Urge to Splurge, The

People used to haggle in crowded outdoor bazaars. Now we buy collectibles on
eBay. Tracing the evolution of shopping from marketplaces to malls, mail order
to the Internet, The Urge to Splurge is a chatty, intriguing look at the
history and the psychology of one of humankind's oldest pursuits. With
examples from literature and other sources, The Urge to Splurge explores the
variety of reasons (and excuses) that have driven the impulse to buy
throughout the ages. It uncovers how fashionistas have fought to obtain the
most fashionable hemlines and trendiest hats for more than 2000 years, and
discusses the age-old phenomenon of compulsive shoppers who shop beyond their
means. The Urge to Splurge also looks at the long history of our conflicted
attitudes about shopping. Shopping, it seems, has never mixed well with our
higher ideals. It has mixed with just about everything else, though. For
instance: tourism. These days, every museum has a gift store and every cruise
ship offers shopping seminars. But people have been carting home souvenirs
from foreign lands since long before Hannibal crossed the Alps. As one bumper
sticker puts it: "Veni, vidi, VISA: I came, I saw, I shopped." The drive to
spend has been with us ever since we've lived in villages and minted coins.
The goods may be different now, but has the urge to splurge changed?