The challenge of affluence

the long version

"Avner Offer argues that a sense of well-being has lagged behind affluence in these societies because they present an environment in which consistent choices are difficult to achieve and in which the capacity for personal and social commitment is undermined by the flow of novelty. His approach draws on economics and social science, makes use of the latest cognitive research, and provides a detailed and reasoned critique of modern consumer society, especially the assumption that freedom of choice necessarily maximizes individual and social well-being."--Jacket.