Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don't Have in Search of Happiness We Can't Buy [Hardcover]

James A. Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 8, 2011

In this cross between In Praise of Slowness and TheTipping Point, consumer behavior expert James A. Roberts takes us on a tourof America’s obsession with consumerism—pointing out its symptoms, diagnosingspecific problems, and offering a series of groundbreaking solutions. Robertsoffers practical, helpful advice for how to correct the materialistic trends inour lives, trends that lock us into a cycle of stress and financial hardship. Anew The Paradox of Choice for the modern reader, Roberts’s ShinyObject is far more than a polemic against spending or a critique of capitalism—it’san exploration of how we can learn to live happier, fuller, more productivelives today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Shiny Objects is a superb explanation of how, why, and when Americans became obsessed with consumption. This book is both entertaining and thought-provoking as it forces the reader to confront his or her own views and values. For that reason alone, it is worth its weight in gold.” (Jim Randel, author of The Skinny on Willpower: How to Develop Self-Discipline )

“Without shying away from the unpopular truth, Roberts encourages us to step back, notice, and yes, even laugh at our obsession with shiny objects. Important research findings and Practical exercises help us embrace our values and understand that we can never get enough of what we don’t really need.” (April Lane Benson, Ph.D. author of To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop )

“Now along comes Shiny Objects, which promises to explore and explain Americans’ possession obsession. Roberts’ book contains hard evidence for some claims you probably already suspected were true... [and] includes some genuinely sobering statistics. Roberts knows his stuff.” (Associated Press )

“Roberts... gives us evidence that we can’t buy happiness, or stress relief, despite the fact that the current version of the American Dream tells us otherwise. This [book] contains both the plain truth and real-world solutions for the financial dilemma many... are struggling with.” (New Age Retailer )

“Shiny Objects [is] an intellectual approach to an emotionally charged subject-—consumerism—with suggestions on how to escape materialism and build a life with real meaning.” (Shelf Awareness )

“Marketing professor Roberts examines the perceived relationship between materialism and happiness in the quest for status, self-image, or comfort, and the havoc it is wreaking in individual lives and the U.S. economy. A far-reaching analysis of why we spend so much and how to break the habit.” (Booklist )

“Dr. James A. Roberts, professor of marketing at Baylor, has studied consumerism in America and has revealed some of the secrets of marketers in his recent book Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have In Search of Happiness We Can’t Buy.” (Baylor Lariat )

“An intriguing cultural history–cum–self-help book with abundant hard scientific data.” (Publishers Weekly )

From the Back Cover

Americans toss out 140 million cell phones every year. We discard 2 million plastic bottles every five minutes. And our total credit-card debt as of July 2011 is $793 billion.

Plus, credit cards can make you fat.

The American Dream was founded on the belief that anyone dedicated to thrift and hard work could create opportunities and achieve a better life. Now that dream has been reduced to a hyperquantified desire for fancier clothes, sleeker cars, and larger homes. We’ve lost our way, but James Roberts argues that it’s not too late to find it again. In Shiny Objects, he offers us an opportunity to examine our day-to-day habits, and once again strive for lives of quality over quantity.

Mining his years of research into the psychology of consumer behavior, Roberts gets to the heart of the often-surprising ways we make our purchasing decisions. What he and other researchers in his field have found is that no matter what our income level, Americans believe that we need more to live a good life. But as our standard of living has climbed over the past forty years, our self-reported “happiness levels” have flatlined.

Roberts isn’t merely concerned with the GDP or big-ticket purchases—damaging spending habits play out countless times a day, in ways big and small: he demonstrates that even the amount we spend at our favorite fast-food joint increases anywhere from 60 to 100 percent when we use a credit card instead of cash. Every time we watch TV or turn on a radio we’re exposed to marketing messages (experts estimate up to 3,000 of them daily). Consumption is king, and its toll is not just a financial one: relationships are suffering, too, as materialism encroaches on the time and value we give the people around us.

By shedding much-needed light on the science of spending, Roberts empowers readers to make smart changes, improve self-control, and curtail spending. The American Dream is still ours for the taking, and Shiny Objects is ultimately a hopeful statement about the power we each hold to redefine the pursuit of happiness.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (November 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062093606
• ISBN-13: 978-0062093608
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #651,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Consumerism Run Amok December 20, 2011

By Michael B. Frisch

Format:Hardcover

This is a great book that is fun to read, scientifically sound, and full of useful ideas and advice for living in a world that worships the "almighty dollar" to the exclusion of other essential parts of human happiness and civic success such as relationships, recreation (that is not expensive), helping others, pursuing non-materialistic purposes and meanings in life, meaningful work-play-retirement pursuits, high flow hobbies, etc.. As Dr. Roberts asserts, there is nothing wrong in pursuing and spending money in the service of our life purposes, passions, and relationships. Unfortunately, we are easily seduced into letting the pursuit of money for money's sake crowd out the life goals that really give us meaning and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. This book is an important addition to the positive psychology and well-being literature. Hats off to Dr. Roberts for a stellar job at tackling a tough topic!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An eye opener for kids who like to spend December 3, 2011

By Stellagirl

Format:Hardcover

I expected the book to be an engaging and informative read, and it surely is that. To my surprise, my 12 year old son -- generally not much of a reader -- was also intrigued by Shiny Objects. The book opens with an entertaining overview of the way Americans lavish money on pets. My son loves his dog AND he loves to spend money. After reading the passage, he commented that, if you love your dog, it's more important to play fetch than to buy a puppy palace. The vignette offered a great starting point for our continued family discussions about the difference between smart and silly ways to spend money. Two thumbs up!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars rampant materialism and the quality of life December 8, 2011

By M. Joseph Sirgy

Format:Hardcover

This book is excellent in that it covers the problems associated with rampant materialism and its adverse impact on individual and societal quality of life. I strongly recommend reading this book to those interested in issues of consumerism and quality of life. Dr. Roberts does an excellent job capturing the scientific literature on this topic and distilling it in a very clear message: buying more things will not bring you happiness.