An All-Consuming Century
by Gary Cross
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Book Summary Information
Author: Gary CrossEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-04-15
ISBN: 0231113137
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Book Reviews of An All-Consuming Century
Book Review: Possibly the single finest work on consumerism in America
Summary: 5 Stars
This should be essential reading for anyone interested in consumerism in America or just American history in general. I've read a couple of dozen books on one or another aspect of consumerism and this is definitely the best all around book that I've read. Cross does not, as so many do, take primarily a pro or con position on consumer culture, but instead takes the success of consumerism as a fact and asks how this came about and why. He traces the emergence of a full blown consumer culture in the wake of the late-19th-century Victorian belief in the separation of private life from from commercial life. He identifies the specific needs that the increased availability of goods and commodities met and how widespread criticism failed to impede it.
The book is divided into five main chapters (along with an introductory and concluding chapter). Two chapters trace the growth of consumerism from 1900 to 1960, then there is a chapter dealing with the criticism of consumerism from a number of sources. The next two chapter carry the story of consumerism from 1960 to the end of the century, especially its dramatic acceleration in the wake of changing national economic priorities under Reagan and his fellow travelers. Throughout, Cross acknowledges the very real needs that consumer goods meet in those who acquire them. He does not give an across the board endorsement to all that consumerism brings nor does he dismiss all of it on principle. There is a pragmatic streak that runs through the book. The lives of most people are sorta boring. Or they would be without selected commodities that enrich the lives of individuals. This is as true of those who have a deeply held set of beliefs, whether religious or secular or otherwise.
There is no doubt that we all are repulsed by the bland conformity and lowest common denominator attitude inherent in advertising. We hate the herd mentality and the notion that we are considered highly malleable and easily manipulated. But the truth is that selected consumerism, as Cross points out, can greatly enhance personal happiness and a sense of individuality. And it is certainly not true that everything that we purchase is money thrown away or wasted. Most of my nonessential spending goes for books, DVDs, and music. I'm highly selective in what I spend money on. And I suspect that more people are careful along the same lines. Without the books, television series and movies on DVD, and CDs and downloaded music, that my spending obtains -- not to mention things like TVs, computers, and iPods, my life would be greatly diminished. I suspect most Americans work more for the necessities and recreational items that they can purchase than for any sense of personal satisfaction that their jobs give them. As Cross points out, most jobs are tedious, repetitious, and do not require much mental exertion. One is more apt to struggle with boredom than mentally challenging tasks. The more lamentable aspect of consumerism comes when people use the acquisition of stuff merely for the purpose of social enhancement or for keeping ahead of the Joneses.
All in all, this is an absolutely splendid book. There were some minor errors that as a former copyeditor truly bugged me (the copyeditor should have caught howlers like the reference to Pat Robinson's 700 CLUB or Cross talking of jet fighters such as the P-38, which anyone familiar with aircraft knows was a twin engine prop driven fighter). But overall Cross is exceptionally knowledgeable about every facet of his subject and is never less than exceptionally insightful. I should also add that on such a politically charged subject Cross remains remarkably nonpartisan. I'm personally far more to the left than he is, but I would describe his own position as in all probability center left, though only mildly to the left. He certainly is not an ideologue, unlike nearly all of those who are either passionate opponents or proponents of consumerism. I think that lack of an ideological agenda is what makes Cross so effective as an observer of our consumer culture. He allows himself to see things more as they are, rather than how he feels they must be or ought to be. This should be a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in Cross's subject matter.
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