The Culture of Excess : How America Lost Self-Control and Why We Need to Redefine Success

The Culture of Excess is the first book to assess the impact of economic and social factors on the nation's psychological well-being. Narcissism, productive narcissism, psychopathy, rigidity and self destruction, perfectionism, the illusion of success, and identity achievement all come into play as Slosar diagnoses the psychological drivers behind this indulgent age, offering his prescription for helping "Generation Me" become "Generation We." --from publisher description

Economists, political scientists, and business experts have taken the lead in producing the many "we have only ourselves to blame" books that document our current economic woes. This book, written by a clinical psychologist offers a different perspective, which makes it stand out in this now-crowded genre of literature. Slosar provides an interesting examination of the psychological and social influences that affect us as a culture, setting up circumstances that made our clamor for money outpace our collective common sense. The prose is thoughtful, but not necessarily sanguine that we might not make the same mistakes again if given a chance. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)