title: Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole
author:  Benjamin R. Barber 
description: Barber returns to the clashing models of civilization of his earlier <i>Jihad vs. McWorld</i>, focusing this time on the expanding global culture of market forces he claims will destory not only democracy but even capitalism, if left unchecked. He warns of a totalitarian "ethos of induced childishness" that not only seeks to turn the young into aggressive consumers but to arrest the psychological development of adults as well, "freeing" them to indulge in puerile and narcissistic purchases based on "stupid" brand loyalties. The increasing drive toward privatization compounds the problem, generating a "civic schizophrenia" where everybody wants service but nobody wants to serve. His complaint is so broad that it occasionally edges into crankiness, as he blames infantilization for ruining everything from Hollywood movies to NBA basketball; even other liberal cultural commentators, especially Steven Johnson (<i>Everything Bad Is Good for You</i>), come in for much criticism. Barber recognizes that the "Jihadist" rejection of consumer culture is equally undemocratic, but still believes the system can be changed from within, citing the corporate responsibility movement and activist boycotts. His dense analysis can be a tough slog in spots, but the provocative attacks on capitalism's excesses will resonate with many. <i>(Feb.)</i> <br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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  ## Further praise for Consumed
  
  
  “In this powerful and disturbing critique, Benjamin Barber takes dead aim at a
  fundamental fallacy of our time: the equation of capitalism and democracy. No
  one who cares about the future of our public life can afford to ignore this
  book.”
  
  
  —Jackson Lears, author of Fables of Abundance and Board of Governors Professor
  of History, Rutgers University
  
  
  “Barber, the prophetic author of Jihad vs. McWorld (1995), delivers a
  frightening analysis of the way consumerism is vitiating shoppers in the
  United States and around the world. Significant work.”
  
  
  —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
  
  
  “As Ben Barber took scholarly pot shots at the relentless efforts of marketers
  to manipulate the needs and wants of gullible consumers, I applauded. This
  book is not merely a lament. It is a guide to help us make our way from where
  we are to where we need to be.”
  
  
  —Bob Kerrey, president, The New School
  
  
  “An alarming study of the ways in which our child-c