The challenge of affluence : self-control and well-being in the United States and Britain since 1950
"Avner Offer argues that a sense of well-being has lagged behind affluence in these societies because they present an environment in which consistent choices are difficult to achieve and in which the capacity for personal and social commitment is undermined by the flow of novelty. His approach draws on economics and social science, makes use of the latest cognitive research, and provides a detailed and reasoned critique of modern consumer society, especially the assumption that freedom of choice necessarily maximizes individual and social well-being."--Jacket
History
xviii, 454 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
9780198208532, 9780199216628, 0198208537, 0199216622
62132281
I: Evaluating affluence
Economic welfare measurement and human well-being
Passions and interests: self-control and well-being
Choice: myopic and rational
The economy of regard
II: In the market place
The mask of intimacy: advertising and the quality of life
Body weight and self-control
Household appliances and the use of time
The American automobile frenzy of the 1950s
Driving prudently: American and European
III: Self and others
Affluence and the pursuit of status
Inequality hurts
All you need is love? Mating since the 1950s
Women and children last: the retreat from commitment