The Western world is fascinated by the new, the luxurious and the expensive. We are exposed on a daily basis to fresh ideas and innovations that feed what has become a constant hunger for the latest trends. This desire is not a new one - since Ancient Times man has sought to surround himself with symbols of power and wealth. In this lively and unexpected narrative, William Howard Adams shows how our simultaneous distrust and embrace of luxury has pervaded Western thought for three millennia. He questions the effect of this unusual relationship and strives to explain some of our most complex and some might say unattractive traits as human beings.