Thomas H. Naylor

affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.

We tried to warn you! The 2008 economic collapse proved how resilient and dangerous affluenza can be. Now in its third edition, this book can safely be called prophetic in showing how problems ranging from loneliness, endless working hours, and family conflict to rising debt, environmental pollution, and rampant commercialism are all symptoms of this global plague.

The new edition traces the role overconsumption played in the Great Recession, discusses new ways to measure social health and success (such as the Gross Domestic Happiness index), and offers policy recommendations to make our society more simplicity-friendly. The underlying message isn't to stop buying--it's to remember, always, that the best things in life aren't things.… (more)

It’s more than a book … it’s a disease. Affluenza is a largely modern disease when people are consumed with the idea of consuming. Does this sound like anyone you know?

The book was written around November 2000 and is still very true today. Fun, witty, and filled with illustrations from Pulitzer Prize Winner, David Horsey, this book takes aim at our growing culture of consumerism. Nowadays, we just have so much stuff … or is it junk?

The book divides into three parts: symptoms, causes, and treatments. In short, the symptoms include things like emptiness, stress, and feeling like not having enough time. Feeling bloated and sluggish are also prevalent symptoms. There is little test in the book to take to see how much affluenza you have.

Jokingly, the authors blame Adam and Eve’s Original Sin as the root of affluenza. There are anecdotes of a company like Kellogg that at one point had a standard six hour workday (do any of you know anyone who works only six hours a day?) and the beginnings of the credit card industry. It’s strange in light of all the advances in technology that we were supposed to save us time; we collectively have even less time.

So is there a cure? Yes, one can choose to downshift to a smaller household or just have a smaller environmental footprint. The things most important to us can probably not be bought at your local mall. Goodness knows we have all tried.… (more)