Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer BehaviorA leading evolutionary psychologist probes the hidden instincts behind our working, shopping, and spending Evolutionary psychology-the compelling science of human nature-has clarified the prehistoric origins of human behavior and influenced many fields ranging from economics to personal relationships. In Spent Geoffrey Miller applies this revolutionary science's principles to a new domain: the sensual wonderland of marketing and status seeking that we call American consumer culture. Starting with the basic notion that the goods and services we buy unconsciously advertise our biological potential as mates and friends, Miller examines the hidden factors that dictate our choices in everything from lipstick to cars, from the magazines we read to the music we listen to. With humor and insight, Miller analyzes an array of product choices and deciphers what our decisions say about ourselves, giving us access to a new way of understanding-and improving-our behaviors. Like Freakonomics or The Tipping Point, Spent is a bold and revelatory book that illuminates the unseen logic behind the chaos of consumerism and suggests new ways we can become happier consumers and more responsible citizens. |
Contents
Darwin Goes to the Mall | 1 |
The Genius of Marketing | 19 |
Why Marketing Is Central to Culture | 37 |
This Is Your Brain on Money | 52 |
The Fundamental Consumerist Delusion | 71 |
Flaunting Fitness | 90 |
Conspicuous Waste Precision and Reputation | 112 |
SelfBranding Bodies SelfMarketing Minds | 128 |
Openness | 207 |
Conscientiousness | 225 |
Agreeableness | 240 |
The Centrifugal Soul | 255 |
The Will to Display | 277 |
Legalizing Freedom | 308 |
Exercises for the Reader | 331 |
Further Reading and Viewing | 336 |
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Common terms and phrases
advertising agreeableness attractive average Big Five Big Five personality brain brand brand personality Central Six traits conscientiousness conspicuous consumption conspicuous precision conspicuous waste consumer behavior consumerism consumerist consumerist capitalism consumption tax consumption tax rate correlated cost costly signaling creativity credit score Cro-Magnon cues culture economic effects emotional especially evolution evolutionary psychologists evolved example extraversion fake female fertility fitness indicators friends function genes genetic higher highly human nature Hummer H1 ideology intelligence iPod Lexus LS live luxury male marketing mass customization mates mating-primed memes mental million Moissanite narcissism ness one's openness parasite parents percent personality traits physical political predict preferences psychology reliable reproductive retail runaway schizotypy scores sexual signaling theory Sims social norms spend stability sumer tend tests tion tive trait display understand versus women World of Warcraft