The Anxieties of Affluence: Critiques of American Consumer Culture, 1939-1979

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Exploring the responses of notable American writers to post-World War II prosperity, the book delves into themes of consumer culture and societal values. It begins with Lewis Mumford's advocacy for "democratic" consumption during wartime and culminates in an analysis of President Jimmy Carter's "malaise" speech from 1979. Throughout, Daniel Horowitz presents a spectrum of perspectives that reveal a complex ambivalence toward the burgeoning consumerism of the era, highlighting the cultural and philosophical debates of the time.