Waubonsee Community College

American mania, when more is not enough, Peter C. Whybrow

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 265-322) and index

index present

non fiction

American mania

bibliography

56214089

Peter C. Whybrow

when more is not enough

In the world's most affluent nation, epidemic rates of stress, anxiety, depression, obesity, and time urgency are now grudgingly accepted as part of everyday existence. Behavioral scientist Whybrow grounds the extraordinary achievements and excessive consumption of the American nation in an understanding of the biology of human craving and the reward system of the brain--offering a comprehensive explanation for the addictive mania of consumerism. His analysis combines reflection on the roots of American culture as a laissez-faire, competitive, free-market economy with an exploration of the nation's migrant temperament and its role in the creation of our ambitious, restless society, to shed light on the dangerous misfit between our consumer-driven culture and the brain systems that evolved to deal with privation thousands of years ago.--From publisher description

Introduction : the manic society -- Adam Smith's American dream : of desire and debt -- Curiosity and the promised land : of origins and opportunism -- The freedom to strive : of risk and reward -- America bubbles over : of globalization and greed -- A growing burden : of appetite and abundance -- The time trade : of clocks and competition -- Dreams for sale : of culture and commerce -- The roots of happiness : of compassion and community -- Finding balance in the age of the merchant : of self and society