cover image Against Thrift: Why Consumer Culture Is Good for the Economy, the Environment, and Your Soul

Against Thrift: Why Consumer Culture Is Good for the Economy, the Environment, and Your Soul

James Livingston. Basic, $27.50 (288p) ISBN 978-0-465-02186-4

Since September 11, Americans have been exhorted to spend more; to do otherwise would be un-American, ill-advised, or just plain wrong. Livingston (The World Turned Inside Out) adds his voice to the chorus in his polemic against thrift. Our commonsense notion of how growth happens is completely mistaken, he argues; private savings and investment do not drive growth. He makes a persuasive case for consumer culture: why it’s actually good for the economy, the environment, and our souls, among other things, and that less work, less thrift, more leisure, and more spending are the cures for what ails us. His argument goes beyond the financial; he wants Americans to be less thrifty in the broadest sense, withholding less and desiring more, shunning austerity as a soul-crushing emotional trap. We need a new mindset, argues Livingston, of abundance and spending, if we want to prevent another economic disaster and promote balanced, sustainable growth. His research and reasoning is remarkable, though fairly dry; it’s perfect for the classroom, but may be a tall order for the average reader. (Dec.)