Includes bibliographical references (p. [265]-322) and index.
Contents:
Introduction : the manic society -- Adams Smith's American dream : of desire and debt -- Curiosity and the promised land : of origins and opportunism -- The freedom to strive : of risk and reward -- America bubbles over : of globalization and greed -- A growing burden : of appetite and abundance -- The time trade : of clocks and competition -- Dreams for sale : of culture and commerce -- The roots of happiness : of compassion and community -- Finding balance in the age of the merchant : of self and society.
Summary:
In the world's most affluent nation, epidemic rates of stress, anxiety, depression, obesity, and time urgency are now grudgingly accepted as part of everyday existence. Behavioral scientist Whybrow grounds the extraordinary achievements and excessive consumption of the American nation in an understanding of the biology of human craving and the reward system of the brain--offering a comprehensive explanation for the addictive mania of consumerism. His analysis combines reflection on the roots of American culture as a laissez-faire, competitive, free-market economy with an exploration of the nation's migrant temperament and its role in the creation of our ambitious, restless society, to shed light on the dangerous misfit between our consumer-driven culture and the brain systems that evolved to deal with privation thousands of years ago.--From publisher description.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.