Affluenza The All Consuming Epidemic 2nd Edition

Based on two highly acclaimed PBS documentaries watched by 10 million viewers, ""Affluenza uses the whimsical metaphor of a disease to tackle a very serious subject: the damage done -- to our health, our families, our communities, and our environment -- by the obsessive quest for material gain. In cleverly titled chapters like ""Swollen Expectations"" and ""A Rash of Bankruptcies,"" the authors examine the origins, evolution, and symptoms of the affluenza epidemic. Yet they also explore cures and suggest strategies for rebuilding families and communities and for restoring and respecting the earth.

Demonstrating that now, more than ever, Americans need ways of fighting the affliction, this edition includes a new introduction and updated figures, adds information on the impacts of stress and overwork, and provides an in-depth look at various campaigns and movements offering solutions for today's problems. Engaging, fast-paced, and accessible, it reexamines a serious, far-reaching issue for a wide audience.

affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.

We tried to warn you The 2008 economic collapse proved how resilient and dangerous affluenza can be. Now in its third edition, this book can safely be called prophetic in showing how problems ranging from loneliness, endless working hours, and family conflict to rising debt, environmental pollution, and rampant commercialism are all symptoms of this global plague.

The new edition traces the role overconsumption played in the Great Recession, discusses new ways to measure social health and success (such as the Gross Domestic Happiness index), and offers policy recommendations to make our society more simplicity-friendly. The underlying message isn't to stop buying--it's to remember, always, that the best things in life aren't things.

In chapters with titles like ""Swollen Expectations"" and ""A Rash of Bankruptcies, "" ""Affluenza"" uses the whimsical metaphor of a disease to tackle a very serious subject: the damage done--to our health, our families, our communities, and our environment--by the obsessive quest for material gain.