This book offers a psychological perspective on the financial behavior of the many Americans today who find they cannot make ends meet, illuminating the causes of wildly self-destructive spending habits. Bringing together fascinating studies of consumer behavior, the book argues that the mountain of debt burying so many of us is the inevitable by-product of America's turbo-charged economy and, in particular, of social and technological trends that undermine self-control. The book illuminates everything from the rise of the credit card, to the increase in state lotteries and casino gambling, to ... More

This book offers a psychological perspective on the financial behavior of the many Americans today who find they cannot make ends meet, illuminating the causes of wildly self-destructive spending habits. Bringing together fascinating studies of consumer behavior, the book argues that the mountain of debt burying so many of us is the inevitable by-product of America's turbo-charged economy and, in particular, of social and technological trends that undermine self-control. The book illuminates everything from the rise of the credit card, to the increase in state lotteries and casino gambling, to the expansion of new shopping opportunities provided by toll-free numbers, home shopping networks, big-box stores, and the Internet, revealing how vast changes in American society over the last thirty years have greatly complicated man's relationship with money.