Luxury sickness

Author: Frank (USA), translated by Cai Shuguang and Zhang Jie
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-05-01
Features: Over the past 20 years, a whirlwind of luxury consumption has swept through humanity, leaving ordinary and practical goods neglected. Cars have become larger, more luxurious, and more expensive. The ultra-wealthy class create trends in luxury consumption, while others follow in an eager imitation. The shopping-mad trend of consumer therapy has become the dominant culture of the past decade, but are we happier? Robert Frank believes not at all. Instead, the price we have paid has been immense: our working hours have grown longer, and leisure has almost completely vanished; most of us are forced to spend and borrow heavily, with savings dwindling. This book offers a comprehensive analysis and critique of this phenomenon, explicitly stating that our consumption choices have not brought us more happiness—quite the opposite, unchecked extravagance has brought us more problems and suffering. In the end, the author tells us that humanity should and can change this excessive waste, restoring the true value of every dollar earned through hard work.