Consumer Culture

The Mobile Wave argues that the changes brought by mobile computing are so big and widespread that it’s impossible for us to see it all, even though we are all immersed in it. Saylor explains that the current generation of mobile smart phones and tablet computers has set the stage to become the universal computing platform for the world. In the hands of billions of people and accessible anywhere and anytime, mobile computers are poised to become an appendage of the human being and an essential tool for modern life.

From the shuttered factories of the rust belt to the look-alike strip malls of the sun belt---and almost everywhere in between---America has been transformed by its relentless fixation on low price. This pervasive yet little examined obsession is arguably the most powerful and devastating market force of our time---the engine of globalization, outsourcing, planned obsolescence, and economic instability in an increasingly unsettled world.

“Pink’s ideas deserve a wide hearing. Corporate boards. . .could do well by kicking out their pay consultants for an hour and reading Pink’s conclusions instead.”—Forbes The New York Times bestseller that gives readers paradigm-shattering ways to think about motivation from the author...

An Other Kingdom takes us out of a culture of addictive consumption into a place where life is ours to create together. This way depends upon a neighborly covenant—an agreement that we together, will better raise our children, be healthy, be connected, be safe, and provide a livelihood. The authors invite you on a journey of departure from our consumer market culture. Discover an alternative set of beliefs that have the capacity to evoke a culture where poverty, violence, and shrinking well-being are not inevitable.

In this signal work of history, Bancroft Prize winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Lizabeth Cohen shows how the pursuit of prosperity after World War II fueled our pervasive consumer mentality and transformed American life. Trumpeted as a means to promote the general welfare, mass consumption quickly outgrew its economic objectives and became synonymous with patriotism, social equality, and the American Dream.

From “one of the great (greatest?) contemporary popular writers on economics” (Tyler Cowen) comes a smart, lively, and encouraging rethinking of how to use statistics. Today we think statistics are the enemy, numbers used to mislead and confuse us. That’s a mistake, Tim Harford says in The...

Denise Baudu arrives in Paris seeking work after her parents' deaths. Her uncle owns a small draper's shop being systematically destroyed by the massive department store across the street: The Ladies' Paradise. Despite her uncle's rage, Denise seeks employment there. She enters an environment transforming nineteenth-century commerce completely. The owner, Octave Mouret, understands that modern retail isn't selling goods but creating desires—women must be seduced through theatrical display, shopping must become entertainment. Émile Zola published The Ladies' Paradise in 1883 after ...

In the tradition of bestselling classics such as Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed and Benjamin Lorr’s The Secret Life of Groceries comes a character-driven exploration of the modern supermarket, unpacking what works and what doesn’t, and delivering a blueprint for a better way to shop...

A deeply researched, invigorating love letter to the beloved American Girl brand, its unforgettable female founder Pleasant Rowland, and her then radical, now iconic line of eighteen-inch dolls that surprised and transfixed a nation. Are you a Samantha? A Felicity? An Addy? Dive into the world...

In the market for a home, but don't know where to start? Not to worry! From financing, mortgages, and credit scores to closing the deal, bestselling real estate authors Eric Tyson and Ray Brown walk you step by step through the entire home-buying process. Discover how to: Harness the Internet to...

The only user-friendly beginner’s guide to Six Sigma Six Sigma is the most common—and perhaps least understood—methodology for streamlining processes in manufacturing, service delivery, management, and almost any other business activity. For business leaders seeking increased efficiency...

Each essay in Producing Fashion is presented in full and has been selected from the original print edition. The essays show how economic institutions in Europe and North America laid the foundation for the global fashion system and sustained it commercially through the mechanisms of advertising, licensing, marketing, publishing, and retailing.

One of Porchlight's Business Books of the Year | One of Vox's Best Books of 2023 | An NPR Book of the Day | Required Reading from New York Post | One of Nylon's 13 May Books to Add to Your Reading List | One of PureWow's 14 Books to Read for AAPI Heritage Month | One of W Magazine's 14 Books to...

AMERICAN POP: Commercial Break — The 1950s Advertising Revolution offers a sharp, insightful journey through the golden age of American consumer culture. Far from a nostalgic tribute, this book critically examines how 1950s advertising reshaped not only markets but the very way Americans thought about identity, success, gender, fear, and belonging. Drawing from real ads, historical analysis, and cultural commentary, Commercial Break reveals how advertisers in the Atomic Age sold not just products but dreams, anxieties, and social scripts that would define American life for decades to come...

Persuading other people to say ""yes"" is an essential skill in life—whether you're selling a product, an idea, or yourself. Packed with tried-and-true tips and real-life examples, this revised edition walks you step by step through the fundamentals of successful selling, with an emphasis on...

An illuminating look at the way the thoughts we have and the decisions we make are influenced by forces that aren't always in our control Why are people named Kim, Kelly, and Ken more likely to donate to Hurricane Katrina victims than to Hurricane Rita victims? Are you really more likely to...

Unveil the Hidden Force Shaping Your Desires and Driving Society Are your deepest desires truly your own? Or are they secretly sculpted by the world around you? Prepare to embark on a mind-bending journey into the heart of human motivation with "Mimetic Desire: The Hidden Driver of Culture and Conflict." This groundbreaking exploration reveals the invisible threads that weave our wants, needs, and aspirations into the very fabric of society. Discover how: • Your "personal" choices may be anything but • Social media amplifies our copycat tendencies • Rivalries and conflicts sprout from...

AMERICAN POP: ICONS — Disneyland: Building the American Dream Machine From the opening day chaos of “Dateline: Disneyland” to the timeless lure of Main Street, U.S.A., Disneyland and the Architecture of American Fantasy explores how Walt Disney’s theme park reshaped American culture—not just how we play, but how we shop, remember, dream, and believe. This rich cultural history reveals Disneyland as both a beloved destination and a blueprint for the modern American experience: a space where nostalgia is curated, identity is performed, and entertainment becomes infrastructure. ...

Culture transformation expert Siobhan McHale defines culture simply: “It’s how things work around here.” The secret to the success or failure of any business boils down to its culture. From disengaged employees to underserved customers, business failures invariably stem from a culture...

AMERICAN POP: MOMENTS — THE MOON LANDING How Apollo 11 Became One of Pop Culture’s Greatest Hits On July 20, 1969, more than half a billion people tuned in to watch a ghostly figure descend a ladder and speak a line that would echo for generations. But Apollo 11 was never just a feat of engineering. It was the greatest pop culture event of the twentieth century, crafted, staged, and broadcast as a performance of American power, optimism, and imagination. This entry in the American Pop: MOMENTS series reveals how the Moon landing became more than history. It became entertainment, ...