Includes bibliographical references.

Shiny objects -- Chasing the American dream -- The American dream on steroids -- The cat's out of the (shopping) bag -- The treadmill of consumption -- The cashless society -- Money costs too much : sacrificing our life goals -- Collateral damage : relationships -- Why are we so materialistic? -- Heaven help us (the prosperity gospel) -- Weapons of mass consumption -- The three ingredients of self-control -- Step away from the shopping cart (environmental programming) -- The carrot and the stick (behavioral programming) -- Your money or your life.

Americans toss out roughly 112,000 computers every day.

We spend $48 billion annually on our pets alone.

We have an average of 9 credit or charge cards - carrying a balance of $8,852.

And yet 70 percent of Americans also live paycheck to paycheck.

We are buried under stuff and surrounded by consumption. But more important, James A. Roberts's research reveals a surprising trend - the more we buy the less happy we are. While most would say that friends and family come first, our actual behavior tells a different story. Shiny Objects exposes the science of spending and shows how we can reverse these patterns to better our quality of life. Book jacket.