The High Price of Materialism by Tim Kasser

The High Price of Materialism by Tim Kasser

A study of how materialism and consumerism undermine our quality of life.In The High Price of Materialism, Tim Kasser offers a scientific explanation of how our contemporary culture of consumerism and materialism affects our everyday happiness and psychological health. Other writers have shown that once we have sufficient food, shelter, and clothing, further material gains do little to improve our well-being. Kasser goes beyond these findings to investigate how people's materialistic desires relate to their well-being. He shows that people whose values center on the accumulation of wealth or material possessions face a greater risk of unhappiness, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and problems with intimacy--regardless of age, income, or culture.Drawing on a decade's worth of empirical data, Kasser examines what happens when we organize our lives around materialistic pursuits. He looks at the effects on our internal experience and interpersonal relationships, as well as on our communities and the world at large. He shows that materialistic values actually undermine our well-being, as they perpetuate feelings of insecurity, weaken the ties that bind us, and make us feel less free. Kasser not only defines the problem but proposes ways we can change ourselves, our families, and society to become less materialistic.

Tim Kasser is a psychology professor at Knox College. The High Price of Materialism (MIT Press, 2002), as well as other scholarly articles and book chapters, are among his works. Tim enjoys playing the piano (particularly blues and Beatles tunes), interpreting dreams, and spending time with his family in the countryside of western Illinois.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780262611978
ISBN 10	026261197X
Title	The High Price of Materialism
Author	Tim Kasser
Series	The High Price Of Materialism
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	MIT Press Ltd
Year published	2003-08-29
Number of pages	165
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.