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The Ignominy of Abundance, the Plight of Plentitude or, First World Problems |
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by Jen Hatmaker
A pastor's wife recounts her family's humorous and inspiring experiences while conducting a seven-month experiment to reduce their dependence on material consumption by selecting seven areas of excess and making seven decisions to combat it. |
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by Neil Postman
Examines the ways in which television has transformed public discourse -- in politics, education, religion, science, and elsewhere -- into a form of entertainment that undermines exposition, explanation and knowledge. |
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by Dana Goodyear
Presents a narrative assessment of the American food world's extremes that considers how ... trend ingredients are reshaping what we eat, sharing behind-the-scenes revelations about an intricate network of scavengers, dealers and pitchmen who are introducing exotic elements into the culinary marketplace. |
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by Aaron E Carroll
Revealing how foods we are trained to avoid can actually improve health, a science-based cookbook reveals the positive benefits of enjoying moderate portions of vilified ingredients ranging from red meat and alcohol to gluten and salt. |
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by Joe Queenan
In a humorous and trenchant work of social commentary Queenan confronts the "Baby Boomer" generation, pointing out their (his) most annoying and egocentric behaviors while also deconstructing their history. |
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by David Brooks
Profiles two formerly mutually exclusive groups of people -- the business-driven bourgeois and the intellectually driven artistic bohemians -- noting how in the last decade they have merged to create a single social ethos. |
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by John Waters
The cult filmmaker traces his haphazard cross-country hitchhiking journey at the sides of a motley group of unsuspecting drivers, including a gentle farmer, an indie band and the author's unexpected hero. |
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by Sophie Egan
Food writer and Culinary Institute of America director examines what's good and what's bad about American food culture, discussing why there are more than 100 items on McDonalds' menu, meal-replacements like Soylent and the increase of chains like Starbucks and Chipotle. |
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by David Rakoff
A collection of trenchant and insightful essays by provides an eye-opening glimpse of the pervasive greed, selfishness, vapidity, and vanity of contemporary America's culture of excess.
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by Eric Schlosser
Explores the homogenization of American culture and the impact of the fast food industry on modern-day health, economy, politics, popular culture, entertainment, and food production. |
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by Cintra Wilson
Wilson took a three-year journey across the various economic "belt regions" of America: the Cotton, Rust, Bible, Sun, Frost, Corn, and Gun Belts. Acting as a kind of fashion anthropologist, she documents and decodes the sartorial sensibilities of Americans across the country |
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by Jonathan Kauffman
A narrative history of the alternative-foods movement of the past half century explores the diverse fringe trends, charismatic personalities and counterculture elements that have rendered quotidian wholefoods, from whole grain bread and tofu to yogurt and brown rice, part of the mainstream American diet.
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by Margo Jefferson
A highly personal meditation on race, sex and American culture by the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic traces her upbringing and education in upper-class African-American circles against a backdrop of the Civil Rights era and its contradictory aftermath.
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Overdressed : the Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashionby Elizabeth L. ClineEvaluates the actual costs of low-priced, poor-quality clothing while tracing the author's own transformation from a cheap fashion consumer to a conscientious shopper, a journey during which she visited a living-wage garment factory, learned to resole inexpensive shoes and shopped for local, sustainable clothing.
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by Sarah Payne Stuart
Examines New England's "WASP culture" from the perspectives of its women, describing how Stuart returned to the region with her own children to confront its legacy of Louisa May Alcott-inspired disapproval, guilt and parenting. |
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by Wednesday Martin
A woman describes how she used her background in anthropology and primatology to assimilate into life on the Upper East Side of New York City after marrying a man from that neighborhood, through recognizing tribal migration patterns, display rituals, physical adornment and mating practices.
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by James A. Roberts
A leading expert on consumer behavior delves into the American obsession with consumerism, exploring the evolution of the American Dream, revealing a direct link between how much we spend and the negative impact on our happiness, and offering practical advice for correcting this materialistic trend. |
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by James Wallman
Drawing on interviews with anthropologists, scientists and innovators, a leading trend forecaster, journalist and speaker presents this movement manifesto for "experiential" living, urging readers to stop accumulating stuff and start accumulating experiences. |
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by Nicholas G. Carr
An alternative history of the digital age chronicles its roller-coaster crazes and crashes through a series of incisive essays including, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" and "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Privacy." |
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 click on picture for video"First World Problems Read by Third World People"
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 click on picture for videoexamples of First World Problems
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