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The Joyless Economy: The Psychology of Human Satisfaction Revised Edition

by Tibor Scitovsky (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
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When this classic work was first published in 1976, its central tenet--more is not necessarily better--placed it in direct conflict with mainstream thought in economics. Within a few years, however, this apparently paradoxical claim was gaining wide acceptance. Scitovsky's ground-breaking book was the first to apply theories of behaviorist psychology to questions of consumer behavior and to do so in clear, non-technical language. Setting out to analyze the failures of our consumerist lifestyle, Scitovsky concluded that people's need for stimulation is so vital that it can lead to violence if not satisfied by novelty--whether in challenging work, art, fashion, gadgets, late-model cars, or scandal.
Though much of the book stands as a record of American post-war prosperity and its accompanying problems, the revised edition also takes into account recent social and economic changes. A new preface and a foreword by economist Robert Frank introduce some of the issues created by those changes and two revised chapters develop them, discussing among others the assimilation of counter-cultural ideas throughout American society, especially ideas concerning quality of life. Scitovsky draws fascinating connections between the new elite of college-educated consumers and the emergence of a growing underclass plagued by drugs and violence, perceptively tracing the reactions of these disparate groups to the problems of leisure and boredom.
In the wake of the so-called "decade of greed" and amidst calls for a "kindler, gentler" society, The Joyless Economy seems more timely than ever.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0195073479
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0195073478
  3. Edition
    Revised
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    March 26, 1992
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    8.5 x 5.6 x 0.86 inches
  8. Print length
    352 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Magnificent....A book one absolutely has to read."--Jagdish Bhagwati, Columbia University"An original and profound critique of American culture."--Kenneth J. Arrow, Stanford University"A brilliant contribution to welfare economics."--The Economist"An intriguing book--some novel perspectives and insights on satisfaction which have stimulated some research hypotheses and directions I hope to follow up on in the consumer behaviour area."--Kenneth R. Lord, SUNY, Buffalo"Stimulating and imaginative."--The New Statesman

From the Back Cover

His first four chapters present what remains one of the most artful and accessible summaries of what psychologists know about human motivation. Economists will learn that the concept of utility in economic models corresponds to the psychologist's notion of comfort; and they will see substantial evidence against the idea that people are comfort maximizers.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Revised edition (March 26, 1992)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195073479
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195073478
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.86 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

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Tibor Scitovsky

Tibor Scitovsky

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bernie Koenig
5.0 out of 5 stars The puritan economy
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2005
This book is must for all people who want to challenge the current free market dogma. Scitovsky shows that economic practices are aspects of one's culture: people in different countries spend their money very differently. These spending patterns are not based on the amount of income but on what is important to them. Thus Europeans with less income than Americans spend more of their income on fresh fruit and other foods, as well as on entertainent. Americans may buy bigger, but Europeans buy better. An Americam will boast about how much something cost, while a European will boast about how much they saved.
By showing that economics is based on culture, the whole concept of economics as a value free science gets undermined.
And, the book is readable for the non professional.
10 people found this helpful
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lewis colon
4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it.
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2010
Verified Purchase
This is a great little book and even though it was written decades ago, nearly everything within it remains relevant and applicable today. It's a real gem and too bad more people don't know about it. I highly recommend reading it.
2 people found this helpful
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Unger Reader
1.0 out of 5 stars Euro-blah blah blah
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2000
I read this in a comparative economics class at Hope College back when Jimmy Carter was President, and it was "in" to deride the U.S. as suffering from too much over-psychologized materialism, the cure for which was to read this book to see how much happier we would be if we switched paradigms to a slower paced, more natural, Euro-way of doing socialism, which would include more frequent trips to the market to buy bread without preservatives, taking fewer showers to conserve water, and waking up later, taking longer lunches, and staying up all night drinking cappucino with interesting people. In short, more like then-"third way" Yugoslavia. What happened to Yugoslavia, and who has subsequently had to go clean the place out, is a metaphor for how the preachings of this book have turned out to fit with reality. What a relief to see that the current generation of college econ students seem to have totally rejected this type of over-phsychologized incoherent "economics" and have instead pursued business careers while simultaneoudsy waking up late, and staying up all night drinking cappucino with interesting people. Lunch can take all day, too. So Tibor got some of it right but most of it wrong. Ronald Reagan got more of it right, but partisans of the left will never admit it. So read this book if your 60's reject professor forces you to, but challenge the paradigm of Veblenesque, dead-to-the-market stupidity which masquerades for "economics" in this book. I still hate thinking about it 20 years after reading it!
14 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

C M khurana
5.0 out of 5 stars an interesting anlysis relevent even today
Reviewed in India on March 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
good analysis of a classic issue
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David Holroyd
5.0 out of 5 stars A unique blend of pschology and economics
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
A lot of though-provoking ideas contained throughout. A few dull sections but definitely worth a read for anyone interested in economics/psychology.
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars need more like this!
Reviewed in Brazil on June 2, 2016
Verified Purchase
Great book! Right on the spot where I needed! Fortunately there was a kindle version or it would be too expensive for me
One person found this helpful
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Bernie Koenig
5.0 out of 5 stars The puritan economy
Reviewed in Canada on January 2, 2005
Verified Purchase
This book is must for all people who want to challenge the current free market dogma. Scitovsky shows that economic practices are aspects of one's culture: people in different countries spend their money very differently. These spending patterns are not based on the amount of income but on what is important to them. Thus Europeans with less income than Americans spend more of their income on fresh fruit and other foods, as well as on entertainent. Americans may buy bigger, but Europeans buy better. An Americam will boast about how much something cost, while a European will boast about how much they saved.
By showing that economics is based on culture, the whole concept of economics as a value free science gets undermined.
And, the book is readable for the non professional.
2 people found this helpful
 Report