Consumerism Books

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Book SynopsisPublic alarm about the spate of recent product recalls, particularly of toys and other products used by children, has focused attention on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This book provides an overview of the prior authority of the CPSC to establish consumer product safety standards and to inspect and recall unsafe consumer products. This book also describes the new requirements for certification and testing and the effect of the stay of enforcement of these requirements announced by the CPSC, certain new safety standards established by the CPSIA and related implementation actions and issues. In addition, the authors assessed injury and death data sources used by CPSC, compared CPSC''s consumer education efforts with key practices, and interviewed federal officials and groups representing the health and consumer interests of minority populations. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

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Book SynopsisSince the 1940s Americans and Britons have come to enjoy an era of rising material abundance. Yet this has been accompanied by a range of social and personal disorders, including family breakdown, addiction, mental instability, crime, obesity, inequality, economic insecurity, and declining trust. Avner Offer argues that well-being has lagged behind affluence in these societies, because they present an environment in which consistent choices are difficult to achieve over different time ranges and in which the capacity for personal and social commitment is undermined by the flow of novelty. His approach draws on economics and social science, makes use of the latest cognitive research, and provides a detailed and reasoned critique of modern consumer society, especially the assumption that freedom of choice necessarily maximizes individual and social well-being. The book falls into three parts. Part one analyses the ways in which economic resources map on to human welfare, why choice is soTrade ReviewAvner Offer's latest sparkling and intellectually pugnacious contribution to his protean bibliography represents a tour de force of scholarship and provocative argument... this is an enormously rich and highly penetrating and stimulating study, based on vast and perceptive reading and research. It is also novel in its substance and approach. * Barry Supple, The English Historical Review *An intriguing book...one of Britain's most subtle thinkers about how we live now. * Will Hutton, The Observer *[A] powerful argument... This is a book that uses the tools of economics to illuminate the myopic lens through which economics views the world. * Barry Schwartz, London Review of Books *Avner Offer inserts a moral dimension into the study of economic history that has been missing since R.H. Tawney, offering a warning of the undesirable consequences of the pursuit of individual self-interest. * M.J. Daunton, Economic History Review *...an intelligent, original, provocative, and moralistic book which should make historians think extremely seriously about important questions, even if they find themselves in disagreement with his approach. * M.J. Daunton, Economic History Review *This insightful book provides a fresh and refreshing new look at life in the United States and Britain over the past half century...provides invaluable insights. * John F Helliwell, EH.NET *A brilliantly argued book. * William Skidelsky, Prospect *..always fascinating and thought provoking, Offer's range of reference is remarkably broad. He travels confidently across the social-science spectrum. * Howard Davies, THES *In the 1960s and 1970s, economists started worrying about environmental and social limits to growth. Avner Offer has added a weighty new critique to this tradition. * The Economist *The book is an invaluable source of information on changing attitudes and practices in the US and Britain since the end of the second world war. * Samuel Brittan, Financial Times *an uncompromising work of scholarship * Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator *...diligently and readably exposes the extent to which the past 25 years have forced people in the English-speaking world to believe that there is no alternative to dual-income workaholic consumerism, the "hedonic treadmill". * Oliver James, The Guardian *Sceptics who want some political muscle behind the diagnosis of our discontents will enjoy Avner Offer's account of why more means worse... * Boyd Tonkin and Christina Patterson, The Independent *Offer makes many compelling and interesting arguments that are backed by a wealth of data and analysis. * Charles Kenny, Business History Review *This is a wide, wise, and careful book. * Joy Parr, Journal of Economic History *Offer's narrative of a complex and difficult topic is masterful. * Barnaby Marsh, Economic and Human Biology *Offer's analysis of the complex relationship between economic markets and relationships and non-economic dynamics such as love, regard and esteem, and the impact of affluence on these interrelated systems, is superb. * Helen Laville, The Americas *The experience of reading The Challenge of Affluence is suffused with a pervasive suspicion that this might just be one of the most important books you have read. * Tim Jackson, Social Policy and Administration *a fascinating, ambitious, wide-ranging, freewheeling, and sometimes exasperating book about the perils of affluence. * Bruce G. Carruthers, American Journal of Sociology *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Introduction ; PART ONE: EVALUATING AFFLUENCE ; 2. Economic Welfare Measures and Human Well-Being ; 3. Passions and Interests: Self-Control and Well-Being ; 4. Myopic and Rational Choice ; 5. Between the Gift and the Market: The Economy of Regard ; PART TWO: IN THE MARKETPLACE ; 6. The Mask of Intimacy: Advertising and Well-Being ; 7. Epidemics of Abundance: Body-Weight and Self-Control ; 8. Household Appliances and the Use of Time ; 9. The American Automobile Frenzy of the 1950s ; 10. Driving Prudently: American and European ; PART THREE: SELF AND OTHERS ; 11. Affluence and the Pursuit of Status ; 12. Inequality Hurts ; 13. All You Need is Love? Mating since the 1950s ; 14. Women and Children Last: The Ebbing of Commitment ; 15. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisIn the first half of the twentieth century, Theodor Adorno wrote about the 'culture industry'. For Adorno, culture too along with the products of factory labour was increasingly becoming a commodity. Now, in what they call the 'global culture industry', Scott Lash and Celia Lury argue that Adorno's worst nightmares have come true.Trade Review“A fascinating set of accounts of the changing role and meaning of selected ‘cultural objects’.” Area “Their empirical work is thorough and detailed, with each chapter providing a rich description of the history, life, and geography of the cultural object in question.” British Journal of Sociology “Scott Lash and Celia Lury reconceptualize our understanding of cultural industries in the context of globalization. By analysing and documenting the shift from representation to objects in contemporary production of meaning, they open new avenues for research on communication and culture: things materialize our imaginary, we communicate through objects. This pathbreaking study will stimulate the intellectual debate for years to come.” Manuel Castells, University of Southern California, Los Angeles “Scott Lash and Celia Lury throw down the gauntlet to liberal and Marxist economic and cultural theory. They discover meaning-making at the centre of both production and consumption. Totems rule the marketplace, and popular culture generates, displaces and energizes iconic brands. The circulation of economic value has become a conversation between symbolic things. Deeply researched and theoretically sophisticated, Global Culture Industry is an important book.” Jeffrey Alexander, Yale University “By tracing the lives of a series of cultural objects, Lash and Lury analyse with great insight how, in our age of globalization, culture comes to play an ever more central and intense role in economic production. In the process, they revise powerfully our traditional notions of the culture industry.” Michael Hardt, co-author of Empire and MultitudeTable of Contents1. Introduction: Global Culture Industry. 2. Method: Ontology, Movement, Mapping. 3. The Biography of Euro 96: Branding the Event. 4. Art as Concept/Art as Media/Art as Life. 5. The Thingification of the Media: Animism and Animation. 6. The Mediation of Things: In Medias Res. 7. Flow: The Practices and Properties of Circulation. 8. Image, Markets and Display in Brazil. 9. Conclusion: Virtual Objects and the Social Imaginary.

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Book SynopsisThis text examines the claims and counterclaims of scientists, manufacturers, retailers, politicians and consumers from the discovery of vitamins in the early 20th-century. It reveals the issues that have propelled the industry, and the ambivalence of Americans towards the authority of science.Table of ContentsIntroduction: "Perhaps your diet is too modern": the discovery of avitaminosis "They need it now": popular science and advertising in the interwar period "To protect the interest of the public": vitamins, marketing, and research "Superior knowledge": pharmacists, grocers, physicians, and Linus Pauling Miles one-a-day: the history of a vitamin dynasty Acnotabs: scientific evidence in the marketplace "Millions of consumers are being misled": the Food and Drug Administration and consumer protection "Preserve our health freedom": science in consumer politics "Intensity" makes the difference: vitamins in the political process Conclusion: vitamania?: vitamins in late twentieth-century United States

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Book SynopsisAmerican ideals and models feature prominently in the master narrative of post-war European consumer societies. This book demonstrates that Europeans did not appropriate a homogenous notion of America, rather post-war European consumption was a process of selective appropriation of American elements.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Per Lundin 1. Negotiating American Modernity in Twentieth-century Europe; Mary Nolan 2. Americanization as Creolized Imagery: The Statue of Liberty During the Cold War; David Nye 3. Forging Europe's Foodways: The American Challenge; Karin Zachmann 4. Tackling Norwegian Cold: The Breakthrough of Home Freezing; Terje Finstad, Stig Kvaal, and Per Østby 5. Americanization and Authenticity: Italian Food Products and Practices in the 1950s and 1960s; Emanuela Scarpellini 6. Love and Hate in Industrial Design: Europe's Design Professionals and America in the 1950s; Kjetil Fallan 7. Confronting the Lure of American Tourism: Modern Accommodation in the Netherlands; Adri A. Albert de la Bruhèze 8. Exploring European Travel: The Swedish Package Tour; Thomas Kaiserfeld 9. Coping with Cars, Families, and Foreigners: Swedish Postwar Tourism; Per Lundin

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Book SynopsisWe constantly hear about 'the consumer'. The 'consumer' has become a ubiquitous person in public discourse and academic research, but who is this person? The Making of the Consumer is the first interdisciplinary study that follows the evolution of the consumer in the modern world, ranging from imperial Britain to contemporary Papua New Guinea, and from the European Union to China. It makes a novel contribution by broadening the study of consumption from a focus on goods and symbols to the changing role and identity of consumers. Offering a historically informed picture of the rise of the consumer to its current prominence, authors discuss the consumer in relation to citizenship and ethics, law and economics, media, work and retailing.Contributors include:Donald Winch (University of Sussex)Frank Trentmann (Birkbeck College, University of London)Vanessa Taylor (Birkbeck College, University of London)Marie-Emmanuelle Chessel (CNRS: Centre de Recherches Historiques, cole des Hautes tudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris)Michelle Everson (Birkbeck College, University of London)Erika Rappaport (University of California, Santa Barbara)Uwe Spiekermann (Georg-August University, Gttingen)Jos Gamble (Royal Holloway University)Stephen Kline (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada)Frank Mort (University of Manchester)Ina Merkel (Philipps-Universitt, Marburg, Germany)James G. Carrier (Indiana University and Oxford Brookes University)Ben Fine (SOAS: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London)Trade Review'At a time when it has become commonplace to accept 'the consumer' as a timeless and neutral concept, it is vital to question just when, where and how this particular figure appeared. An exciting and important collection that leads consumption studies forward into new territory, this book offers highly relevant and engaged social science which will have a broad appeal.'Professor Richard Wilk, Gender Studies and Anthropology, Indiana University, USA'Epitomizes the maturity reached by consumer studies. Framed by a far-reaching introduction, the wide-ranging and original essays develop a much-needed genealogical approach to the development of the consumer as a contested social figure embedded both in everyday life and in commercial and public knowledge.'Dr. Roberta Sassatelli, Department of Communication Studies, University of Bologna, Italy'This bracing collection arrives at a crucial moment in the development of consumption studies. It demonstrates the benefits and tensions tTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Knowing Consumers: Histories, Identities, Practices: An Introduction Frank Trentmann (Birkbeck College, University of London) Part One Defining Consumers: Consumers in Economics, Law and Civil Society 2. The Problematic Status of the Consumer in Orthodox Economic Thought Donald Winch (University of Sussex) 3. From Users to Consumers: Water Politics in Nineteenth-Century London Frank Trentmann (Birkbeck College, University of London) and Vanessa Taylor (Birkbeck College, University of London) 4. Women and the Ethics of Consumption in France at the Turn of the Twentieth Century Marie-Emmanuelle Chessel (CNRS: Centre de Recherches Historiques, cole des Hautes tudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France) 5. Legal Constructions of the Consumer Michelle Everson (Birkbeck College, University of London) Part Two Commercial Relations: Retailers, Experts, and the Contested Consumer 6. Packaging China: Foreign Articles and Dangerous Tastes in the Mid-Victorian Tea Party Erika Rappaport (University of California, Santa Barbara) 7. From Neighbour to Consumer: The Transformation of Retailer-Consumer Relationships in Twentieth-Century Germany Uwe Spiekermann (Georg-August University, Goettingen) 8. Consumers with Chinese Characteristics? Local Customers in British and Japanese Multinational Stores in Contemporary China Jos Gamble (Royal Holloway University) 9. A Becoming Subject: Consumer Socialization in the Mediated Marketplace Stephen Kline (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada) Part Three Reframing Consumers and Consumption: Contemporary Culture and Political Economy 10. Competing Domains: Democratic Subjects and Consuming Subjects in Britain and the United States since 1945 Frank Mort (University of Manchester) 11. From Stigma to Cult: Changing Meanings in East German Consumer Culture Ina Merkel (Philipps-Universitt, Marburg, Germany) 12. The Limits of Culture: Political Economy and the Anthropology of Consumption James G. Carrier (Indiana University and Oxford Brookes University) 13. Addressing the Consumer Ben Fine (SOAS: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) Index

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Book SynopsisOver the past few generations, expectations of comfort, cleanliness and convenience have altered radically, but these dramatic changes have largely gone unnoticed. This intriguing book brings together the sociology of consumption and technology to investigate the evolution of these changes, as well the social meaning of the practices themselves. Homes, offices, domestic appliances and clothes play a crucial role in our lives, but not many of us question exactly how and why we perform so many daily rituals associated with them. Showers, heating, air-conditioning and clothes washing are simply accepted as part of our normal, everyday lives, but clearly this was not always the case. When did the daily shower become de rigueur? What effect has air conditioning had on the siesta at one time an integral part of Mediterranean life and culture? This book interrogates the meaning and supposed normality of these practices and draws disturbing conclusions. There is clear evidence supporting the view that routine consumption is controlled by conceptions of normality and profoundly shaped by cultural and economic forces. Shove maintains that habits are not just changing, but are changing in ways that imply escalating and standardizing patterns of consumption. This shrewd and engrossing analysis shows just how far the social meanings and practices of comfort, cleanliness and convenience have eluded us.Trade Review'Elizabeth Shove has delivered a refreshing and high quality piece of work that can be expected to have a lasting impact on the research agenda of the sociology of consumption...The book also offers a refreshing sort of methodological perspective to the study of everyday life.'Sociology Journal'Conceptually rich and strikingly original. With close attention to the most mundane of human activities and their objects, she advances both social theory and the cause of environmental reform.'Harvey Molotch, Professor of Sociology and Metropolitan Studies, New York University

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Book Synopsis'Life has become more joyous, comrades.' Josef Stalin, 1936Stalin's Russia is best known for its political repression, forced collectivization and general poverty. Caviar with Champagne presents an altogether different aspect of Stalin's rule that has never been fully analyzed - the creation of a luxury goods society. At the same time as millions were queuing for bread and starving, drastic changes took place in the cultural and economic policy of the country, which had important consequences for the development of Soviet material culture and the promotion of its ideals of consumption.The 1930s witnessed the first serious attempt to create a genuinely Soviet commercial culture that would rival the West. Government ministers took exploratory trips to America to learn about everything from fast food hamburgers to men's suits in Macy's. The government made intricate plans to produce high-quality luxury goods en masse, such as chocolate, caviar, perfume, liquor and assorted novelties. Perhaps the best symbol of this new cultural order was Soviet Champagne, which launched in 1936 with plans to produce millions of bottles by the end of the decade. Drawing on previously neglected archival material, Jukka Gronow examines how such new pleasures were advertised and enjoyed. He interprets Soviet-styled luxury goods as a form of kitsch and examines the ideological underpinnings behind their production.This new attitude toward consumption was accompanied by the promotion of new manners of everyday life. The process was not without serious ideological contradictions. Ironically, a factory worker living in the United States - the largest capitalist society in the world - would have been hard-pressed to afford caviar or champagne for a special occasion in the 1930s, but a Soviet worker theoretically could (assuming supplies were in stock). The Soviet example is unique since the luxury culture had to be created entirely from scratch, and the process was taken extremely serioTrade Review'Jukka Gronow describes the development in the hungry 1930s of a Soviet rhetoric of cultured living that privileged luxury commodities like champagne, caviar and perfume ... The thorough research in the archives it is based on makes Caviar with Champagne useful to scholars, and general readers will enjoy its vivid illustrations.'London Review of Books 'Jukka Gronow has applied his mastery of the every-day economy and taste cultures to the bewildering world of Stalinist consumerism. In an engaging style, he expertly explains how a luxury goods market came about in a socialist state in the midst of widespread poverty in the 1930s. Both Russians and foreign visitors familiar with Sovetskoe Shampanskoe and the old Soviet department stores and food and fashion shops will enjoy a thrill of discovery about their origins.' Richard Stites, Professor of History, Georgetown University'An excellent and innovative contribution to the study of consumer culture. By exploring in detail the

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Book SynopsisBased primarily on a former coal-mining village in Northeast England, this book explores practices of inhabitation, from moving in or being modernized to the daily accommodation of sleep and children. It provides a demonstration of what happens to consumption research when it comes home and is positioned not in sites of exchange but within the hom

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Book SynopsisExamines the translation of classical Hollywood into Disney's feature films from a Deleuzian perspective. This book retells the emergence of Disney animation and classical Hollywood cinema from the perspective of affect and the embodied modes of generating affection.

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Book SynopsisObject Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.The haunted doll has long been a trope in horror movies, but like many fears, there is some truth at its heart. Dolls are possessedby our aspirations. They''re commonly used as a tool to teach mothering to young girls, but more often they are avatars of the idealized feminine self. (The word doll even acts as shorthand for a desirable woman.) They instruct girls what to strive for in society, reinforcing dominant patriarchal, heteronormative, white views around class, bodies, history, and celebrity, in insidious ways. Girls' dolls occupy the opposite space of boys' action figures, which represent masculinity, authority, warfare, and conflict. By analyzing dolls from 17th century Japanese Hinamatsuri festivals, to the 80s American Girl Dolls, and even to today's bitmoji, Doll reveals how the objects society encourages us to play with as girls shape the women we become.Object LessonsTrade ReviewSome of the information is jaw dropping ... It is very readable and relatable. * Is This Mutton blog *The fascinating facts [Hart] uncovered about the women behind the industry and her observations about how dolls are emotional vectors—simultaneously objects of scorn and adoration—are revelatory and relatable. * Brevity *Maria Teresa Hart’s Doll is a fascinating personal and public exploration of the deeper meanings behind the plastic, polymer, and porcelain playthings that still shape American girlhood. * Susan Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of Unhooked, Five Men Who Broke My Heart, and Barbie: Sixty Years of Inspiration *Doll is a heartfelt, intimate, and clever study of objects that terrify some and thrill others. Maria Teresa Hart answers the question "what makes dolls so special, anyway?" while giving us new perspective on these tiny, fragile mirrors. * Allison Horrocks, co-host of the American Girls podcast *Aqua once sang of Barbie, “life in plastic, it’s fantastic.” The same could also be said of the experience of reading this great contribution by Maria Teresa Hart to the Object Lessons series. Through an analysis of “doll culture” Hart demonstrates the value of thinking with things. Dolls have much to teach us about issues of gender, sexuality, and girlhood. Through an exploration of different brands and styles, Hart reveals the stories we tell with and about dolls, and what thinking about them can tell us about our world. * Mary Mahoney, co-host of the American Girls podcast *Entertaining and brilliant, this deceptively slim book packs all the potent drama and intrigue of the world of childhood doll play itself. A fascinating exploration of self and society that is equal parts enlightening, nostalgic, and insightful. An important addition to the literature of feminist cultural history that readers are bound to return to again and again. * Summer Brennan, author of High Heel *Another spectacular part of this (Object Lessons) series. So much packed into such a small package, and yet so immensely readable as well. * Randomly Yours, Alex *Table of ContentsIntroduction Play Date #1 1. Bodies that Matter: The Barbie Doll Play Date #2 2. All that Money Can Buy: The Porcelain Doll Play Date #3 3. The Stories We Tell: The American Girl Doll Play Date #4 4. How to Live Forever: The Celebrity Doll Play Date #5 5. Virtual Proxy: The Avatar “Doll” Conclusion Acknowledgment Index

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Book SynopsisDrawing upon fieldwork conducted over 30 years, the author to this text examines the Sri Lankan advertising industry to show how executives draw on their skills as folk ethnographers to Sri Lankanize commodities and practices to make them locally desirable, essentially creating new culture.

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Book SynopsisIn Cote d'Ivoire, appearing modern is so important for success that many young men deplete their already meager resources to project an illusion of wealth. The author argues that they engage a global hierarchy that is profoundly modern, one that values performance over authenticity - highlighting the counterfeit nature of modernity itself.Trade Review"The Modernity Bluff takes its place comfortably with the best writing on African youth, cities, and popular culture - Cole, De Boeck, Mbembe, Nyamanjoh, Simone, Weiss, White - and gives an utterly original angle for understanding the cultural underpinnings of the current conflict in Cote d'Ivoire. Sasha Newell knows both the contemporary and classic Africanist literatures. He also brings to bear a considerable amount of specialist theory to explain the ways the performance of 'bluff,' seemingly a king of consumerist simulacrum, can actually create something out of nothing." (Mike McGovern, Yale University)"

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Book SynopsisIn Cote d'Ivoire, appearing modern is so important for success that many young men deplete their already meager resources to project an illusion of wealth. The author argues that they engage a global hierarchy that is profoundly modern, one that values performance over authenticity - highlighting the counterfeit nature of modernity itself.Trade Review"The Modernity Bluff takes its place comfortably with the best writing on African youth, cities, and popular culture - Cole, De Boeck, Mbembe, Nyamanjoh, Simone, Weiss, White - and gives an utterly original angle for understanding the cultural underpinnings of the current conflict in Cote d'Ivoire. Sasha Newell knows both the contemporary and classic Africanist literatures. He also brings to bear a considerable amount of specialist theory to explain the ways the performance of 'bluff,' seemingly a kind of consumerist simulacrum, can actually create something out of nothing." (Mike McGovern, Yale University)"

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Book SynopsisSpeculative Communities investigates the financial world’s influence on the social imagination, unraveling its radical effects on our personal and political lives.Trade Review"Speculative Communities is a masterful critique of the financialisastion of everyday life, which provides an innovative account of the role of speculation and uncertainty in shaping the way we understand, and act within, the world. Komporozos-Athanasiou masterfully blends economic theory with political and sociological analysis to deliver a fascinating reading of how finance has colonised our imaginations, and the challenges this process poses to movements seeking to construct a collective sense of what life beyond capitalism might look like. Speculative Communities is both a novel and exciting academic contribution, and a critical reference point for those seeking to organise in a world defined by the logic of speculation."--Grace Blakeley, author of Stolen: How to Save the World From FinancialisationTable of ContentsKey Terms Introduction Part 1: Speculation: Finance and Capitalism 1. The Rise of Speculative Communities 2. A Genealogy of Speculative Imagination: Old Spirits of Capitalism Part 2: Spectacle: Finance and Society 3. Speculative Technologies and the New Homo speculans 4. Speculative Intimacies Part 3: Specter: Finance and Polity 5. Financialized Populism and New Nationalisms 6. Counter-speculations Conclusions Acknowledgments Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisSpeculative Communities investigates the financial world’s influence on the social imagination, unraveling its radical effects on our personal and political lives.Trade Review"Speculative Communities is a masterful critique of the financialisastion of everyday life, which provides an innovative account of the role of speculation and uncertainty in shaping the way we understand, and act within, the world. Komporozos-Athanasiou masterfully blends economic theory with political and sociological analysis to deliver a fascinating reading of how finance has colonised our imaginations, and the challenges this process poses to movements seeking to construct a collective sense of what life beyond capitalism might look like. Speculative Communities is both a novel and exciting academic contribution, and a critical reference point for those seeking to organise in a world defined by the logic of speculation."--Grace Blakeley, author of Stolen: How to Save the World From FinancialisationTable of ContentsKey Terms Introduction Part 1: Speculation: Finance and Capitalism 1. The Rise of Speculative Communities 2. A Genealogy of Speculative Imagination: Old Spirits of Capitalism Part 2: Spectacle: Finance and Society 3. Speculative Technologies and the New Homo speculans 4. Speculative Intimacies Part 3: Specter: Finance and Polity 5. Financialized Populism and New Nationalisms 6. Counter-speculations Conclusions Acknowledgments Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisAn All-Consuming Century is a rich history of how market goods came to dominate American life over the hundred years between 1900 and 2000 and why for the first time in history there are no practical limits to consumerism.Trade ReviewThe best survey yet written of the history of modern American consumer society... Avoiding the extremes of celebration and condemnation that too often pass for analysis, Cross's searching book is imbued with a generous concern for the revival of an active, democratic and participatory public sphere. -- Lawrence B. Glickman The Nation Cross shows how 'private, widespread and ephemeral commodity culture'has altered daily life, 'especially how people relate to nature and to one another.'The author of fine historical studies of various aspects of consumer culture, Cross is particularly well placed to undertake such a daunting task. Journal of American History By telling the story of how consumerism trumped social forces from Prohibition to the Simplicity movement, Cross brilliantly re-evaluates the bonds of family and community sold off to pay for the stuff with which we now populate our lives. San Francisco Chronicle It takes a historian to provide an appreciation of how far Americans have wandered from the days when consumerism was slightly suspect, and Gary Cross is superbly up to the task. -- Alan Wolfe The New Republic Cross has done prodigious work on the era that redefined the pursuit of happiness as the unbounded desire for goods. Building on an impressive range of scholarship, he lays out the sinews of a dazzling 100 years of American productivity chock full of the economic equivalents of flying rugs and magic lamps. -- Tom Engelhardt Los Angeles Times Book Review [An] absorbing cultural history of how Americans' personal and public identities have evolved in relationship with consumer goods. Publishers Weekly This readable modern history is enlivened. The Economist Thought-provoking... Cross has offered a perceptive view of how American identities have evolved and are perceived in relation to a thriving consumer culture. -- Margaret Walsh, University of Nottingham History The great merit of this book is that it characterizes consumerism as a social and political force. Unlike many critics who simply reduce consumerism to the individual pursuit of material comfort, Cross casts it as a compelling ideology that concretely expresses the major ideals that have guided the last century: liberty and democracy. -- Norman Wirzba Christian ReflectionTable of ContentsPreface 1. The Irony of a Century 2. Setting the Course, 1900--1930 3. Promises of More, 1930--1960 4. Coping with Abundance 5. A New Consumerism, 1960--1980 6. Markets Triumphant, 1980--2000 7. An Ambiguous Legacy Index

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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

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Book SynopsisA Year Without Made in China provides you with a thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining account of how the most populous nation on Earth influences almost every aspect of our daily lives. Drawing on her years as an award-winning journalist, author Sara Bongiorni fills this book with engaging stories and anecdotes of her family''s attempt to outrun China''s reachby boycotting Chinese made productsand does a remarkable job of taking a decidedly big-picture issue and breaking it down to a personal level.Table of ContentsForeword ix Acknowledgments xiii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE Farewell, My Concubine 5 CHAPTER TWO Red Shoes 31 CHAPTER THREE Rise and China 47 CHAPTER FOUR Manufacturing Dissent 63 CHAPTER FIVE A Modest Proposal 79 CHAPTER SIX Mothers of Invention 95 CHAPTER SEVEN Summer of Discontent 111 CHAPTER EIGHT Red Tide 127 CHAPTER NINE China Dreams 141 CHAPTER TEN Meltdown 155 CHAPTER ELEVEN The China Season 175 CHAPTER TWELVE Road’s End 191 Epilogue 219 About the Author 229 Index 231

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive review of the techniques and applications of descriptive analysis Sensory evaluation is a scientific discipline used to evoke, measure, analyse and interpret responses to products perceived through the senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. It is used to reveal insights into the ways in which sensory properties drive consumer acceptance and behaviour, and to design products that best deliver what the consumer wants. Descriptive analysis is one of the most sophisticated, flexible and widely used tools in the field of sensory analysis. It enables objective description of the nature and magnitude of sensory characteristics for use in consumer-driven product design, manufacture and communication. Descriptive Analysis in Sensory Evaluation provides a comprehensive overview of a wide range of traditional and recently-developed descriptive techniques, including history, theory, practical considerations, statistical analysis, applications, case studies and future Table of ContentsEditor Biographies, ix List of Contributors, xi Preface to the Series, xv Preface, xix Section 1: Introduction 1 Introduction to Descriptive Analysis, 3Sarah E. Kemp, May Ng, Tracey Hollowood and Joanne Hort 2 General Considerations, 41Sylvie Issanchou 3 Setting Up and Training a Descriptive Analysis Panel, 81Margaret A. Everitt 4 Panel Quality Management: Performance, Monitoring and Proficiency, 113Carol Raithatha and Lauren Rogers 5 Statistical Analysis of Descriptive Data, 165Anne Hasted Section 2: Techniques 6 Consensus Methods for Descriptive Analysis, 213Edgar Chambers IV 7 Original Flavor and Texture Profile and Modified/Derivative Profile Descriptive Methods, 237Alejandra M. Muñoz and Patricia A. Keane 8 Quantitative Descriptive Analysis, 287Joel L. Sidel, Rebecca N. Bleibaum and K.W. Clara Tao 9 Spectrum™ Method, 319Clare Dus, Lee Stapleton, Amy Trail, Annlyse Retiveau Krogmann and Gail Vance Civille 10 Quantitative Flavour Profiling, 355Sophie Davodeau and Christel Adam 11 A5daptive Profile Method®, 389Alejandra M. Muñoz 12 Ranking and Rank-Rating, 447Graham Cleaver 13 Free Choice Profiling, 493Pieter H. Punter 14 Flash Profile Method, 513Wender L.P. Bredie, Jing Liu, Christian Dehlholm and Hildegarde Heymann 15 Projective Mapping & Sorting Tasks, 535Dominique Valentin, Sylvie Chollet, Michael Nestrud and Hervé Abdi 16 Polarized Sensory Positioning, 561Gastón Ares, Lucía Antúnez, Luis de Saldamando and Ana Giménez 17 Check-All-That-Apply and Free Choice Description, 579Dominic Buck and Sarah E. Kemp Section 3: Applications 18 Application of Descriptive Sensory Analysis to Food and Drink Products, 611Cindy Beeren 19 Application of Descriptive Analysis to Non-Food Products, 647Anne Churchill and Ruth Greenaway Section 4: Summary 20 Comparison of Descriptive Analysis Methods, 681Alejandra M.

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Book SynopsisExploring complex webs of local consumer demands that affected patterns of exchange and production as far away as India and the United States, this book challenges presumptions that Africa's global relationships have always been dictated by outsiders.Trade Review"Domesticating the World comes at an important moment in the development of globalization studies." -- Jessica Lynn Achberger World History Bltn "This is truly a remarkable and important book. It is extremely well written, includes some wonderful pictures and illustrations, and is very accessible and engaging for scholars and students." -- Dorothy L. Hodgson American Historical Review "The breadth and methodological approach, along with the singularity of its content, make this book a highly necessary addition to the ever-growing body of scholarship on globalization." Journal Of World HistoryTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction: Histories and Globality 1. Similitude and Global Relationships: Self-Representation in Mutsamudu 2. The Social Logics of Need: Consumer Desire in Mombasa 3. The Global Repercussions of Consumerism: East African Consumers and Industrialization 4. Cosmopolitanism and Cultural Domestication: Consumer Imports in Zanzibar 5. Symbolic Subjection and Social Rebirth: Objectification in Urban Zanzibar 6. Picturesque Contradictions: New Taxonomies of East Africa Conclusion Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTasty, convenient, and cheap, instant noodles are one of the most remarkable industrial foods ever. Consumed around the world by millions, they appeal to young and old, affluent and impoverished alike. This title examines the history, manufacturing, marketing, and consumption of instant noodles.Trade Review"Three anthropologists, intrigued by the presence of instant noodles everywhere from the wealthiest college campuses to the poorest cities of the developing world, decided to chronicle the food’s emergence in Japan, the United States, and Papua New Guinea. In their new book, The Noodle Narratives: The Global Rise of an Industrial Food into the Twenty-First Century, Deborah Gewertz of Amherst College, Frederick Errington of Trinity College, and Tatsuro Fujikura at Kyoto University show just how much can depend on one affordable, portable, dehydrated food." * Boston Globe *"Ask about the foods that have conquered the world and you're likely to hear about Coca-Cola and McDonald's Big Macs. But the most successful industrial food ever produced flies far under the radar. And it has finally been outed by three anthropologists in a fascinating new book The Noodle Narratives, which analyzes the precipitous rise—or "brilliant career," as the authors say—of instant ramen, from its birth in postwar Japan to its sales of just over 100 billion servings worldwide in 2012." * The Salt *"This book is a tour of the past, present and future of "one of the most remarkable industrial foods ever,” and makes the case that its humble role will become even more important in feeding an increasingly huge human population." * Food Management *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations and Table Acknowledgments Introduction: Instant Noodles as Quotidian and Ubiquitous 1. The Taste of Something Good 2. Japanese Instant Noodles in the Market and on the Mind 3. What Instant Noodles Reflect and Affect in America 4. Instant Noodles for the Bottom of the Pyramid in Papua New Guinea 5. Making (and Unmaking?) a Big Food World Conclusion: Big Food for a Huge Population? Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisExplores the very meaning of happiness and prosperity in America. This title explains how increased concentrations of income and wealth at the top of the economic pyramid have set off expenditure cascades that raise the cost of achieving many basic goals for the middle class.Trade Review"A compact example of a professional economist brilliantly deploying the tools of social science to illuminate the human condition.” * New York Times *"This is an excellent book, written in an easy, understandable manner, alive with important examples of how our society spends its money and who are the winners and losers." * Booklist *“Falling Behind is a short book in pages, but not in insight or wisdom. If you have not read a previous Frank book, now is the time.” * BeyondChron *Table of ContentsPreface to the 2013 Edition Preface to the 2007 Edition 1. Introduction 2. Recent Changes in Income and Wealth Inequality 3. Inequality, Happiness, and Health 4. Envy or Context? 5. The Rising Cost of Adequate 6. Why Do We Care about Rank? 7. What Types of Consumption Are Most Sensitive to Context? 8. How Can Middle-Class Families Afford to Keep Up? 9. Smart for One, Dumb for All 10. Looking Ahead 11. Lessons for Public Policy 12. Reflections Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisPicture a familiar scene: long lines of shoppers waiting to check out at the grocery store, carts filled to the brim with the week's food. While many might wonder what is in each cart, Andrew Warnes implores us to consider the symbolism of the cart itself. In his inventive new book, Warnes examines how the everyday shopping cart is connected to a complex web of food production and consumption that has spread from the United States throughout the world. Today, shopping carts represent choice and autonomy for consumers, a recognizable American way of life that has become a global phenomenon. This succinct and and accessible book provides an excellent overview of consumerism and the globalization of American culture.Trade Review"Warnes shows us how globalization, mechanized farming, refrigeration, and mass consumerism affect the way world consumers shop for food in supermarkets and how the global industrial food system encourages consumers to overeat." * Gastronomica *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Entrance 1. Inside Views 2. Aristocratic Baskets 3. In the Supermarket 4. The Late Cart 5. Carts UnchainedExit Notes Acknowledgments Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBauman urges us to think in new ways about a newly flexible, newly challenging modern world. In an era of routine travel, where most people circulate widely, the inherited beliefs that aid our thinking about the world have become an obstacle. He challenges members of the “knowledge class” to overcome their estrangement from the rest of society.Trade ReviewZygmunt Bauman's voice is as exemplary as it is powerful. He writes not only in Max Weber's spirit, but also in that of Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno, as well as Hannah Arendt and Norbert Elias. This is a very important collection by one of the leading thinkers of our time. -- Ron Eyerman, Yale UniversityThis thoughtful and elegant little book by one of the world's most humble but distinguished intellectuals conveys a sense that the wisdom of a lifetime is being distilled here in a pithy but above all in a usable form. -- Paul Gilroy, London School of EconomicsTable of Contents* Introduction: Threats or Chances? * What Chance of Ethics in the Globalized World of Consumers? * Categorial Murder, or the Legacy of the Twentieth Century and How to Remember It * Freedom in the Liquid-Modern Era * Hurried Life, or Liquid-Modern Challenges to Education * Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire, or the Arts between Administration and the Markets * Making the Planet Hospitable to Europe * Notes * Index

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Book SynopsisHow consumerist values are forced upon children through education and medicationTrade Review'Beder's analysis is comprehensive, steely and clinical' -- Harold Pinter'Outstanding ... This is such an important book that I would put it on every school curriculum' -- John Pilger'A chilling assessment of modern commercial culture and how it distorts childhood, corrupts civic institutions, and endangers the planet' -- Alex Molnar is Professor of Education Policy and Director of the Commercialism in Education Research Unit at Arizona State University. He is the author of Giving Kids the Business and School Commercialism: From Democratic Ideal To Market CommodityTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Turning Children into Consumers 2. Turning Play into Business 3. Branding Childish Identities 4. Teaching Consumer Values 5. Turning Schools into Businesses 6. Making Schools Accountable 7. Business Campaigns 8. Made to Order 9. Dumbing Down Future Citizens 10. Teaching Corporate Values 11. Privatising Schools 12. Turning Schools into Markets 13. Privatisation Proponents 14. Controlling Wayward Children Conclusion Notes

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Book SynopsisHow consumerist values are forced upon children through education and medicationTrade Review'Beder's analysis is comprehensive, steely and clinical' -- Harold Pinter'Outstanding ... This is such an important book that I would put it on every school curriculum' -- John Pilger'A chilling assessment of modern commercial culture and how it distorts childhood, corrupts civic institutions, and endangers the planet' -- Alex Molnar is Professor of Education Policy and Director of the Commercialism in Education Research Unit at Arizona State University. He is the author of Giving Kids the Business and School Commercialism: From Democratic Ideal To Market CommodityTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Turning Children into Consumers 2. Turning Play into Business 3. Branding Childish Identities 4. Teaching Consumer Values 5. Turning Schools into Businesses 6. Making Schools Accountable 7. Business Campaigns 8. Made to Order 9. Dumbing Down Future Citizens 10. Teaching Corporate Values 11. Privatising Schools 12. Turning Schools into Markets 13. Privatisation Proponents 14. Controlling Wayward Children Conclusion Notes

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Book SynopsisWhat is the consequence of commodifying experiences?Trade Review‘Well written and extensively researched, this book is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the nature of consumption and experience in contemporary society' -- Garry Crawford, co-author of 'Video Games as Culture''An enlightening grand tour of the neoliberal experience economy. Probing beneath the ideological rhetoric of self-expressive consumer choices, Miles reveals how the psycho-social effects of the experience economy are governed by new forms of capitalist influence' -- Professor Craig Thompson, the James R. McManus-Bascom Professor in Marketing and the Gilbert and Helen Churchill Professor in the Marketing Department of the Wisconsin School of Business'Takes us on a powerful analytic journey that exposes the underpinning ideological processes that define who and what we are as citizens of a society driven by consumerism' -- Pauline Maclaran, Professor of Marketing & Consumer Research in the School of Management at Royal HollowayTable of ContentsPreface 1. Introducing the Experience Society 2. Consumption, Identity, Experience 3. Leisure and Tourism 4. Work Experience 5. Technologies of Self 6. Space, Place and the Architecture of Experience 7. The Spectacle of Sport 8. The Coffee Shop Experience 9. Consumer Capitalism Rebooted References Index

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Book SynopsisWe spend more time shopping than doing anything else, after sleep and work. So why is it not taken more seriously? The answer: we take shopping for granted. Indeed, culture can only work by being taken for granted.Trade Review"Jenny Shaw demonstrates that shopping is far more than buying, having, or hoarding possessions. Read Shopping and you will see that shopping possesses us. Each chapter shows how shopping is deeply entwined with our passions and memories, our passage through life, and social class. It's a wonderful sociology of everyday life."Sharon Zukin, Brooklyn College and City University Graduate Center and author of Point of Purchase "A timely, informative and engaging account, highly readable and refreshingly free of jargon. This book stands out for its skilful and seamless integration of a wealth of detailed observation with a strongly theoretical approach. An invaluable tool in courses on culture, consumption and everyday life."Ekaterina Makarova, University of VirginiaTable of ContentsChapter 1 Shopping in the RainChapter 2 From Thrift to Spendthrift: How Buying Turned Into SpendingChapter 3 A la Recherche des Shops PerdusChapter 4 Signposts and Shopping Milestones: Too Old For Topshop?Chapter 5 Shopping: A Rough Guide to GenderChapter 6 Putting on a Posh VoiceChapter 7 Conclusion: Taking it all For GrantedBibliography

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Book SynopsisWe spend more time shopping than doing anything else, after sleep and work. So why is it not taken more seriously? The answer: we take shopping for granted. Indeed, culture can only work by being taken for granted.Trade Review"Jenny Shaw demonstrates that shopping is far more than buying, having, or hoarding possessions. Read Shopping and you will see that shopping possesses us. Each chapter shows how shopping is deeply entwined with our passions and memories, our passage through life, and social class. It's a wonderful sociology of everyday life."Sharon Zukin, Brooklyn College and City University Graduate Center and author of Point of Purchase "A timely, informative and engaging account, highly readable and refreshingly free of jargon. This book stands out for its skilful and seamless integration of a wealth of detailed observation with a strongly theoretical approach. An invaluable tool in courses on culture, consumption and everyday life."Ekaterina Makarova, University of VirginiaTable of ContentsChapter 1 Shopping in the RainChapter 2 From Thrift to Spendthrift: How Buying Turned Into SpendingChapter 3 A la Recherche des Shops PerdusChapter 4 Signposts and Shopping Milestones: Too Old For Topshop?Chapter 5 Shopping: A Rough Guide to GenderChapter 6 Putting on a Posh VoiceChapter 7 Conclusion: Taking it all For GrantedBibliography

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Book SynopsisWith the advent of liquid modernity, the society of producers is transformed into a society of consumers. In this new consumer society, individuals become simultaneously the promoters of commodities and the commodities they promote. They are, at one and the same time, the merchandise and the marketer, the goods and the travelling salespeople.Trade Review"[An] engaged and important antidote to the platitudes of the times ... encourages the very human virtues [Bauman seeks] to recover from a world otherwise only concerned with the easy, the simple and the fast."Times Higher Education "A masterful account and critique of consumerism and the social consequences of its ubiquity ... another worthy contribution to the urgent task of social critique amid unprecedented and unfettered consumerism."Sociology "A timely intervention in helping sociologists think about what the sociology of consumption has achieved."Sociological Review "Consuming Life provides a fiery, stimulating and sharp diagnosis, with much to tell us about where and who we are in a market-led society."Commentary"Bauman's message calls for awakening from the slumber we are in."Essays in PhilosophyTable of ContentsIntroductionOr, the most closely guarded secret of the society of consumers 1 1 Consumerism versus Consumption 25 2 Society of Consumers 52 3 Consumerist Culture 82 4 Collateral Casualties of Consumerism 117 Notes 151 Index 158

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Book Synopsis* Stiegler is one of the most original and important philosophers and cultural theorists in France today. * His work is at the interface of philosophy and technology, so would appeal not only to those studying Philosophy, but media and cultural studies, and literary studies.Trade Review"Bernard Stiegler grasps the décadence of our democracies. New industrial (informational) technologies, harnessed by out-of-control capitalism destroy collective memory: creating a crisis of belief, a disintegration of symbolic (and financial) credit. Yet, there is exciting political potential for emerging socio-technical formations. Stiegler is our twenty-first century public intellectual." Scott Lash, Goldsmiths College "The Decadence of Industrial Democracies extends Bernard Stieglers relentless remapping of hyperindustrial modernity. It is a key text for anyone who wishes to understand the link between today's telecratic politics of memory and whatever transformations stand beyond it. It demonstrates that Stiegler is not just the radical thinker of technics but also the genealogist of cognitive morals." Tom Cohen, State University of New York at AlbanyTable of ContentsI. DecadenceII. Belief and politicsIII. The otium of the peopleIV. Wanting to believe

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Book Synopsis* Stiegler is one of the most original and important philosophers and cultural theorists in France today. * His work is at the interface of philosophy and technology, so would appeal not only to those studying Philosophy, but media and cultural studies, and literary studies.Trade Review"Bernard Stiegler grasps the décadence of our democracies. New industrial (informational) technologies, harnessed by out-of-control capitalism destroy collective memory: creating a crisis of belief, a disintegration of symbolic (and financial) credit. Yet, there is exciting political potential for emerging socio-technical formations. Stiegler is our twenty-first century public intellectual." Scott Lash, Goldsmiths College "The Decadence of Industrial Democracies extends Bernard Stieglers relentless remapping of hyperindustrial modernity. It is a key text for anyone who wishes to understand the link between today's telecratic politics of memory and whatever transformations stand beyond it. It demonstrates that Stiegler is not just the radical thinker of technics but also the genealogist of cognitive morals." Tom Cohen, State University of New York at AlbanyTable of ContentsI. DecadenceII. Belief and politicsIII. The otium of the peopleIV. Wanting to believe

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Book SynopsisInforming Health Care Purchasers In today''s competitive marketplace, health care providers, corporate purchasers, and health care executives are focusing their attention on quality, value, and accountability. This valuable resource provides health care practitioners, administrators, and policymakers with the pertinent information they need to create a scientific method of measuring customer satisfaction.Trade Review"Consumer choice and quality scorecards have been the subject of an extraordinary amount of rhetoric in the health care field. Finally, Hanes, Greenlick, and their colleagues have done us the enormous service of providing a thoughtful, comprehensive, and balanced exploration of the real issues." --Bruce Vladeck, former administrator, Health Care Financing Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1993-1997 "Grading Health Care is truly a first of its kind in a health care environment that is in great need of such practical guidance. Pamela Hanes and Mitch Greenlick have pulled together a series of easily understood, provocative essays on the art and science of quality reporting for a consumer audience. This book is must-reading for anyone interested in working through the complexities of translating abstract and often elusive quality information into understandable and consumer-friAndly formats." --Philip Lee, professor emeritus, University of California San Francisco Medical School and former assistant secretary of Health 1992-1997 "Consumer choice and quality scorecards have been the subject of an extraordinary amount of rhetoric in the health care field. Finally, Hanes, Greenlick, and their colleagues have done us the enormous service of providing a thoughtful, comprehensive, and balanced exploration of the real issues." --Bruce Vadeck, former HCFA administrator (1993-97) "The Oregon Scorecard Project and this book has, for the first time, brought together commonsense science and deep commitment to listen to the consumer and has produced new knowledge and insights in this complex area." --Clifton R. Gaus, former director of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1992-1996Table of ContentsForeward Preface 1. Reporting Quality in a Market-driven Health Care System(Daniel M. Harris and Pamela P. Hanes) 2. Oregon Consortium: A Model in Scorecard Development(Pamela P. Hanes) 3. Consumer Preferences: Issues of Perception and Measurement(Pamela P. Hanes and Holly B. Jimison) 4. Consumers Want Choice and Voice(Michael J. Garland, Barry F. Anderson, and H. Diana Jones) 5. Tailoring Choice Information to Special Populations(Pamela P. Hanes) 6. Eliciting, Measuring, and Reporting Consumer Satisfaction(Christine Edlund) 7. Measuring Health Care Quality: The Process and Outcomes of Care(Bruce W. Goldberg) 8. The Alchemy of Accountability: Science and Art of Consumer Scorecards(Pamela P. Hanes and Merwyn R. Greenlick) AppAndix A: A Consumer Guide to Selecting a Health PlanAppAndix B: A Request for Descriptive Navigational Information Index

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Book SynopsisIn a surprising look at the hidden world of broccoli, this richly drawn ethnography traces the global commodity chain between U.S. consumer and Maya farmer, examining the connections between desire and material production.Trade Review"The authors bring insight and experience to their analysis, ultimately showing that any understanding of the historical and cultural context of export agriculture must indeed dig both wide and deep."—Cultural Geographies"Broccoli and Desire is written in an honest, engaged, and straightforward manner by good ethnographers; Fischer and Benson are constantly pointing out the contrasts and contradictions in content and tone of informant's testimonies."—Anthropos"Readers of Broccoli and Desire will find a fresh take on why the Maya of Tecpn, like the so-called 'awkward class' of peasants throughout the glove, partake inthe 'irrational' behavior that is small agriculture."—Journal of Latin American Geography"Broccoli and Desire tells the story of globalization from the ground up, focusing on the lives of ordinary people—the producers and consumers of a vegetable that many often take for granted. The authors, perceptive, boots-on-the-ground ethnographers, look beyond the usual neoliberal models to show how the local is transformed by global economic forces. Fischer and Benson have produced an excellent text that will be used for a wide range of courses."—James L. Watson, Harvard University, Editor of Golden Arches East: McDonald's in East Asia (Stanford University Press, 1997)"For once, here is a well-researched book with an arresting title that actually delivers what it promises: fresh, new, outside-the-box thinking on a region that has been well studied. In Broccoli and Desire, Fischer and Benson use the deceptively simple question, how the Maya want, as a tool to break down globalization and other political-economy issues. In seeking to show why growing broccoli for export is both dangerous and compelling for Maya farmers, the authors have given us a compelling product—a ground-breaking study that is engagingly written and innovative in its conception."—Matthew Restall, Pennsylvania State University"The book brings to life the Mayan farmers who hope for a little bit more for their families and their connection to the health-conscious, well-intentioned U.S. consumers trying to keep their bodies going on aprecarious budget. Similar to other works that follow a humble thing like bananas, sugar, or salt, the authors use the seemingly simple vegetable broccoli to reveal inter-American networks of production, consumption,desire, dreams for the future, and the terrifying awareness that all our individual efforts may be for naught."—Diane Nelson, Duke UniversityTable of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments Map Guatemala Index Introduction Part I: How the Maya Want 1. Something Better 2. Discourses of Development 3. The Limits of Desire Part II: Violence, Victimization, and Resistance 4. Social Suffering in the Post-War Era 5. June 10th, September 11th, and Moral Understandings of Violence 6. Beyond Victimization Conclusions Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisMajor changes have recently taken place in the value attached to components of milk. Although approximately half the energy in milk is contained in fat, fat is rapidly decreasing in value relative to protein. This has come about because of the increased availability of competitively-priced, plant-derived edible oils and because of the perceived health problems associated with animal fat in the human diet. Such changes have major implications for the dairy sector, particularly in developed countries. Against this background, this book presents a timely review of developments in milk production and consumption, of changes in milk component values, and of the opportunities that biotechnology provides to alter the composition of and add value to milk on the farm. The subject coverage is very broad, ranging from nutritional aspects of pastures and forages, to rumen microbiology, genetics and reproductive technologies, milk biochemistry and environmental implications. It is based on a conferTable of Contents1: Major Issues Facing the World Dairy Economy G Viatte 2: Milk Fat Consumption and Human Health: Recent NIH and Other American Governmental Recommendations R J Havel 3: Milk Consumption and Individual Responses P J Scott 4: Milk Fat Composition: Targets for Alteration of Function and Nutrition J B German, L Morand, C J Dillard and R Xu 5: Transformations and Effects of Unsaturated Fatty Acids in the Rumen. Consequences on Milk Fat Secretion M Doreau, D I Demeyer and C S Van Nevel 6: The Effects of Milk Protein on the Functionality of Milk Products D G Dalgleish 7: Bioactive Factors in Milk: Natural and Induced G O Regester et al. 8: Regulation of Immunoglobin Transfer into Mammary Secretions of Ruminants T B McFadden and T E Besser 9: Exploitation of Casein Variants R J FitzGerald 10: The Polymorphism of the Milk Protein ß-Lactoglobulin. A Review J P Hill et al. 11: Amino Acid Composition of Cow's Milk and Human Requirements D L O'Connor, M L Masor, C Paule and J Benson 12: Recent and Future Improvements of Protein Fraction in Cow's Milk Based Infant Formula T Kuwata, T Yajima and T Kaneko 13: Application of Transgenesis to Modifying Milk Protein Composition J Vilotte et al. 14: Direct Transfection of the Mammary Gland: Opportunities for Modification of Mammary Function and the Production, Composition and Qualities of Milk F L Schanbacher and M D Amstutz 15: Perspectives for Marker Assisted Selection in Dairy Cattle Breeding M Georges 16: Public Attitudes to Biotechnology M Cantley 17: Strategies for POSILAC Use in Dairy Herds R J Collier 18: Immunomodulation of Lactation J M Pell and D J Flint 19: Perspectives for Improving Lactational Persistency T B McFadden 20: In Vitro Production of Cattle Embryos H R Tervit 21: Genetic Gain Through Reproductive Technologies J H G (Nanke) den Daas 22: Controlled Breeding Technologies K L (Jock) Macmillan, R Vishwanath and Z Z Xu 23: Modelling the Role of Reproductive Technologies in Seasonal Dairy Farm Systems D G McCall, W H McMillan and Y Q Tian 24: Nuclear Transfer from Cultured Cells: A New Opportunity in Animal Breeding? I Wilmut, J McWhir and K Campbell 25: Nutritional Merits and Problems of Pasture D A Clark, J W Penno and P G Neil 26: Supplementation of Forage Diets D E Beever and C L Thorp 27: Potential of Biotechnology to Alter Pasture Yield and Quality D W R White 28: Management of Milk Flavour Through the Manipulation of Rumen Microorganisms K N Joblin and J A Hudson 29: Rumen Microbiology and Efficiency of Digestion: Opportunities and Impact of Biotechnology R J Wallace 30: Biotechnology and Disease Control B M Buddle 31: Biotechnology Mitigating the Environmental Effects of Dairying. I. Greenhouse Gas Emissions D E Johnson,G M Ward and G Bernal 32: Biotechnology and Environmental Issues in Dairying S Tamminga 33: Limits to Productivity in Dairy Cows S R Davis 34: Conference Overview: Biotechnology for Dairy Production G J S Cooper

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Book SynopsisIn recent years there have been increasing concerns about the potential health risks of genetically modified foods. Consumer perceptions vary between countries, but are probably most pronounced in Europe and least in North America. These have had a profound and controversial effect on the development of markets for GM products.This book presents a compilation of studies of consumer acceptance of GM foods. These studies utilized different methods and evidence including: price and expenditure data; experimental methods; "willingness to pay"; consumer attitudes; and economic consequences.Table of ContentsPART I: STUDIES UTILIZING PRICE AND EXPENDITURE DATA 1: Do Agricultural commodity prices respond to GMO bans?, J L Parcell andN G Kalaitzandonakes, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA 2: Consumer acceptance and labelling of GMOs in food products: A studyof fluid milk demand, K Kiesel, D Buschena and V Smith, Montana StateUniversity, USA 3: Consumer purchasing behaviour towards GM foods in The Netherlands,L Marks, N G Kalaitzandonakes, University of Missouri-Columbia, USAand S Vickner, University of Kentucky, USA PART II: STUDIES UTILIZING EXPERIMENTAL METHODS 4: The welfare effects of implementing mandatory GM labelling in the USA,W E Huffman, Iowa State University, USA, M Rousu, Research TrianglePark, USA, J F Shogren, University of Wyoming, USA and A Tegene,FRED, Washington, USA 5: Using simulated test marketing to examine purchase interest in foodproducts that are positioned as GMO-free, M M Wolf, A Stephens andN Pedrazzi, California Polytechnic State University, USA PART III: STUDIES UTILIZING WILLINGNESS-TO-PAY METHODS 6: Measuring the value of GM traits: The theory and practice ofwillingness-to-pay analysis, S Olubobokun and P W B Phillips, Universityof Saskatchewan, Canada 7: Willingness to pay for GM food labeling in New Zealand, W Kaye-Blake,K Bicknell and C Lamb, Lincoln University, New Zealand 8: Contingent valuation of breakfast cereals made of non-biotechingredients, W Moon and S Balasubramanian, Southern Illinois University, USA 9: A Comparative analysis of consumer acceptance of GM foods in Norwayand in the USA, W D Chern, Ohio State University, USA andK Rickertsen, Agricultural University of Norway 10: Comparing consumer responses toward GM foods in Japan and Norway, J J McCluskey, Washington State University, USA, K M Grimsrud,University of Guelph, Canada and T I Wahl, Washington StateUniversity, USA 11: Willingness to pay for GM foods: Results from a public survey in theUSA, H-Y Chen and W S Chern, Ohio State University, USA PART IV: STUDIES OF CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE 12: A Comparison of consumer attitudes towards GM food in Italy and theUSA, M M Wolf, California Polytechnic State University, USA,P Bertolini, Facolta di Economia, Italy and J Parker-Garcia, CaliforniaPolytechnic State University, USA 13: Consumer attitudes towards GM food in Ireland and the US, M M Wolf,California Polytechnic State University, USA, et al 14: Attitudes toward GM food in Colombia, D Pachico, CIAT, Colombia andM M Wolf, California Polytechnic State University, USA 15: Consumer acceptance and development perspectives of functional foodin Germany, H Dustmann and H Weindlmaier, Technische Universitat,Germany 16: Factors explaining opposition to GMOs in France and Europe, S Bonny,INRA, France PART V: STUDIES OF ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES 17: Introducing novel protein foods in the EU: Economic and environmentalimpacts, X Zhu, Wageningen University, The Netherlands, E van Ierland,and Justus Wesseler 18: Consumer attitudes towards GM foods: The modelling of preferencechanges, C P Nielsen, Danish Institute of Agricultural and FisheriesEconomics, Denmark, et al

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Book SynopsisKnowledge of consumer psychology and consumer behaviour in relation to tourism is valuable in determining the success of tourism and hospitality ventures. The book is an edited collection of papers from the 3rd Symposium on Consumer Psychology of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, held in Melbourne, Australia in January 2003. Themes covered by the papers include attitudes, emotions and information processing; motivation and learning; consumption systems; decision and choice; experience and satisfaction; market segmentation; attraction and loyalty; and image and interpretation.Table of ContentsI: Building Foundations for Understanding the Consumer Psychology of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, Geoffrey I Crouch, Richard R Perdue, Harry J P Timmermans, and Muzaffer Uysal Part 1: Attitudes, Emotions and Information Processing 1: Profiling the One- and Two-Star Hotel Guests for Targeted Segmentation Action - A Descriptive Investigation of Risk Perceptions, Expectations, Disappointments and Information Processing Tendencies, Sara Dolnicar 2: The Influence of Consumers' Emotions on Their Service Product Evaluation, Sandra Gountas and John Y Gountas 3: Validating a Gutman-Type Social Distance Scale for Explaining Residents' Attitudes Towards Tourism, Maree Thyne and Andreas H Zins Part 2: Motivation and Learning 4: Motivation for Domestic Tourism: A Case Study of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Naima B Bogari, Geoff Crowther and Norman Marr 5: Ecotourists' Environmental Learning Opportunity as a Source of Competitive Advantage: Are Ecotourism Operators Missing the Boat with their Advertising? Garry G Price Part 3: Consumption Systems 6: Domestic Leisure Traveller Consumption Systems, Elizabeth Cowley, Ray Spurr, Peter Robins and Arch G Woodside 7: Tourist Activity Planning in Congested Urban Tourism Environments: Towards a Game-Theoretic Model and Decision Support System, Qi Han, Benedict G C Dellaert, W Fred van Raaij and Harry J P Timmermans 8: Comparing First-Time and Repeat Visitors' Activity Patterns in a Tourism Environment, Astrid D A M Kemperman, Chang-Hyeon Joh and Harry J P Timmermans Part 4: Decision and Choice 9: A Study of Tourist Decision Processes: Algarve, Portugal, Antonia Correia and Geoffrey I Crouch 10: The Consumption of Association Convention Sites: Preliminary Results from a Study of Site Choice, Geoffrey I Crouch and Jordan J Louviere 11: Context and Dynamics of Social Interaction and Information Search in Decision Making for Discretionary Travel, Tzung-Cheng Huan and Jay Beaman 12: A Duality in Vacation Decision-Making, Kenneth F Hyde 13: A Model of Vacation Choice: An Integration of Personality and Vacation Choice with Leisure Constraints Theory, Robyn L McGuiggan 14: Effects of Holiday Packaging on Tourist Decision Making: Some Preliminary Results, Walaiporn Rewtrakunphaiboon and Harmen Oppewal Part 5: Experience and Satisfaction 15: An Examination of the Antecedents and Consequences of Customer Satisfaction, Yukel Ekinci and Ercan Sirakaya 16: First-Time and Repeat Visitors to Orlando, Florida: A Comparative Analysis of Destination Satisfaction, Paul Fallon and Peter Schofield 17: Aristotelian Ethical Values Within a Tourism/Hospitality Industry Context, Glenn F Ross 18: The Role of Expressive and Instrumental Factors in Measuring Visitor Satisfaction, Muzaffer Uysal and John Williams Part 6: Market Segmentation 19: Profiling Airline Web Users: A Segmentation Approach, Joseph S Chen and Seyou Jang 20: Towards More Thorough Data-Driven Segmentation in Tourism - A Tracking Framework for Exploring Segment Development, Sara Dolnicar 21: Sustainable Tourism and Stakeholder Groups: A Case Study of Colorado Ski Resort Communities, Richard R Perdue Part 7: Attraction and Loyalty 22: Cultural Determinants of Tourist Intention to Return, Jeffery M Caneen 23: Towards the Conceptualization of Tourism Destination Loyalty, Outi Niininen and Michel Riley Part 8: Image and Interpretation 24: Measuring Comparative Performance of Vacation Destinations: Using Tourists' Self-Reported Judgments as an Alternative Approach, Metin Kozak 25: Cross-Cultural Behaviour Research in Tourism: A Case Study on Destination Image, Metin Kozk, Enrique Bigne, Ana Gonzalez and Luisa Andreu 26: Journeys of the Imagination? The Cultural Tour Route Revealed, Tove Oliver

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Book SynopsisAs China evolves, so does the global marketplace-all the way down to the consumer The End of Cheap China is a detailed look at the rise of China, and how it will affect the global marketplace.Table of ContentsPrologue ix Chapter 1 Chinese Billionaires Outnumber American Ones 1 Chapter 2 Cheap Chinese Labor? Not Anymore: China’s Workers Are Demanding Better Pay and Better Conditions—And They Are Earning Them 19 Chapter 3 Stability Is the Key to Happiness: How China’s Government Thinks and Why It Acts the Way It Does 39 Chapter 4 The Modern Chinese Woman 63 Chapter 5 Why Chinese Consider Kentucky Fried Chicken Healthful: China’s Iffy Food Supply Chain Is Putting a Premium on Safe Food 85 Chapter 6 Understanding Corruption in China: What China’s Underground Sex Trade Shows about Its Government 103 Chapter 7 China’s Real Estate Sector: Boom or Bust or Something Else? 125 Chapter 8 Chinese Neo-Colonialism in Africa and the End of American Hegemony? 147 Chapter 9 China’s Educational Sector: Preventing China from Cementing Its Superpower Status 171 Chapter 10 What the End of Cheap China Means for the Rest of the World 189 Epilogue 203 Postscript 205 Acknowledgments 209 Index 211

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Book SynopsisIn this timely collection, some of the world''s leading ethicists grapple with the variety of issues posed by human embryonic stem cell research. Investigates the moral status of the embryo including the creation of chimeras and paying for gametes (eggs and sperm) and embryos for research purposes Provides a thorough evaluation of the ethics and politics of regulating hESC research, and the privacy, confidentiality, and informed consent in the conduct of research and clinical investigations Essential reading for scientists, philosophers, policy makers, and all who are interested in the ethical conduct of science Contributors include David DeGrazia, Lori Gruen, Elizabeth Harman, John Harris, Jeff McMahan, Don Marquis and Peter Singer Trade Review"Recommended reading for all who have their doubts … .The book works impressively and convincingly through the various arguments related to stem cell research." (Ethical Perspectives, Autumn 2009)Table of ContentsNotes on Contributors. 1. Introduction: Laura Grabel and Lori Gruen. 2. The Ambiguity of the Embryo: Ethical Inconsistency in the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate: Katrien Devolder and John Harri. 3. Killing Embryos for Stem Cell Research: Jeff McMahan. 4. The Moral-Principle Objection to Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Don Marquis. 5. How is the Ethics of Stem Cell Research Different from the Ethics of Abortion?: Elizabeth Harman. 6. Respecting Human Embryos within Stem Cell Research: Seeking Harmony: Bertha Alvarez Manninen. 7. Rescuing Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research: The Possibility of Embryo Reconstitution after Stem Cell Derivation: Katrien Devolder and Christopher M. Ward. 8. The Moral Status of Stem Cells: Agata Sagan and Peter Singer. 9. Oocytes for Sale?: Lori Gruen. 10. Human-Animal Chimeras: Human Dignity, Moral Status, and Species Prejudice: David Degrazia. 11. Why No Compromise is Possible: Torbjörn Tännsjö. Index

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Book SynopsisExploring the roots of Canadian consumer culture between the 1890s and the Second World War, Purchasing Power uncovers the meanings that Canadians have attached to consumer goods. Offering a new perspective on the temperance, conservation, home economics, feminist, and co-operative movements of this period, this book brings women’s consumer interests to the fore. Due to their exclusion from formal politics and most paid employment, many Canadian women leveraged their consumer roles into personal and social opportunities. In the consumer sphere, they sought solutions for their isolation, their desire for upward mobility and personal expression, and their families’ survival. Through their purchasing power, Canadian women transformed consumer culture into an arena of political engagement.Trade Review"Drawing on rich archival research, Donica Belisle has written a fascinating consumer history of Canada, focusing on women’s contributions before the Second World War. This well-written study explores the links between citizenship and consumption, detailing the ways that white British practices were normalized as 'Canadian' and the role that women played in the formation of white Canadian nationalism in the early twentieth century." -- Vicki Howard, Department of History, University of Essex"Today, the term 'pro-sumer' denotes 'a consumer who becomes involved with designing or customizing products for their own needs.' This study of women considers the forms of political consumerism in which they engaged and reveals the political values they held." -- Anne Burke * The Prairie Journal of Canadian Literature *“Many white Canadian women between the 1890s and 1930s deployed notions of consumer taste to solidify their own privilege. This book helps us appreciate why consumption continues to compel so many women now, even in the face of mounting evidence of its destructiveness.” -- Tracey Deutsch, Department of History and the Imagine Chair in Arts, Design, and Humanities, University of Minnesota"La force du livre de Donica Belisle, dont l’écriture est par ailleurs limpide, est de restituer la complexité et les ambivalences qui ont ponctué le chemin vers la société de consommation industrielle. Cet ouvrage représente donc une contribution majeure à l’histoire de l’économie politique canadienne." -- Clarence Hatton-Proulx, Sorbonne Université * Histoire sociale / Social History *"This is a wonderful book that delves deeply into issues of class, gender, and race, considering how these classifications alternatively empower and exclude." -- P. LeClerc, emerita, St. Lawrence University * CHOICE *"This is a book about the rise of a Canadian consumer culture as viewed through the prism of women’s associations, publications and activities. This, it does well." -- Béatrice Craig, University of Ottawa * Prairie History *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: Consumer Culture in Historical Perspective 1. Temperance and the Rise of Sober Consumer Culture 2. Shopping for Victory: Consumer Citizenship in Wartime 3. Home Economics and the Training of the Consumer Citizenry 4. Rural Consumer Citizens: Consumption in the Countryside 5. For Whom Do We Dress? Feminism and Fashion 6. Challenging Capitalism? The Limits of Collective Buying Conclusion: Empowerment and Exclusion: Consumption in Canadian History Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhy do Canadians consume? This book explores the meanings of consumption in early-twentieth-century Canada, demonstrating that many Canadians have long viewed consumer goods as central to their visions of belonging, identity, and citizenship.Trade Review"Drawing on rich archival research, Donica Belisle has written a fascinating consumer history of Canada, focusing on women’s contributions before the Second World War. This well-written study explores the links between citizenship and consumption, detailing the ways that white British practices were normalized as 'Canadian' and the role that women played in the formation of white Canadian nationalism in the early twentieth century." -- Vicki Howard, Department of History, University of Essex"Today, the term 'pro-sumer' denotes 'a consumer who becomes involved with designing or customizing products for their own needs.' This study of women considers the forms of political consumerism in which they engaged and reveals the political values they held." -- Anne Burke * The Prairie Journal of Canadian Literature *“Many white Canadian women between the 1890s and 1930s deployed notions of consumer taste to solidify their own privilege. This book helps us appreciate why consumption continues to compel so many women now, even in the face of mounting evidence of its destructiveness.” -- Tracey Deutsch, Department of History and the Imagine Chair in Arts, Design, and Humanities, University of Minnesota"La force du livre de Donica Belisle, dont l’écriture est par ailleurs limpide, est de restituer la complexité et les ambivalences qui ont ponctué le chemin vers la société de consommation industrielle. Cet ouvrage représente donc une contribution majeure à l’histoire de l’économie politique canadienne." -- Clarence Hatton-Proulx, Sorbonne Université * Histoire sociale / Social History *"This is a wonderful book that delves deeply into issues of class, gender, and race, considering how these classifications alternatively empower and exclude." -- P. LeClerc, emerita, St. Lawrence University * CHOICE *"This is a book about the rise of a Canadian consumer culture as viewed through the prism of women’s associations, publications and activities. This, it does well." -- Béatrice Craig, University of Ottawa * Prairie History *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: Consumer Culture in Historical Perspective 1. Temperance and the Rise of Sober Consumer Culture 2. Shopping for Victory: Consumer Citizenship in Wartime 3. Home Economics and the Training of the Consumer Citizenry 4. Rural Consumer Citizens: Consumption in the Countryside 5. For Whom Do We Dress? Feminism and Fashion 6. Challenging Capitalism? The Limits of Collective Buying Conclusion: Empowerment and Exclusion: Consumption in Canadian History Notes Bibliography Index

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