Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior Kindle Edition

Plenty of information one could walk away with after reading this book. But the read wasn't very enjoyable. I found Miller to be redundant on many sections, and making too many attempts at snarky humor. I wasn't offended by anything he said. He's just not as funny as the amount of jokes or criticisms he makes. Book could've been noticeably shorter and still as valuable.

Excellent point of view on personality, consumerism, and evolutionary psychology. There's a lot of substance to the book, yet at times it's a long walk to get there. The style is, at times, light-hearted and not typical of a journal article, white paper or text book. I'm cool with that. Just wish there were in-text citations instead of a further reading section at the end. Although, to be fair, it more than likely helped me stay on point and finish the book without going off to read the cited work where Miller drew his conclusions.

Recommend this book highly.

Scott Brown

After reading "Spent. Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior", by Geoffrey Miller only a few weeks before Christmas I have to say that I am spent. But not in the sense Miller uses the term; although I have to admit I'm not sure how exactly Miller is using the term. It was a tough read and my mind is tired. Why? Because Miller is adept at having us believe he has something important to tell us, but also a master of never quite telling us what that might be. So he tells us a lot of things, and in truth a lot of the things he tells us are really quite interesting (see below). Miller is clearly a very smart man and well read. This book springs from hundreds of others. Miller spent (there's that word again) a decade perhaps researching and compiling his thoughts for this book, the illusion is one of hard science and fact, to which he brings us the universal theory of all consumer behavior. We buy things because we are like a peacock, we evolved to signal something to the world around us, whatever that may be...health, status, intellect, etc.

Although he goes to great length to tell us why we signal, what we signal, and where the signaling comes from his overwhelming tone seems to be that there is something inherently wrong with this, with us, because we manifest our colors by purchasing commercial goods and services as consumers and not signaling using old fashioned face to face communication, the more human communication of the caveman, with other's of our species. But then he tells us it's not really wrong, it's just wrong because we should be buying used clothes instead of new clothes, because if we want to buy Armani shirts to impress women, it's better to spend $5 dollars in a second hand store than $100 dollars at the Galleria. The signaling is the same, whether we are really buying the shirts because we like quality and good fit, or because we want to display to others that we are something we may not be, which is rich. Even if we are lying about our status we still get to save a few bucks. But what if we really are rich? Can we still fly on our private jet to Italy to buy that Armani shirt at the source? This is where he really begins his discussion of consumption and moves away from any science related to evolution and behavior.

This book could be sold as a freshman introductory text on evolutionary psychology using consumer behavior as a case study but Miller didn't stop in time. He continued into a rage against consumer consumption, materialism, the capitalist consumer culture of the United States, and all that is wrong with our superficial and what he calls centrifugal souls. We are a shallow people us Americans, and if you didn't know that, the rest of the world knows that all this country really is, is a coast to coast shopping mall. It's a shame that such a bright man has such a jaded view of our culture. We, as Americans, are far more than the valley girl shopper's that he thinks we are, if only he would leave his academic perch and come have a talk with one of us cavemen as individuals. What you would find, Dr. Miller is that although "we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention [analogy for reading his book] for whatever it is that we did wrong. We think you are crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is . . . a brain. And an athlete. And a basket case. A princess. And a criminal. Does that answer your question?

Sincerely yours,

The Breakfast Club."

P.S. As promised above, a truly interesting idea: Colleges and universities dismiss the notion of IQ as being a true indicator of intelligence but go to great length to only recruit those with high IQ so that they can market a diploma from their institution as the true measure of intelligence.

Very respectful mix of critique and appreciation in this analysis of consumer culture. Uniquely positions consumer culture in an evolutionary framework. It is convincing, and mostly avoids condemnation and judgement. Observes the common theories of marketing psychology and anti-consumerist politics and neatly demonstrates both to be insufficient mechanisms for understanding the role of consumption in human behavior. The perspective in this book was new to me and I learned a ton.

i dont even know how i came across this book but it is absolutely a must read for anyone trying to understand human nature; the style is casual and laid back and really easy to follow, the substance is pure gold; i've read some amazing books in this field but this is the only one i felt compelled to write a review on; i feel compelled to buy this book and send it to schools in my city or country wide if i was sure it would be read... i encourage everyone to read it! the parts about how narcissistic we are, how consumptions is for signaling and ultimately for mating are amazing in that they are so accurate if one decides to take on a very careful scrutiny of what makes you buy stuff... the part about fashion magazines and the message these fashion adds actually are about... l-o-v-e-d it! anyways, great book, hits almost all soft spots, untold, unaccepted, untolerated if such a word exists about human nature..

I got a lot out of this book. It challenged some preconceptions and gave me a broader perspective on several things. And I loved its irreverence. But the main thing is, in addition to being packed with merit, it is a very fun read! Miller is an excellent and witty writer. There are smiles and chuckles all over the place. To choose just one favorite quote from among many, this one from the chapter on General Intelligence: "...it may be useful for outsiders to understand [Education Testing Service's] role in higher education not just as a gatekeeper but as a flack absorber. ETS throws itself on the hand grenade of the IQ test controversy to protect its platoon mates (elite universities) from the shrapnel." Brilliant!

This is that rare kind of book that I find myself referencing in conversations almost weekly. At times it can get a bit heady and hard to get through without doubling back to read a section again after you just finished reading it, because somehow you just know you missed the point the first time... but all in all, there's a lot of amazing stuff in here. Highly recommended.

This book is really fun and easy to read. I love social psychology and here you will really find not only an explanation of why people do what they do. But you will enter a new world of explanations related to our basic instincts as humans that evolved over thousands of years. Who now are consumers thatl carry a lot of genetic behavior that we sometimes miss to see as part of our decisioning process. A most read for any person in marketing, advertising or social psychology.