Customer Reviews

Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I see a number of other reviewers belittling the book because of some trivial factual error regarding sports figures or celebrities, but in my eyes those points merely underscores the point that Barber is trying to make. In the end the constant media focus on these types of people is in my eyes a mass distraction. Does it change my life one iota when a drunken celebrity does something stupid? Not at all, but the media covers it for hour on end, and people lap it up.

People defend popular culture such as Harry Potter or Shrek, but these are all pure escapism and have very little relevance to our daily lives. Reviewers of those films make tortured comparisons to try and prove relevance to daily life, but the sad fact is that many people have become conditioned to not expect more, and perhaps not even have the patience to view a more substantive work.

Other reviewers insist that they aren't manipulated and that they have free choice. To an extent that is true, but one can easily argue that many people are making poor choices because they have been so deeply conditioned by advertisers. How can you justify spending 50K$ on a car, and replacing it when it is 3 years old when an inexpensive well-made car will fulfill the basic needs of transportation and may last 5-8 years instead? How can you justify spending money on bottled water when tap water in most areas is just fine? And how can you justify accumulating tens of thousands in consumer debt just to acquire all of this stuff? There are countless such examples all over the place.

And finally, there is the paradigm that runs deeply through our society that having more money and having more material goods will somehow make you happier. The problem is that these desires can never be satisfied - there is always something more, and there is always someone else who has more. In the end all of this materialism leaves people feeling empty, and the only tonic that they know to try and fill the void is to go out and shop some more.

On the other hand, if you can reach a point where you are content with what you have, you may find that many of the things that you do have are completely superfluous and can be donated to Goodwill or sold. Get rid of enough stuff, and that McMansion will seem empty, and a more modest and affordable house may meet your needs quite nicely.

In "Jihad vs McWorld," an earlier work published in 1995, Benjamin Barber made some prescient observations about the threats that Islamic fundamentalism and consumer capitalism posed for liberal democracy. The warnings went largely unnoticed until 9/11. At which point the book was republished for its insightfulness as to why Islamic fundamentalists were bent on destroying the McWorld created by consumer capitalism. Now Barber has written a follow-up: Not only does Jihad pose a threat to McWorld, McWorld is actually in the process of undermining itself as well as liberal democracy.

There is nothing new about fulminating against the excesses of consumer capitalism. Critics from Thorstein Veblen, to John Kenneth Galbraith, to Daniel Bell have done as much. Barber extols the productivist capitalism of an earlier era, characterized by hard work, discipline, and deferred gratification. This type of capitalism met "the real needs of real people." Today in the era of consumer capitalism basic needs are met rather quickly, leaving the consumer with lots of disposable income and many options of spending it foolishly.

It has long been known by marketing executives that the purpose of advertising is to make people buy what they don't really need. One wonders about the long term consequences of a lifetime of this kind of brainwashing. Barber breaks the process down into two stages. The first is the "consumerization of the child." This is done by inculcating shopping-centered behavior in children, training them to become habitual shoppers and even developing brand consciousness. The second stage is not to have the child develop into an adult. Marketing executives seek to infantilize adults, so that they have no deeper understanding of themselves than the brand names that define them. Even though this critique of consumer culture sounds harsh, there is some truth in it.

There is also some truth to the claim that it is undermining the public sphere. A society of adolescents or infantilized adults focusing primarily on their private needs has, according to Barber, led to a decline in public participation in democracy as well as a decline in public institutions. He fears that the increasing privatization of the the public sphere that has been going on for the past decades will be the undoing of democracy.

Although Barber proposes some "remedies" to "redirect capitalism," they're not even worth mentioning because they are futile. When the excesses of consumer capitalism reach a point where they are no longer sustainable, capitlaism will redirect itself. When infantilized adults find that their quality of life is not improving with the consumption of more useless goods they will then decide to grow up.

It doesn't surprise me that so many reviews of this book rate below three stars. Most Americans, and I'm no different, are reluctant to consider alternative philosophies particularly when it comes to capitalism or a free market.
Benjamin Barber is not unlike every one of his predecessors. Since the beginning of recorded time every generation has had its outspoken critics who try to claim that the next generation is "going to hell in a hand basket." I personally don't believe we face imminent catastrophic social chaos, but perhaps something somewhere between our current reality and Barber's worst-case scenario.
Barber's ideas rely on the philosophies of Foucault, Roseau and de Tocqueville and more modern philosophers and provocateurs, citing them readily. This makes the book very thought provoking and in an era of the instant judgment, there's nothing wrong with that.
I'll admit, I struggled with the first half of the book and I would agree with some reviewers that up to that point some arguments are poorly supported. This being said, the last chapters of the book reveal a deep insight and yes, some philosophical name dropping. In fact, I'll even attest to the fact that without the words "infantilism" or "puerility," the book would be half as long as it is. But if this book stimulates some deep thinking on many subjects I must consider it a success.
REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ! IF WE WANT GOOD BOOKS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS NEED READER'S THOUGHTS.

Barber is adept at observing and brilliantly describing the symptoms that face our society. But unlike a gifted medical doctor, he is not so competent at finding the source of the symptoms, let alone providing an effective cure. Yes, our society is a runaway train headed for destruction, but what can we do about it?

Having worked for years in the advertising industry, I can tell you that the manufacturing of envy, desire and wantonness is in full swing. Our culture cannot withstand much more of it. But the answer that eludes Mr. Barber is not found in the writings of philosophers or economic engineers, but on the hearts of our citizens.

Why do the messages of the advertisers work so effectively? I can tell you as a former copywriter paid to write radio, print and tv, we were never thinking about the products alone, supply and demand, or economic theories when we designed ads. We were concentrating upon the human beings to whom we were speaking. What were their fears? What were their struggles? What makes them feel better? What do they think in their daily routine? We would often spend hours listening to them in focus groups. We would write stream of consciousness monologues trying to connect with them and their needs.

The truth is, Mr. Barver's measurement of our culture and its ills, is razor sharp and accurate to the micrometer. But as he begins to discuss solutions to the situation, the heart of "Andy Consumer" is lost and he begins to pontificate upon the ideas of society and particular reactions of larger movements. Like many intellectuals, he misses the point that change doesn't begin with philosophers or kings. It begins when philosophers and kings begin to listen to the pulse of Andy Consumer and they then begin to speak to the heart-cry of the society. History tells us this is the case. Because when enough of the individuals feel the same way and yet do not believe that the philosophers and kings are not listening, they take matters into their own hands.

My point is this: Barber's solutions ring hollow because they are rooted in theories and economic history. But I believe that hyper-consumerism will be conquered when the hearts of our citizens are painfully empty after their futile attempts to force their wallets and gadgets to fill them. As those empty hearts peek behind the curtain and confront the wizard, they will make realizations that will make a difference.

While I didn't agree with the solutions in the book, I was transfixed by his observations of our current situation. This book should be read by anyone interested in the direction of our society. I used this book extensively in my weekly podcast, Christian With a Brain. It gave me bountiful material for a study called, How Much is Enough? I just hope that Mr. Barber will eventually realize that until the human heart is filled with hope, meaning and destiny, we will continue to try and fill it with the latest and greatest. And there will always be advertisers out there willing to exploit those empty hearts in order to make a buck.

Although this book stings to read I found it struck a chord in me that resonated very strongly throughout. The overall message is right on. There are some minor errors, however how important is it that he mistook a football players position. Even with the minor statistical errors you'd have to be BRAIN DEAD not to appreciate the realities we are bombarded with every day of which he speaks. As a baby boomer I have been acutely aware of the dumbing down of the markets and projection of rabid consumption as the end to which we must all strive. You may not like what he says about the de-generation of our great culture but it is true. As I father 4 kids from 24 to 6 I can say with AUTHORITY they have been seduced by the "consume" message then pressured by their peers groups and live by the "I consume therfore I am" motto. I am insisting they read it before they even THINK about badgering me for the latest iPODiPHONEiSTUPID disposable junk from china. Yes I have had ENOUGH and this book is saving my sanity and hopefully my kids. Insist they read it. HEY see if they can get it on iTUNES as a audio book download. Maybe it will be the one mindless purchase that will lead them down a more enlightened path.

This is the best book I've read in 5 years. And I usually read 30 or so a year. It is the most challenging thing I've ever read. Throughout almost every sitting with the book, I would have to walk away and just sit to let it soak in. It was extremely cutting and exposing to me. And I dare say convicting. It's helped me to realize what a hyper-consumer I am and how childish I am in my tastes and entertainment. Even how childish I am in my spending. I never thought there would be a day when I felt like I needed to grow up and be a man, but this book helped me to entertain the possibility. The basic idea of the book focuses on the infantilization (dumbing down) of our society via the means of marketing and advertising. And the hyper-consumerism capitalism that we live with today. I couldn't recommend this book more highly. But I will give one disclaimer. It's 300+ pages of really small type. What makes it worse is that the author writes it like an academic paper. For example the first chapter which is only 35 pages long has 98 footnotes. It's just a really difficult read where reading 20 pages takes you an hour. So you'll either love the book or hate it. If you're a nerd, you might dig it. If you're not a nerd, you won't.

Sadly, Benjamin Barber had enough material for an essay or blog post, but chose to write a book instead (because only books are serious enough for him?). The subtitle, "How markets corrup children, infantilize adults, and swallow citizens whole" provides the entirety of his argument. He states and restates this thesis many times.

The book is repetetive at several all levels, in fact. Each of the eight chapters says much the same thing, only with a different set of examples; there is no progression, say from observations to conclusions. Barber will make a single point five or six times on a page, with a sameness that demonstrates not effective rhetorical emphasis, but simply lazy writing and editing. In breathless sentences, he tosses out economic terms and demonstrates a respectable vocabulary, but is unable to find synonyms for his main ideas: "infantilization," "asceticism," and "Protestant ethos" can appear a dozen times on a page--and on every page in a chapter. (Is this from a needless fear of losing his readers?)

The writing in Consumed thus makes it not just a bore but a waste of time. I found myself skimming quickly just to find something new--alas, it never presented itself. Some have accused the writing of being academic, but it does not even have the virtues of academese (precision, rigor).

How else is a five-minute rant padded to a 400-page book? Barber offers a slew of examples of things he hates--but generally does nothing more than identify them. It is one assertion of corrupting influence and emptiness after another: he presents no arguments or evidence against his targets, except anecdotes and other writers' equally harsh judgments. And while most of his assertions are banal (Shaquille O'Neil never grew up) the few biting ones are unreferenced (as when he mentions two prominent newspapers fabricating stories). He has in me a sympathetic reader but he does not make his case. His condemnations reek of stodginess and high-brow taste, not careful reasoning about the future of America.

In the end, Consumed has very little to say. If you agree with Barber's sentiments, your opinion may be reinforced but don't hope to gain ammunition to use against any free-capitalist friends. If you're skeptical, you will be disappointed at the absence of rigor: Barber has ignored his own advice and delivered a leight-weight diatribe that asks little of his readers. Perhaps he's right, and something needs to be done about rampant consumerism, but this book won't help.

While I don't agree with all the examples the author gives I do appreciate the fact he is challenging adults to start acting their age and stop allowing corpora America to baby talk us into believing the stuff they push is a need.

He correctly notes that true capitalism is about meeting needs, and that we have evolved into a junkie society where businesses have as their motto 'make a need an fill it'. When in fact its more like pushing drugs rather than something healthy.

In fact I kept thinking of Jackie Kennedy who was in barely in her thirties when she became a widow, and how most women that age in 2007 want to remain in their early twenties or even teens, rather than act adult. Same with men these days. Look at ads aimed at men. They want adult men to believe they are kids, who never grew up.

Look at the prime mortgage mess and how we have become a society that believes we can have something for nothing NOW. Forget about saving for the down payment. Forget about living below what one makes in income.

And no, the author isn't against authentic capitalism and free enterprise. He simply wants us to wake up and look at reality rather than make excuses for poor personal choices.

I really enjoyed this book. It isn't perfect, but does offer a perspective on how corporations have socially manipulated people into buying "stuff" they don't really need. After highlighting the heck out of it, I forwarded the book to friends who also enjoyed it. I'm the type of person who can afford a Lexus, but bought the Toyota because I can't rationalize the markup for an equal vehicle. Those who can understand where I am coming from will enjoy this book. Those who would rather purchase a product based on the "brand" may not enjoy it. Hope this helps a bit. =-)

Barber asks why we buy inferior and superfluous products. And he answers by suggesting companies have turned us into `kidults, rejuveniles, twixters, adultescents' conditioned since birth to buy 'stupid' brands. It almost sounds like we are told what to do by companies and now we have to do it. I agree that we do have less choice today than we once had. However, I remain unconvinced that markets influence the individual as much as collective individuals are the marekt.

Barber suggests the rise in consumerism has created a dangerous mentality that values personal choice over the public good. Maybe so. What I'm wondering is, if there's nothing wrong with the system of capitalism; maybe there's something wrong with us? If we start with desires which are not directed by good values then the cumulative effect of those choices will not produced good outcomes. Does that mean the tallying effect of capitalism is broken, or how and why we spend our money as we do?

The solution Barber argues for is "a transformation of capitalism back into a needs-satisfying economic machine, and a transformation of democracy back into the sovereign guarantor of all domains private, the market domain included." The only way to do this, and also save capitalism from itself, is to "democratize globalization". That's code for more legislation, more laws, and more governmental control.

Barber says the ultimate problem is how to 'redirect capitalism' to what it does well, which is to meet real needs and produce profits long-term for those who engage in meeting those needs. I'd like to point out that redirecting capitalism can only be done from the ground up and not the top down. It's a matter of the human heart.

I admit I spend money on junk, but then should I vote to outlaw the sale of junk? How about if people spent their dollars more wisely? I think Barber would be more effective if he persuaded individuals to be more responsible with their purchases by talking about values, obligation, purpose, and humanitarian responsibility.