20th Century American History - Economic Aspects - General & Miscellaneous, 20th Century American History - Economic Aspects - Post World War II, Consumption - Economics, Economic Conditions in the United States
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Overview
Whether watching baseball or undergoing heart surgery, Americans have bought a variety of goods and services to achieve happiness. Here is a provocative look at what they have chosen to purchase. Stanley Lebergott maintains that the average consumer has behaved more reasonably than many distinguished critics of "materialism" have suggested. He sees consumers seeking to make an uncertain and often cruel world into a pleasanter and more convenient place--and, for the most part, succeeding. With refreshing common sense, he reminds us of what many "luxuries" have meant, especially for women: increased income since 1900 has been used largely to lighten the backbreaking labor once required by household chores.Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
In this quirky, entertaining and brief survey, Wesleyan University economist Lebergott targets high-minded critics of American consumerism with a detailed analysis of how spending has changed over the century. Debunking Thorstein Veblen's conclusions in the 1920s and '30s, he suggests that the rich of the past--and also today--account for only a small portion of national consumption. Time, not income, has been the greatest constraint on consumers, he observes, describing how packaged food, mass-produced clothing and household appliances have changed daily life. Criticizing Juliet Schor's The Overworked American (1991), he argues that Americans actually lead much easier lives than simple-living primitive people. Tracing the consumption trends of this century, Lebergott offers intriguing details: the increase in spending for food is attributable mainly to restaurant meals, as well as the higher consumption of meat, bakery products and sweets. Some of his observations are debatable, e.g., his suggestion that the American hospital system is superior to those of Great Britain and Canada. (June)Library Journal
In the Declaration of Independence Americans are guaranteed ``life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness .'' In this scholarly work the author traces this pursuit of happiness by examining what we choose to buy. Part 1, which is a kind of expanded essay, discusses what influences American consumers. In the course of this examination, Lebergott (economics, Wesleyan Univ.) looks at advertising, consumption inequalities, the influence of health and children on consumer behavior, and the change in the work of women and its effect on buying. Part 2 of the book reviews statistics on spending for food, housing, lighting, automobiles, recreation, medical care, and other specific items such as clothing, alcohol, and tobacco. Lebergott's work is an entertaining and enlightening insight into consumer behavior. Recommended for informed readers.-- Judith Nixon, Purdue Univ., W. Lafayette, Ind.Book Details
Published
September 9, 1993
Publisher
Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c1993.
Pages
208
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780691043227