Do Americans Shop Too Much?

Juliet Schor breaks a taboo by exposing Americans' shopping habits to moral society. Schor disapproves of unfettered private consumption, not only because we already use up so much, but also because overspending to bolster a sense of self does not lead to happiness. Along with her critique, Schor suggests intriguing ideas for making 'status' goods accessible for all--for example, imposing high taxes on expensive items to subsidize lines of affordable 'luxury' goods. A firestorm of responses follow from economist Robert Frank and others. The New Democracy Forum is a series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns. "A civic treasure. . . . A truly good idea, carried out with intelligence and panache." --Robert Pinsky

• | Author: Juliet Schor
• | Publisher: Beacon Press
• | Publication Date: Apr 24, 2000
• | Number of Pages: 118 pages
• | Binding: Paperback or Softback
• | ISBN-10: 080700443X
• | ISBN-13: 9780807004432