''The Waste Makers'' is a 1960 book on
consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the su ...
by
Vance Packard
Vance Oakley Packard (May 22, 1914 – December 12, 1996) was an American journalist and social critic. He was the author of several books, including ''The Hidden Persuaders'' and '' The Naked Society''. He was a critic of consumerism.
Early lif ...
. It was bestselling when it was released. The book argues that people in the United States consume a lot more than they should and are harmed by their consumption.
Summary
One reviewer summarized the book's thesis as follows:
Another reviewer noted:
Vance Packard
Vance Oakley Packard (May 22, 1914 – December 12, 1996) was an American journalist and social critic. He was the author of several books, including ''The Hidden Persuaders'' and '' The Naked Society''. He was a critic of consumerism.
Early lif ...
worked to change the meaning of the term "
consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the su ...
" from a positive word about consumer practices to a negative word meaning excessive
materialism
Materialism is a form of philosophical monism which holds matter to be the fundamental substance in nature, and all things, including mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. According to philosophical materialis ...
and
waste
Waste (or wastes) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste pr ...
.
The ads for his book ''The Waste Makers'' prominently featured the word "consumerism" in a negative way.
Reviews
One reviewer said that the book is an examination of how
economic growth
Economic growth can be defined as the increase or improvement in the inflation-adjusted market value of the goods and services produced by an economy in a financial year. Statisticians conventionally measure such growth as the percent rate o ...
became thought to be a virtue.
Another reviewer said that the book describes the
manipulation of ordinary people by
business interests. The reviewer for ''
Commentary'' noted that Packard had made harsh attacks on businessmen.
References
External links
entry at Archive.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waste Makers
1960 non-fiction books
Ethically disputed business practices
Marketing techniques
Non-fiction books about consumerism