THE HIGH PRICE OF MATERIALISM
Tim Kasser, . . MIT Press, $24.95 (165pp) ISBN 978-0-262-11268-0
You've always known that money can't buy happiness, but do you have the data to prove it? Kasser, a psychology professor at Knox College, certainly does. Drawing on an impressive range of statistical studies, including ones that use his own "Aspiration Index," Kasser argues that a materialistic orientation toward the world contributes to low self-esteem, depression, antisocial behavior and even a greater tendency to get "headaches, backaches, sore muscles, and sore throats." In numerous studies, Kasser shows, people who were paid for completing a task that they normally found pleasurable (e.g., solving puzzles) reported the activity to be less fun than those who did the task without financial compensation. While at first the book seems to retrace the steps of Juliet B. Schor's
Reviewed on: 07/01/2002
Genre: Nonfiction
Open Ebook - 166 pages - 978-0-262-27676-4
Paperback - 166 pages - 978-0-262-61197-8