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"Empire of Things isn't just an insightful and surprisingly entertaining read, but a crucial one."--NPR

What we consume has become a central--perhaps the central--feature of modern life. Our economies live or die by... Read Full Overview

What we consume has become a central--perhaps the central--feature of modern life. Our economies live or die by spending, we increasingly define ourselves by our possessions, and this ever-richer lifestyle has had an extraordinary impact on our planet. How have we come to... Read Full Overview

What we consume has become the defining feature of our lives: our economies live or die by spending, we are treated more as consumers than workers and even public services are presented to us as products in a supermarket.

In this monumental study, acclaimed historian... Read Full Overview