"Time for Things seeks an answer to the question of why, in mature industrial capitalist societies, increasing productivity has tended to get used to increase output and consumption as opposed to reducing the burden of work. Put simply, why do we live in a world so full of goods, many of which...

"Consumed is a forward-thinking look at how shoppers--and consumption--have changed, now and for the foreseeable future, and how businesses must rethink their strategies in order to thrive in this new economic landscape. A worldwide study by the authors found the following: - More than a quarter...

Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- 1 - Confronting Consumption -- I - The Consumption Angle -- 2 - Consumption and Its Externalities: Where Economy Meets Ecology -- 3 - Individualization: Plant a Tree, Buy a Bike, Save the World? -- 4 - Commoditization: Consumption Efficiency and an Economy of Care...