Affluenza by Oliver James

[yajorome]

I am reading this book and hating it with a passion. Whilst I don't disagree completely or even in large part with what he's trying to say, I do disagree with the way he's gone about it. The "ooh, I've got a graph so it must be true" bits, the general style of the prose which makes me want to kick him in the shins or something equally juvenile, the way it's written at a primary school level. Arrtrgggghhh.

My husband says I should just stop reading it. I'm not far into it, maybe 100 pages or so, but think I should finish it so I can hate it properly.

Anyone else read it? Is it worth finishing or should I just go onto the next book? Again, I don't disagree with his basic premise... it's just that he seems such a pompous prick that it's hard for me to get past that.

I've had this book recommended to me many times but he's such a populist that I thought it might be really trashy. Is it basically saying that money doesn't buy happiness and affluence can actually make you unhappy? And not much more than that?

(IMO) Life is too short to spend time reading books you don't enjoy. Unless you relish picking his arguments apart, drop it and move on.

Amazon reviews are all over place, too .

I think that's the basic premise, NKF. And maybe he's going to come up with some "immunisations" for affluenza. I think it's at that point my head will explode.

lljkk, know what you mean. But do you think I can still hate it if I haven't finished it or does that invalidate my arguments if I'm discussing it with someone?

Have you read Alain de Boton's Consolations of Philosophy. Think that's the title. He looks a bit at consumerism and why we buy and what purchases represent. And he's a fine writer.

Thanks for the recommendation - I haven't read that. I'm a bit happiness, schmappiness at the moment as I've run across a few references to happiness and what it is and blah blah blah and just end up thinking wtf just get on with it, it certainly doesn't involve this much navel gazing.

Picking his arguments apart is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel (a small barrel packed full of fish, I mean - not a huge aquarium with a couple of minnows... who the hell ever came up with that phrase and why would you wnat to shoot fish anyway? If they're that close together, couldn't you scoop them out with a net or what's wrong with the old standby of hook and line? hello?)

Think I have pmt, maybe.