There is currently an epidemic of 'affluenza' throughout the world - an obsessive, envious, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses - that has resulted in huge increases in depression and anxiety among millions. Over a nine-month period, bestselling author Oliver James travelled around the world to try and find out why. He discovered how, despite very different cultures and levels of wealth, affluenza is spreading. Cities he visited include Sydney, Singapore, Moscow, Copenhagen, New York and Shanghai, and in each place he interviewed several groups of people in the hope of finding out not only why this is happening, but also how one can increase the strength of one's emotional immune system. He asks: why do so many more people want what they haven't got and want to be someone they're not, despite being richer and freer from traditional restraints? And, in so doing, uncovers the answer to how to reconnect with what really matters and learn to value what you've already got. In other words, how to be successful and stay sane. (20040315)
Affluenza - How to be successful and stay sane
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"Oliver James is excellent at showing why social scientists think that the surge in material affluence can produce the opposite of happiness." (Avner Offer, Professor Of Economic History, University Of Oxford )
"Should be mandatory reading for everyone" (Will Self )
"Never before have I read a book that so precisely captures the way we are all being emotionally snookered by the demands of 21st-century living... read this book" (Jeremy Vine )
"A wonderfully clear and cogent thesis" (Guardian )
"An absorbing and effective wake-up call" (London Lite )
"Should be mandatory reading for everyone" (Will Self )
"Never before have I read a book that so precisely captures the way we are all being emotionally snookered by the demands of 21st-century living... read this book" (Jeremy Vine )
"A wonderfully clear and cogent thesis" (Guardian )
"An absorbing and effective wake-up call" (London Lite )
Book Description
The paperback of the Sunday Times bestseller: Oliver James tours the minds of the middle classes in search of an answer to the question: is it possible to be successful and stay sane (20040315)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
82 of 88 people found the following review helpful
By Historian
Format:Hardcover
"Affluenza" is certainly a catchy title for the book and the definition of the problem certainly piques interest. James' work begins with a promising premise - seeking to explain (broadly through anecdotal ethnographic study - though by no means rigorous research) the rise in the reported incidence of mental illness and psychological distress in the developed world. Unfortunately, though, it appears that James reached his conclusions before he conducted the research - i.e. the modern world is "bad" and makes people unhappy and a lot of his judgements and pronouncmenets are clouded by this. The book also strays habitually into the territories of the unsubstantiated generalisation, fallacious argument and the error of confusing causation with correlation. In this way, James tends to seize upon explanations and theories without exploring alternatives and controlling for other potential explanatory factors. Apart from this, the author is also inappropriately self-satisfied regarding the affluence of his own upbringing, repeated discussion of which seems jarringly out of place in a book of this type, and also inappropriately takes it as read that childhood experiences inevitably govern the run of everyone's adult life. Apart from these criticisms, the book is well worth reading for the introspection it invites into one's values and life choices. Read Affluenza, but so do with a healthy degree of scepticism and with one eyebrow raised. This was probably not James' intention as he clearly regards himself as an arch intellectual, but this book really cannot be treated as a seminal sociological work!
34 of 38 people found the following review helpful
By Paul Caira
Format:Hardcover
If this sentiment seems trite to you, you may find little of real substance here, though as a schoolteacher who often wishes he were rich and famous (I answered YES to almost every question on the first page), I certainly need vivid reminders such as this book that the rich and famous aren't significantly happier than the rest of us - or if they are, it may have very little to do with their wealth and fame. From that point of view, it's a soothing balm for the would-be materialist's aching soul. Success, money, fame, houses, yachts, soft-furnishings, shoes - none of these things will make you happy - they can't.
Having said that, James' editor should have sat down with him and forced him to re-write it. There are jarring inconsistencies of tone (James refers to himself as his readers' 'heroic mind tourist', and says 'Err, see what you mean mate' in an aside), inaccuracies of punctuation ('as my mother said shortly before she died when my wife was describing her birth plan' - how very unfortunate that she should have died at that moment!), and, as has already been noted, broad unsupported statements that support his arguments when their opposites could equally easily be posited.
I love the portrait of the deeply unhappy multi-millionaire contrasted with the taxi-driver in the first chapter, but it's just too easy. I bet there are loads of unhappy taxi-drivers, and there may even be one or two well-balanced, fulfilled billionaires too, mightn't there?
Having said that, James' editor should have sat down with him and forced him to re-write it. There are jarring inconsistencies of tone (James refers to himself as his readers' 'heroic mind tourist', and says 'Err, see what you mean mate' in an aside), inaccuracies of punctuation ('as my mother said shortly before she died when my wife was describing her birth plan' - how very unfortunate that she should have died at that moment!), and, as has already been noted, broad unsupported statements that support his arguments when their opposites could equally easily be posited.
I love the portrait of the deeply unhappy multi-millionaire contrasted with the taxi-driver in the first chapter, but it's just too easy. I bet there are loads of unhappy taxi-drivers, and there may even be one or two well-balanced, fulfilled billionaires too, mightn't there?
59 of 68 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I agree that this book is not very well written at all, so much so that it failed to keep me engaged. I gave up half way through. Although I agreed with the authors original premise, I do believe that Alain De Botton wrote a much better book with Status Anxiety and explained the premise in a much clearer and concise manner.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bitter morning after pill of a book
I bought this book from Tesco when it was published in 2007, and revisited it recently to see whether it has any more resonance now than it seemed to have at the time. Read more
Published 1 month ago by E Reilly
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting stories and a chance for some self-reflection. But the...
Well I certainly enjoyed reading this, but I can't score it more than 3/5 because of some overall flaws. Read more
Published 7 months ago by andrewp
5.0 out of 5 stars
updating Fromm
After reading almost all of Erich Fromms books I was hooked on the ideas he proposed concerning the 'sickness' inherent in society and the way that selfish capitalism has... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Ken Ashman
1.0 out of 5 stars
Lack of insight into New Zealand questioned my belief in authors...
I skimmed through this book and read one or two bits that sounded interesting.
However when I read the New Zealand section based on Auckland I really lost interest in... Read more
However when I read the New Zealand section based on Auckland I really lost interest in... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Janine
2.0 out of 5 stars
catchy title but says more about the author than subjects
Dismisses as dysfunctional anyone who lives alone. Anyone with less than a positive view of other people is labelled as unwell. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Bosco
3.0 out of 5 stars
Prepare to be patronised
I've been pondering what's wrong with this book (apart from its excessive length) and I think that the main problem for me is that James doesn't seem to realise that he sees the... Read more
Published 18 months ago by wpm
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as They Fxxx you up.
A bit disappointed with this. It has a point to make about the adverse affect of consumerism on modern life, but does labour it a bit.
Published 19 months ago by KAW
4.0 out of 5 stars
To have or to be ? That is the question
The premise of this cleverly named work is that the continuing Americanisation of English speaking developed nations is leading to increasing incidence of depression,anxiety and... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. Timothy W. Dumble
2.0 out of 5 stars
Gets pretty boring by page 100
The book itself is a bit of "does what's on the label" focuses on the broken and unhappy members of the rich society and the quite happier ones of the common people. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Wyco
1.0 out of 5 stars
Very poor book
Didn't enjoy this book, 1 star seems generous but it's the lowest score I can give.
As for all the positive reviews stating that "this is a well researched book" and... Read more
As for all the positive reviews stating that "this is a well researched book" and... Read more
Published on 2 May 2011 by Rob
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