Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
We don't think we hate cheap things - but we frequently behave as if we rather do. Consider the clean cotton t-shirt. We wouldn't regard this as a particularly stylish fashion choice, and certainly not as a glamorous one. We are unlikely to stare wistfully at a cotton t-shirt in a shop window, or buy one in anticipation of a special event. We don't luxuriate in the feel of the fabric when we pull the freshly laundered garment over our head - yet Louis XVI would have been deeply impressed by this rare and decadent phenomenon. The t-shirt itself has not changed; only our attitude to it. When we have to pay a lot for something nice, we appreciate it to the full. Yet as its market price falls, passion has a habit of fading away. It's a pattern that we see recurring in a range of areas - and it's a cultural misfortune. We need to rethink our patterns of consumption. This entertainingly informative book considers how to do so, and shows how more of the things we could love are already to hand. We might be surprised to find that we are already a good deal richer than we are encouraged to think.
Synopsis
How to rethink your consumer habits and feel richer at heart. Our society encourages us to equate expense with value. The more expensive
something is, the more we're encouraged to covet it. Yet as its market price falls, our interest and passion tend to fade.
This recurrent pattern, The School of Life argues, is a cultural misfortune. We need to rethink our patterns of consumption. Why We Hate Cheap Things considers how to do so, and reveals how most of us already have more than we need. With humor and utility, the book teaches us how the practice of gratitude can lead us to a more meaningful understanding of wealth.
- A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO ECONOMICS
- EXPLORES IDEAS ABOUT MONEY, WORTH, AND WEALTH through a philosophical lens.
- A REFRESHING REMINDER TO APPRECIATING WHAT WE HAVE rather than coveting what we don't.
- ILLUSTRATED with full color images throughout.