San Antonio College Library

Politicians and pundits can rage against free trade and globalization, but much of what they convey is myth says the author. He argues that free trade is good for the American family. Among the benefits he discusses are import competition that provides lower prices, greater variety, and better quality, especially for poor and middle class families. Driven in part by trade, most new jobs are well-paying service jobs. Foreign investment here has created...

Offers a provocative and entertaining tour of America's love/hate affair with shopping, a pursuit that, even in hard times, remains the true national pastime, in a book by the best-selling author of The Number that delves into both "The Sell Side" and "The Buy Side" of the world of shopping.

"In this inquiry, originally published in 1989 and now updated for the twenty-first century, Warren J. Belasco considers the rise of the "countercuisine" in the 1960s, the subsequent success of mainstream businesses in turning granola, herbal tea, and other "revolutionary" foodstuffs into profitable products; the popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets; and the increasing availability of organic foods."--Jacket.

Analyzes household spending in the United States on numerous products and services by age, income, household type, race and Hispanic origin, region of residence, and educational attainment of householder. Identifies which households spend the most on a product or service (the best customers) and which control the largest share of spending (the biggest customers).

"The focus group, over the course of the last century, became an increasingly vital part of the way companies and politicians sold their products and policies with few areas of life, from salad dressing to health care legislation to our favorite TV shows, left untouched by moderators questioning controlled groups about what they liked and didn't. Divining Desire is the first-ever popular survey of this topic. In a lively, sweeping survey, Liza Featherstone...

Calder presents the first book-length social and cultural history of the rise of consumer credit in America. He focuses on the years between 1890 and 1940, when the legal, institutional, and moral bases of today's consumer credit were established, and in an epilogue takes the story up to the present. He draws on a wide variety of sources - including personal diaries and letters, government and business records, newspapers, advertisements, movies,...

Tells the story of the small but vital generation spanning the ages of 36 to 47 in 2012. Although their numbers are small, lifestage dictates that Generation X is a vital part of the nations commerce and culture. People in their thirties and forties are in the crowded-nest years. They are supposed to be advancing in their careers, their incomes should be growing, and their spending should climb because of the expenses of children and teens. Generation...

"This toolkit is for community partners, assisters, and other people who help consumers enroll in coverage or change their plan.'

Annotation

An examination of the effects of capitalism on American culture and society reveals how consumer capitalism overproduces goods, targets children as consumers, and replaces public goods with private commodities.