, University of ChicagoTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Consumer revolution; 2. The globalization of European consumption; 3. Going shopping; 4. The cultural meanings of consumption; 5. Consuming enlightenment; 6. The luxury debate; 7. The politics of consumption in the age of revolution; Conclusion.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Consumption Behavior and the Effects of Government Fiscal Policies, Randall Mariger explores how people make decisions about how much to consume and save over their lifetimes. An understanding of these issues illuminates not only individual behavior but important properties of the macro economy as well. The most popular framework for analyzing consumption has been the life-cycle theory. Mariger tests two fundamental, and controversial, assumptions underlying the theorythat there are no planned bequests and that human capital is marketable. To do this, he fits a structural consumption model that incorporates endogenous liquidity constraints (non-marketability of human capital), but no planned bequests, to data on a cross-section of U. S. families. This estimated model, in conjunction with estimates of alternative models, enables him to make inferences about the respective effects of liquidity constraints and social security wealth on consumption. This latter effect yields indirect evidence concerning planned bequests. Mariger also presents direct evidence concerning bequest behavior. Among his findings are that the model fits the data very well in spite of its tight theoretical structure; that liquidity constraints are prevalent and have important effects on consumption behavior; that planned bequests appear not to be common among families in the lower 99.1% of the wealth distribution; and that families in the upper 0.9% of the wealth distribution appear to plan substantial bequests. Mariger devotes the latter part of his book to studying the implications of his estimated consumption model for the effects of government fiscal policies. More specifically, he simulates the model to infer the effects of government tax/debt policy, as well as those of the social security system, on aggregate savings.Trade ReviewAn excellent book. While there have been other empirical studies of liquidity constraints, Mariger’s approach is unique. I particularly like the way he traces out the macroeconomic implications of his micro findings. -- Laurence J. Kotlikoff

Read more less

Book SynopsisSmart shopping takes on a whole new meaning with Trade Secrets, an all-encompassing, fact-filled compendium on how to make the right buying decisions every time. From minute details about dozens of products to tips on dealing with merchants who hand you the inside skinny on how to get the most value for your money, including such topics as: Doing Your Homework: home-equity loans, furniture, carpets, plumbing services Wall Street Savvy: checking accounts, credit cards, mutual funds Painting the Town Red: buying bubbly, choosing a cruise, renting a tux It''s the Little Things: magazine subscriptions, sunscreens, beds and beddings Irreverent and entertaining, Trade Secrets is like having a trusted uncle in the business, who tells it exactly like it is.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Fascinating and eye-opening'' OWEN JONESDO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR SHOES COME FROM?DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY GO WHEN YOU''RE DONE WITH THEM?In 2019, 66.6 million pairs of shoes were manufactured across the world every single day. They have never been cheaper to buy, and we have never been more convinced that we need to buy them. Yet their cost to the planet has never been greater. In this urgent, passionately argued book, Tansy E. Hoskins opens our eyes to the dark origins of the shoes on our feet. Taking us deep into the heart of an industry that is exploiting workers and deceiving consumers, we begin to understand that if we don''t act fast, this humble household object will take us to the point of no return.Trade ReviewFascinating and eye-opening, FOOT WORK shows brilliantly how a simple everyday object can shed light on the hidden costs of globalisation and environmental degradation -- OWEN JONESTansy is one of the sharpest and most committed analysts of the true cost of the stuff we own. FOOT WORK is an absorbing, meticulous and at times completely horrifying account of the shoes on our feet and how that supply chain is marching us towards an even more dystopian future, especially for the workers in the system. Read this and you will make better decisions about all fashion, and all consumer goods in the futureFrom the first cottage industries to the use of robots, from sneakerheads to Syrian refugees, and from the abattoir to homeworkers in Asia, FOOT WORK tackles all aspects of the shoe industry. But it does much more, too, by placing footwear manufacture in the wider context of globalisation, capitalism and consumerism. A superb primer on everything that is wrong with our world - and how we can start to change it * NEW INTERNATIONALIST *Makes a strong case for nothing less than a revolutionA book that hangs like a garment on a coat-hanger. A garment with many pockets. In the pockets numberless notes and remarks about clothes and history. Take it off the hanger and put it on. By which I mean - read it and walk through history -- JOHN BERGER on STITCHED UPAn incredible accomplishment -- SUSIE ORBACH on STITCHED UP

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Men's Fashion Reader brings together key writings in the history, culture and identity of men's fashion. The readings provide a balanced range of important methodological approaches, primary research and significant case studies. The book is organized into thematic sections covering topics such as history, theory, subculture, iconic items of clothing, consumption and the media. Each section is introduced and concludes with an annotated guide to further reading. With exciting illustrations of men's dress from a range of historical periods, and including readings from key scholars and new writers across a wide range of fields, The Men's Fashion Reader is the essential introduction to the subject. Introduction: The Field of Men's Fashion Part 1. A History of Men's Fashion Part 2. Masculinity and Sexuality Part 3. Icons: The Evolution of Men's Wear Part 4. Subculture Part 5. Consuming and Creating Style ConclusionTrade ReviewMen's interest in fashion and the role of fashion in constructing masculine identity have so far not been investigated in depth. The Men's Fashion Reader is an important work exploring all aspects of men and fashion - from design to production, communication and consumption. At last an ideal resource is available to scholars, students and professionals. -- Simona Segre Reinach, Iuav University, Venice Invaluable contributions to the field of fashion, dress and textile studies Social Anthropology/Anthropolgie Sociale This rich anthology leaves one asking 'How did we manage without?'. ... The Men's Fashion Reader provides a critical resource for fashion and cultural studies. Magazine for the University of Technology, Sydney Examining the history, culture and identity of men's fashion, The Men's Fashion Reader is an in-depth work exploring masculinity, the evolution of menswear, the rise of subculture and the era of consumption. An essential introduction for any man looking to explore the business and theory behind men's fashion. The Montebury MagazineTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Field of Men's Fashion Part 1: A History of Men's Fashion Section Introduction 1. From Black in Spain to Black in Shakespeare, John Harvey 2. The Three Piece Suit, David Kuchta 3. Macaroni Masculinities, Peter McNeil 4. Thomas Carlyle and 'Sartor Restartus', Michael Carter 5. Dandyism, Visual Games and the Strategies of Representation, Olga Vainshtein 6. A Tale of Three Louis: Ambiguity, Masculinity and the Bowtie, Rob Shields 7. Uniforms and the Creation of Ideal Masculinity, Elizabeth Hackspiel-Mikosch 8. Better and Brighter Clothes: The Men's Dress Reform Party, Barbara Burman Annotated Guide to Further Reading Part 2: Masculinity and Sexuality Section Introduction 9. California Casual: Lifestyle Marketing and Men's Leisure Wear, 1930-1960, William R. Scott 10. 'His Clothes': Fashionable Gay Masculinity and the Shopping Experience, London, 1950s-1970s, Clare Lomas 11. Uber Men: Fashionable Heroics and Masculine Style, Vicki Karaminas 12. The Italian Job: Football, Fashion and That Sarong, Stella Bruzzi 13. From Catwalk to Catalogue: Male Models, Masculinity and Identity, Joanne Entwistle 14. The Transvestite Continuum: Liberace-Valentino-Elvis, Marjorie Garber 15. Dragging It Up and Down: The Glamorised Male Body, Mark Simpson 16. Class, Race and Masculinity: The Superfly, The McDaddy and The Rapper, Del LaGrace Volcano and Judith Halberstam Annotated Guide to Further Reading Part 3: Icons: The Evolution of Men's Wear Section Introduction 17. The Genesis of the Suit, Anne Hollander 18. The Reinvention of Tailoring, Michael Zakim 19. The Japanese Suit and Modernity, Toby Slade 20. Clothes and the Modern Man in 1930s Oxford, Laura Ugolini 21. A Note: A Charismatic Art: The Balance of Ingratiation and Outrage in Contemporary Fashion, Richard Martin 22. Modern Masculinity and the Rise of School Uniforms, Jennifer Craik 23. Texas Livestock Auctions: A Folklife Ethnography, George A. Boeck, Jr 24. American Denim: Blue Jeans and Their Multiple Layers of Meaning, Beverley Gordon Annotated Guide to Further Reading Part 4: Subculture Section Introduction 25. The Zoot Suit: Its History and Influence, Holly Alford 26. Back to Africa: Reggae and Rastafarianism, Dick Hebdige 27. Cultural Responses to the Teds, Tony Jefferson 28. Rock, Fashion and Performativity, Noel McLaughlin 29. The Warhol Look, Mark Francis and Margery King 30. 'Macho Man': Clones and the Development of the Masculine Stereotype, Shaun Cole Annotated Guide to Further Reading Part 5: Consuming and Creating Style Section Introduction 31. Fashion and the Man: From Suburb to City Street. The Spaces of Masculine Consumption 1870-1914, Christopher Breward 32. Fashioning the Playboy: Messages of Style and Masculinity in the Pages of Playboy Magazine, 1953-1963, Becky Conekin 33. 'It was Style with a Capital 'S": Versions of Being Male Presented at the Beautillion Ball, Annette Lynch 34. New Men and New Markets, Frank Mort 35. Consuming Masculinities: Style, Content and Men's Magazines, Tim Edwards Annotated Guide to Further Reading Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen people encounter consumer goods—sugar, clothes, phones—they find little to no information about their origins. The goods will thus remain anonymous, and the labor that went into making them, the supply chain through which they traveled, will remain obscured. In this book, Tad Skotnicki argues that this encounter is an endemic feature of capitalist societies, and one with which consumers have struggled for centuries in the form of activist movements constructed around what he calls The Sympathetic Consumer. This book documents the uncanny similarities shared by such movements over the course of three centuries: the transatlantic abolitionist movement, US and English consumer movements around the turn of the twentieth century, and contemporary Fair Trade activism. Offering a comparative historical study of consumer activism the book shows, in vivid detail, how activists wrestled with the broader implications of commodity exchange. These activists arrived at a common understanding of the relationship between consumers, producers, and commodities, and concluded that consumers were responsible for sympathizing with invisible laborers. Ultimately, Skotnicki provides a framework to identify a capitalist culture by examining how people interpret everyday phenomena essential to it.Trade Review"A path-breaking work. This book contributes significantly to scholarship on consumer society and to broader debates about how to understand the economic culture of capitalism."—Lyn Spillman, University of Notre Dame"This fascinating comparative account reveals striking similarities and interesting differences between three social movements across two centuries. Skotnicki relates these to the form of capitalism itself, thus making the book an excellent companion for teaching Marx's Capital."—Andreas Glaeser, The University of Chicago"This book is a joy to read for many reasons, but mostly for its careful work in identifying the moral appeals of consumer activism and what the sympathetic consumer tells us about capitalism."—Caroline Heldman, American Journal of SociologyTable of Contents1. The Rise of the Sympathetic Consumer 2. Abolitionist Visions 3. Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century Visions 4. Practicing Sympathetic Consumption 5. Moral Arguments 6. The Sympathetic Consumer, Challenged 7. Whither the Sympathetic Consumer?

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffering a deeper understanding of today’s internet media and the management theory behind itPlatforms are everywhere. From social media to chat, streaming, credit cards, and even bookstores, it seems like almost everything can be described as a platform. In The Platform Economy, Marc Steinberg argues that the “platformization” of capitalism has transformed everything, and it is imperative that we have a historically precise, robust understanding of this widespread concept. Taking Japan as the key site for global platformization, Steinberg delves into that nation’s unique technological and managerial trajectory, in the process systematically examining every facet of the elusive word platform. Among the untold stories revealed here is that of the 1999 iPhone precursor, the i-mode: the world’s first widespread mobile internet platform, which became a blueprint for Apple and Google’s later dominance of the mobile market. Steinberg also charts the rise of social gaming giants GREE and Mobage, chat tools KakaoTalk, WeChat, and LINE, and video streaming site Niconico Video, as well as the development of platform theory in Japan, as part of a wider transformation of managerial theory to account for platforms as mediators of cultural life. Analyzing platforms’ immense impact on contemporary media such as video streaming, music, and gaming, The Platform Economy fills in neglected parts of the platform story. In narrating the rise and fall of Japanese platforms, and the enduring legacy of Japanese platform theory, this book sheds light on contemporary tech titans like Facebook, Google, Apple, and Netflix, and their platform-mediated transformation of contemporary life—it is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand what capitalism is today and where it is headed.Trade Review"By relocating the origins of the platform economy to Japan’s consumer technology industries of the 1990s, Marc Steinberg offers a powerful intervention into current debates about platformization. This is a book that challenges us to think differently about the business and culture of digital media."—Ramon Lobato, author of Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital Distribution"Phenomenal. Marc Steinberg rewrites the history of the platform economy. Moving beyond an exclusive focus on Silicon Valley, he demonstrates that a crucial part of this history can be found in 1990s Japan. Steinberg deftly traces the emergence of platform theory and practices around Docomo’s i-mode, exploring intersections with U.S. and French discourse, and ending with the global markets forged by iOS and Android."—Thomas Poell, coauthor of The Platform Society: Public Values in a Connective World"The American tech giants monopolize our attention in daily life; they also tend to hog the attention in technology criticism. Marc Steinberg offers a more expansive and nuanced analysis, showing that the ‘platform’ story did not begin in Silicon Valley and is not likely to end there. A rigorous, illuminating book."—Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, author of Personal Stereo"The impressive feat of Steinberg’s book is that it allows both interpretations of platformization to emerge: a fairer crediting of Japanese theories and practices as well as a fuller questioning of global media industry dominance."—Film Quarterly"Readers in many disciplines seeking to better understand how the Android and Apple iOS, Netflix, Amazon, and myriad other everyday commercial experiences have come to be, and how they may change or adapt in ways that Silicon Valley will not necessarily lead, can look to The Platform Economy for global insights and a nuanced analysis of the way words and worlds have been formed, in part, through Japanese iterations of platforms and contents."—The Journal of Popular Culture"The Platform Economy adds a significant dimension to the study of platforms and urges us to think deeply about platformization, as well as the multidirectionality of cultural circulation more broadly."—Critical Inquiry"An important contribution for recapitulating certain concepts in management theory and reconstructing the discursive formation of the term ‘platform.’"—Journal of Japanese Studies Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction1. Contents Discourse: A Platform Prelude2. Platform Typology: From Hardware to Contents3. The Japanese Genesis of Transactional Platform Theory4. Docomo’s i-mode and the Formatting of the Mobile Internet5. Platforms after i-mode: Dwango’s Niconico VideoConclusion: The Platformization of Regional Chat AppsAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThrough the lens of Chinese food, the authors address recent theories in social science concerning cultural identity, ethnicity, boundary formation, consumerism and globalization, and the invention of local cuisine in the context of rapid culture change in East and Southeast Asia.

Read more less

Book SynopsisProvides a definitive history of consumer activism. This title explores abolitionist-led efforts to eschew slave-made goods, African American consumer campaigns against Jim Crow, a 1930s refusal of silk from fascist Japan, and emerging contemporary movements like slow food.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGoes behind the scenes in two urban luxury hotels to give a picture of the workers who care for and cater to wealthy guests. This work offers an analysis of what the luxury service consists of, how managers organize its production, and how workers and guests negotiate the inequality between them.Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Introduction: Luxury Service and the New Economy 1. "Better Than Your Mother": The Luxury Product 2. Managing Autonomy 3. Games, Control, and Skill 4. Recasting Hierarchy 5. Reciprocity, Relationship, and Revenge 6. Producing Entitlement Conclusion: Class, Culture, and the Service Theater Appendix A: Methods Appendix B: Hotel Organization Appendix C: Jobs, Wages, and Nonmanagerial Workers in Each Hotel: 2000--2001 Notes References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to be young and Muslim today? There is a segment of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims that is more influential than any other, and will shape not just the future of Muslims, but also the world around them: meet 'Generation M'.From fashion magazines to social networking, the 'Mipsterz' to the 'Haloodies', halal internet dating to Muslim boy bands, Generation M are making their mark. Shelina Janmohamed, award-winning author and leading voice on Muslim youth, investigates this growing cultural phenomenon at a time when understanding the mindset of young Muslims is critical. With their belief in an identity encompassing both faith and modernity, Generation M are not only adapting to Western consumerism, but reclaiming it as their own.Trade Review'A crucial book at a critical time... A must-read' - Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent, 'A compelling account of today's young Muslim consumers' - Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, 'A fresh and insightful perspective' - Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and CEO of WPP, 'Unparalleled... For those within and concerned with modern Muslim communities'- Professor Reina Lewis, author of Muslim Fashion: Contemporary Style Cultures, 'A vivid account' - Farah Pandith, former Special Representative to Muslim CommunitiesTable of ContentsSalam, Generation M! Introduction: the rise of Generation M 5 Their influence as the ‘third billion’ and why we need to pay attention 5 Chapter 2: Global trends shaping the emergence of Generation M 12 Creativity born of constraints 12 Chapter 3: Meet Generation M! 24 Getting to know Generation M, what shapes them and the qualities that make them different 24 The rise of the global Muslim lifestyle Chapter 4: You had me at halal 38 Why 21st century halal is important for everyone 38 Chapter 5: the four F’s of Generation M’s ‘Muslim lifestyle’ 53 Food, finance, pharma and fun 53 Chapter 6: The digital ummah 68 How Dar al-Internet, real world and virtual technologies are enhancing community and religiosity 68 Culture: the new Muslim cool Chapter 7: God gave (halal) rock and roll to you 79 The soundtrack of Generation M 79 Chapter 8: Haloodies and hijabiliciousness 89 The language of Generation M 89 Chapter 9: What does a Muslim look like? And what catches their eye? 102 The visual identity, expression and semiotics for Generation M 102 Chapter 10: Superheroes, video games and branding 116 The tsunami of cultural expression hits our shores 116 The 21st century ummah Chapter 11: Celebrate good times (and remember the sad ones) 130 The big events of Muslim life 130 Chapter 12: Better together 148 From individual to ummah: sex, love, marriage, family and community 148 Chapter 13: Revolution unveiled 158 Generation M women at the forefront of faith and modernity 158 Chapter 14: Small but significant 176 The patriotic, proud and pioneering minorities of Generation M 176 The future: creating a dialogue Chapter 15: The ties that bind Generation M to the wider world 192 Culture, commerce and charity 192 Chapter 16: On the cutting edge 203 Generation M are the pioneers of global consumer trends 203 Chapter 17: Talk to us, we are alive! 217 Starting the conversation with Generation M 217

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe award-winning classic on why we must revolutionise the fashion industryTrade Review'Makes a strong case for nothing less than a revolution' -- Emma Watson, actor'An incredible accomplishment' -- Susie Orbach, author of 'Fat is a Feminist Issue''Interrogates today's fashion landscape with rigour - will make you view your wardrobe through a different lens' -- Lucy Siegle, author of 'Turning the Tide on Plastic''A masterclass in unpicking the threads of injustice, exploitation and oppression woven into our clothing. By joining the dots between fashion and capitalism, this is a route map to weave a different story for our clothing, our planet and its people' -- Asad Rehman, Executive Director of War on Want'Thoroughly researched with a reach extending both globally and historically, the book is packed with interesting examples, and Hoskins' engaging style makes it eminently readable' -- 'LSE Review of Books''A staple of contemporary fashion literature' -- ‘Austrian Fashion Association’'A classic read for all fashion students, and of course those interested in the politics of fashion. I will refer to my copy for a long time to come' -- Caryn Franklin MBE, fashion commentator and body image activist'A book that hangs like a garment on a coat-hanger. A garment with many pockets. In the pockets numberless notes and remarks about clothes and history. Take it off the hanger and put it on. By which I mean - read it and walk through history' -- John Berger'A controlled demolition, Hoskins uses facts to strip away the apparel trade's decorative exterior and then dynamites the foundations' -- 'Monthly Review''Once you see the fashion industry through Hoskins' anti-capitalist lens what lies behind cannot be unseen' -- 'Public Reading Rooms''A failure to imagine the end of capitalism goes hand-in-hand with a failure to imagine the end of fashion as a commodified sphere in which countless exploited workers labour so that the powerful can wear power-affirming garments. Hoskins' book does wonders to help its readers overcome both failures' -- Yanis VaroufakisTable of ContentsForeword by Andreja Pejić Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Owning It 2. The Fashion Media 3. Buyology 4. Stitching It 5. A Bitter Harvest 6. The Body Politic 7. Is Fashion Racist? 8. Resisting Fashion 9. Reforming Fashion 10. Revolutionising Fashion About the Illustrator Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisEthical consumption, fair trade, consumer protests, brand backlashes, green goods, boycotts and downshifting: these are all now familiar consumer activities - and in some cases, are almost mainstream. They are part of the expanding field of 'radical consumption' in a world where we are encouraged to shop for change.But just how radical are these forms of consumption? This book offers an interdisciplinary approach to examining contemporary radical consumption, analyzing its possibilities and problems, moralities, methods of mediation and its connections to wider cultural formations of production and politics. Jo Littler argues that we require a more expansive vocabulary and to open up new approaches of enquiry in order to understand the area's many contradictions, strengths and weaknesses. Drawing on a number of contemporary theories, terms and debates in media and cultural studies, she uses a range of specific case studies to bring theory to life.By analysing practices of radiTable of Contents1 Sanctimonious shopping? Ethical consumption as a ‘crisis of moralism’2 Cosmopolitanism caring:Globalisation, charity and the activist-consumer3 Greenwash, Whitewash, Hogwash?CSR and the media management of consumer concern 4 Interior economies: Anti-consumer activism and the limits of reflexivity5 Ecologies of green consumption

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less