Affluenza - John De Graaf

Affluenza is about the personal, social, economic, and environmental costs of over-consumption - and what we can do to beat the "all-consuming bug" that's infecting the planet. While many people think the fight against affluenza will require us to "give up" the good life, the authors assert that we're already giving up the good life, by sacrificing personal health and sanity, family closeness, and ecological stability for electronic gadgets, fantasy vacations, cheap socks and underwear. Affluenza presents symptoms (such as Stress of Excess and Family Convulsions; historical and cultural data; and proven cures. An accessible, even humorous overview of a difficult subject, Affluenza suggests strategies for rebuilding families and communities, and for respecting the earth and its biological rules. The book has hit a nerve with people around the country. Affluenza reveals symptoms of the larger disease of over-consumption. Symptoms include: social inequity, loss of human and biological diversity, and helath effects from "keeping up with the Joneses.";Affluenza offers practical guidance for adopting lifestyles that are more sensible and satisfying, and shows, through stories and interviews, that "the best things in life aren't things."