Luxury Fever: Money and Happiness in an Era of ExcessA new luxury fever has America in its grip--the past two decades have witnessed a spectacular and uninterrupted rise in luxury consumption. Ordinary, functional goods are no longer acceptable. Our cars have gotten larger, heavier, and far more expensive. As the super rich set the pace, everyone else spends furiously in a competitive echo of wastefulness. The costs are enormous: we spend more time at work, leaving less time for family and friends, less time for exercise. Most of us have been forced to save less and spend and borrow much more. Frank offers the first comprehensive and accessible summary of scientific evidence that our spending choices are not making us as happy and as healthy as they could. The good news is that we can do something about it. Luxury Fever boldly offers a way to curb the excess and restore the true value of money. |
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LUXURY FEVER: Why Money Fails to Satisfy in an Era of Excess
User Review - KirkusA scientific attack on luxury that, though a little preachy, is not just an ascetic diatribe. Despite the truism that you can't buy happiness, most people believe more money will make them happy. The ... Read full review
Contents
Money Well Spent? | 1 |
The Luxury Spending Boom | 14 |
Why Now? | 33 |
The Price of Luxury | 45 |
Does Money Buy Happiness? | 64 |
Gains That Endure | 75 |
Our Forgotten Future | 94 |
Excellent Relatively Speaking | 107 |
SelfHelp? | 173 |
Other Failed Remedies | 194 |
Luxury Without Apology | 207 |
Equity Versus Efficiency The Great TradeOff? | 227 |
We Cant Afford It? | 251 |
Cash on the Table | 266 |
Endnotes | 281 |
| 295 | |
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achieve adapt additional American amount appear attractive average become better cars cause changes chapter choice concerns consider conspicuous consumption consumers consumption tax continue cost countries course decades decisions depend earn economic economists effect evidence example expect experience fact families feel forms friends growing growth happy higher houses human important incentives income increase individual interests larger laws lead least less levels living longer lower luxury matter means measure million move offer once patterns percent performance person pollution position possible problem programs progressive consumption question rates reason recent reduce relative remain reported respond result satisfaction savings similar simply social society spending spent standard subjective things tion typically United wealth well-being whereas workers
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Luxury Fever: Money and Happiness in an Era of Excess Princeton paperbacks |
| Author | Robert H. Frank |
| Edition | reprint, revised |
| Publisher | Princeton University Press, 2000 |
| ISBN | 0691070113, 9780691070117 |
| Length | 326 pages |
| Subjects | › › Business & Economics / Economics / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |