Affluenza

July 1, 2001
De Graaf, producer of the PBS documentaries Affluenza (1996) and Escape from Affluenza (1998); David Wann, a former EPA staffer and expert on sustainable lifestyles; and Thomas H. Naylor, professor emeritus in economics at Duke, have assembled an updated and more in-depth look at the epidemic of overconsumption sweeping the United States and the rest of the world, based on de Graaf's documentaries. They define "affluenza" as "a painful, contagious, socially-transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more" and examine the spiraling cycle of overconsumption, spending, stress, and broken relationships caused by America's obsession with uncontrolled economic growth at any cost. This witty yet hard-hitting book provides evidence of the social problems caused by the American obsession with acquiring "stuff" and proposes solutions for living more sustainably. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Mark Bay, Indiana Univ.-Purdue Univ. Lib., Indianapolis

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2001
" Escape from Affluenza." He admits that "television, even at its most informative, is still a superficial medium." Therefore, he recruited Thomas Naylor, an economist and author of " Downsizing the USA" (1997) and more than two dozen other books, and David Wann, author of " Biologic: "Designing with Nature to Protect the Environment (1994), to provide more depth and offer more examples, more evidence, and updated data. The three explore "affluenza's" symptoms in depth, look for causes, and recommend treatments and cures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)