Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough (Paperback)

by Clive Hamilton (Author), Richard Denniss (Author)
Key Phrases: many downshifters, luxury fever, United States, Federal Government, New South Wales (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Bristling with wit and a sense of intimacy that leaves readers experiencing a reading of shared incredulity 'Herald Sun

Product Description

Anyone concerned about the level of their personal debt or frustrated by the rat race of aspiring to an affluent lifestyle will appreciate this critique of the effects of over-consumption. This analysis pulls no punches as it describes both the problem and what can be done to stop it. Analyzing the increasing rates of stress, depression, and obesity as possible effects of the consumption binge currently gripping the Western world, this report tracks how Australians overwork, the growing number of things thrown out, self-medicated drugs, and the real meaning of the word choice.

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Product Details Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Allen & Unwin; illustrated edition edition (April 1, 2006) Language: English ISBN-10: 1741146712 ISBN-13: 978-1741146714 Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #375,302 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
many downshifters, luxury fever

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United States, Federal Government, New South Wales, Coco Pops

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

2 books cite this book:

• Forgotten Ways, The: Reactivating the Missional Church by Alan Hirsch on page 111, and Back Matter
• Sustainable Community: Learning from the Cohousing Model by Graham Meltzer in Back Matter

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	36% buy the item featured on this page: Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough 4.2 out of 5 stars (4) $10.17
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	4% buy Affluenza 3.6 out of 5 stars (9)

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 13 of 14 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Hopefully the start of a trend - the reduction in consumption, June 10, 2006 By  A. Woodley "Patroness, Janeites, the Austen list" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    A chilling tale of modern consumption gone mad, of the availability of so much yet causing so little happiness. It seems the more we consume the less happy we are. Our houses are bigger than ever, but our families are smalle. OUr children go to the best schools but we hardly see them. We have more money than ever before yet we are crippled under staggeringly high debt, more than ever before - the authors ask the question - what is going on? They support this ably with graphed research however unfortunately the graphs were not well referenced so I have no idea as to their veracity, so when they mention a 23% proportion of 20-50 year olds 'downsizing' their lifestyle in the last 10 years I just don't know where they got this figure from, or indeed how valid. However while this was a distraction, I did find this book had some extremely major strengths 1 - it is well written, 2 - it is more than just scare tactics, It is thoughtful and thought provoking about the way we live 3 - it offers actually practical solutions as well as philosophical idealism. The conclusion is a series of ideals and how we can go about meeting them. There have been others talking about the unhappiness bought about by mass consumerism, this is a nice book to start at to understand the issues. 9 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A disturbing indictment of Australian consumerism, October 14, 2006 By  Greg (Australia) - See all my reviews According to virtually all statistical measures, Australians have become much, much richer in the past few decades than their parents or grandparents could have dreamed of. Who at the turn of the century, would have imagined us living in a world where we had a car each, had a large house, and hundreds of individual possessions? Yet it seems in recent decades this trend for consumer capitalism has gotten totally out of control. It now often seems even having a house, car and job isn't enough; we have to have massive plasma television sets, several home computers, a third generation mobile phone, a whizz bang computer and games for the kids, both parents working to the hilt to pay the mortgage, expensive holidays and a million dollars in super at the end of it. We have to send our children to the most expensive private schools and universities, and money and getting things is the most important thing. This is the picture Hamilton paints of Australia, where people binge on credit, where Australians work themselves almost to death to supply an endless array of goods and services which they don't really need, and are wasted; where about 20% of the population suffer from mental health problems related to low self esteem and stress, and where people avoid having children because each costs $250,000 to raise, and where our rampant consumption is ruining our environment as well as our health. I certainly agree many of the ideas put forward in this book are true. Australia does seem to have become a place where the ethic of 'mateship' and community has been replaced with the rather heartless ethics of global capitalism, which are aimed at endless economic growth and growing individual prosperity. Reforms to make the Australian economy more open to foreign competition were opened in the 1980's by the Labour government, and ever since then in Australia the emphasis is more and more on aligning ourselves to the globalised world. I do feel though that material progress is a good thing. However, our material progress is having some negative consequences, such as rocketing house prices and crippling resource shortages, in water and other areas. Our reckless focus on 'growth only' is also doing great damage to our environment, globally and locally. Money is important and Australia must not go the way of Sub-Saharan Africa, being poor, overpopulated and racked by pollution and war. However I agree the time is coming when Australians will need to see there is more to life than simply the material; no amount of money or personal possessions is going to stop us from dying and suffering ill health, though wealth can delay both. We also need to be more charitable to the poor, as Australia still has some 100,000 homeless people, and we need to recognise the spiritual is an integral part of life, regardless of how much or how little we have (I am sure there is a correlation between the breakdown of religion and community in Australia and depression and other forms of mental illness). To cure ourselves of affluenza we need to focus less on affluence and more on quality of life, which unfortunately affluence can't bring entirely on its own, without good ethical, social, spiritual and community values and wholeness and environmental sustainability. There seems little point in having a beautiful house or a brand new 4WD when the skies of your city are constantly polluted, water is running out, and garbage is piling up everywhere in the streets and elsewhere. 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, at a macro level, July 8, 2006 By  Naomi12345 (Brisbane, Australia) - See all my reviews This book was facinating and easy to read- a rare combination of meticulous research and good writing. The author systematically explains the different aspects of society where affluenza is changing our way of life- it's scary stuff. But I was left thinking, what do I do about it? The author's few page 'manifesto' at the end of the book is too little, too late for me. I would have liked to see some practical tips in each chapter about what ordinary people can do to combat affluenza.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Australia: Closer than we think. Affluenza tracks the growth and influence of conspicuous consumption in Australia, with some side-ways glances at other nations as well. Read more Published 16 months ago by J. Lamoureux Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin; illustrated edition edition (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741146712
• ISBN-13: 978-1741146714
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #375,302 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hopefully the start of a trend - the reduction in consumption, June 10, 2006

By	A. Woodley "Patroness, Janeites, the Austen list" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A chilling tale of modern consumption gone mad, of the availability of so much yet causing so little happiness. It seems the more we consume the less happy we are. Our houses are bigger than ever, but our families are smalle. OUr children go to the best schools but we hardly see them. We have more money than ever before yet we are crippled under staggeringly high debt, more than ever before - the authors ask the question - what is going on?

They support this ably with graphed research however unfortunately the graphs were not well referenced so I have no idea as to their veracity, so when they mention a 23% proportion of 20-50 year olds 'downsizing' their lifestyle in the last 10 years I just don't know where they got this figure from, or indeed how valid. However while this was a distraction, I did find this book had some extremely major strengths
1 - it is well written,
2 - it is more than just scare tactics, It is thoughtful and thought provoking about the way we live
3 - it offers actually practical solutions as well as philosophical idealism. The conclusion is a series of ideals and how we can go about meeting them.

There have been others talking about the unhappiness bought about by mass consumerism, this is a nice book to start at to understand the issues.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A disturbing indictment of Australian consumerism, October 14, 2006

By	Greg (Australia) - See all my reviews

According to virtually all statistical measures, Australians have become much, much richer in the past few decades than their parents or grandparents could have dreamed of. Who at the turn of the century, would have imagined us living in a world where we had a car each, had a large house, and hundreds of individual possessions?

Yet it seems in recent decades this trend for consumer capitalism has gotten totally out of control. It now often seems even having a house, car and job isn't enough; we have to have massive plasma television sets, several home computers, a third generation mobile phone, a whizz bang computer and games for the kids, both parents working to the hilt to pay the mortgage, expensive holidays and a million dollars in super at the end of it. We have to send our children to the most expensive private schools and universities, and money and getting things is the most important thing.

This is the picture Hamilton paints of Australia, where people binge on credit, where Australians work themselves almost to death to supply an endless array of goods and services which they don't really need, and are wasted; where about 20% of the population suffer from mental health problems related to low self esteem and stress, and where people avoid having children because each costs $250,000 to raise, and where our rampant consumption is ruining our environment as well as our health.

I certainly agree many of the ideas put forward in this book are true. Australia does seem to have become a place where the ethic of 'mateship' and community has been replaced with the rather heartless ethics of global capitalism, which are aimed at endless economic growth and growing individual prosperity. Reforms to make the Australian economy more open to foreign competition were opened in the 1980's by the Labour government, and ever since then in Australia the emphasis is more and more on aligning ourselves to the globalised world.

I do feel though that material progress is a good thing. However, our material progress is having some negative consequences, such as rocketing house prices and crippling resource shortages, in water and other areas. Our reckless focus on 'growth only' is also doing great damage to our environment, globally and locally.

Money is important and Australia must not go the way of Sub-Saharan Africa, being poor, overpopulated and racked by pollution and war. However I agree the time is coming when Australians will need to see there is more to life than simply the material; no amount of money or personal possessions is going to stop us from dying and suffering ill health, though wealth can delay both. We also need to be more charitable to the poor, as Australia still has some 100,000 homeless people, and we need to recognise the spiritual is an integral part of life, regardless of how much or how little we have (I am sure there is a correlation between the breakdown of religion and community in Australia and depression and other forms of mental illness).

To cure ourselves of affluenza we need to focus less on affluence and more on quality of life, which unfortunately affluence can't bring entirely on its own, without good ethical, social, spiritual and community values and wholeness and environmental sustainability. There seems little point in having a beautiful house or a brand new 4WD when the skies of your city are constantly polluted, water is running out, and garbage is piling up everywhere in the streets and elsewhere.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, at a macro level, July 8, 2006

By	Naomi12345 (Brisbane, Australia) - See all my reviews

This book was facinating and easy to read- a rare combination of meticulous research and good writing. The author systematically explains the different aspects of society where affluenza is changing our way of life- it's scary stuff. But I was left thinking, what do I do about it? The author's few page 'manifesto' at the end of the book is too little, too late for me. I would have liked to see some practical tips in each chapter about what ordinary people can do to combat affluenza.