Description
Book SynopsisIn Prosperity for All, the first international history of consumer activism, Matthew Hilton shows that modern consumer advocacy reached the peak of its influence in the decades after World War II and focused on creating a more equitable marketplace.
Trade ReviewHilton's fine book traces the history of the consumer movement, focusing on how its agenda has changed and how, in the process, it has neglected two critical issues, overconsumption by some groups and underconsumption by others.... The powerful narrative makes insightful links to broader social and global issues. Highly recommended.
* Choice *
Taking a refreshing view of the history of consumption, Matthew Hilton identifies a change in the relative weight given by consumer groups from a 'focus on access to one of choice' and thus redefines consumer history according to the historical balance between social welfare and individual gain as the dual goals of consumer organizations.... Prosperity for All deserves attention for its insightful use of the consumer movement to help explain larger and economic and social trends. The international transformation of consumer politics from an emphasis on democracy and social justice to the neoclassical prominence of individual choice stands as an important narrative of twentieth-century global history.... Perhaps most importantly, Hilton successfully incorporates consumer activists—emphasizing the links between the individual battles against breast milk substitutes, crop modification, and pharmaceutical dumping—into the greater story of international social movements.
-- Christopher R. W. Dietrich * Itinerario *
