Tim Kasser

In graphic novel form, this book attempts nothing less than an accessible explanation of capitalism. It also shows how present-day worship of markets harms a person's well-being and the planet's health.

The five commandments of hypercapitalism are: Thou Shalt Consume, Thou Shalt Operate Globally, Thou Shalt Not Regulate, Thou Shalt Spend Less on Labor and Thou Shalt Privatize. How can the average person afford all this consumption when wages have generally stagnated over the past couple of show more decades? The answer is: credit cards, the overall debt of which is about $700 billion. That does not include student loan debt, which is another trillion dollars. Are obsessed consumers really happier than the average person, or do they get a momentary "high" from their purchase?

Is there anything the average person can do about it? Before buying, here are some questions to ask yourself. Can I afford it? Do I need it, or do I want it? Will it improve my life? What company makes it? There are tool banks and seed banks and time banks, where such items can be shared. If your town or neighborhood does not have one, consider starting it. Get to know your local library. It is possible for a business, like an employee-owned business or a non-profit, to be more socially responsible than average. For some people, more direct methods are the way to go. These include boycott/buycott, advocating for a better deal for workers and publicly funded political campaigns or taking to the streets and protesting.

This book deserves six stars. It is very easy to read, and does a wonderful job at explaining capitalism, even for those who "hate" capitalism. It also gives a number of alternatives that anyone can adopt. This is extremely highly recommended. show less

Intriguing review of the author's research into the ironic way in which pursuit of materialist goals, which promise one a happier, more successful life, actually result in a more stressful and unfulfilled existence. After empirically documenting this relationship--which should be known by anyone with their eyes open--he goes on to suggest reasons for this outcome:

1) Pursuit of materialism crowds out time and opportunity to spend on more rewarding goals, such as building human show more relationships;

2) Because materialism builds upon rewards and praise as its motivation, it works against building autonomy and authenticity, which finds its drive in the intrinsic interest and enjoyment of doing things; and

3)Materialism leads the person to have lower self-esteem and sense of self-worth, a gap that consumerist culture pounds into their heads can be filled by buying the next new thing. This is an unendingly recursive process. show less

Its MIT press book, also available on MIT press ebooks portal on ipublishcentral http://mitpress-ebooks.mit.edu/product/high-price-materialism