Shoptimism:
Why the American Consumer Will
Keep On Buying No Matter What
by Lee Eisenberg
HF5415.33 .U6 E47 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
In these pressing economic times, common sense would tell us that we should save every penny possible, to become more frugal and to evaluate each expenditure with increased scrutiny. On the other hand, can one easily resist the urge to purchase ‘must needed’ items? For example, I couldn’t help myself when I went to the outlet mall last week and dropped more money than I care to admit (the deals were amazing!). Fortunately, this week’s featured title might just have an explanation.
Eisenberg, accomplished editor and visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, explores the wonderful world of shopping, both from the selling angle – the marketers, advertisers and retailers – and the buying angle – the consumers. He explains the business forces that work for or against us (depending on your perspective) to buy and buy again. The author also delves into the debate about how and why we, as consumers, hand over the dollar bills or credit cards to willing cashiers – is it the act of buying, or what the new found purchases represent? If you have any interest in retail therapy (or need help with understanding it), this book is for you.
