It's neither provocative nor fresh to note that some people are buying big things while others are buying small things, and that premise isn't enough to rescue this cheery but uninspired collection of musings about consumer trends. "Bottom line, it's become hip to contradict," says Waters (The Trendmaster's Guide
), who sees "consumers pursu[ing] opposites simultaneously"—for instance, sales of both high-tech video games and classic board games have increased. But the former Target v-p never considers that these may be different consumers. Her broad, breezy survey includes products from Vespas to Tupperware, poker to dodge ball, Whole Foods to the slow food movement, but no coherent trends emerge. Worse, the self-described "Trendmaster" offers no new interviews with experts or behind-the-scenes scuttlebutt. Rather, she gives us "secondhand learnings" drawn from "endless magazine and newspaper articles written by others." Though an agreeable guide to today's consumer landscape, she doesn't leave the reader—whether manufacturer, marketer or shopper—with enough insights to make the journey worth it. (Oct. 5)
