Book · 2006 · Business & Economics
The Challenge of Affluence
Self-control and Well-being in the United States and Britain Since 1950
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You there's a wonderful book by uh economic historian called Avner Offer called The Challenge of Affluence. And the book came out in about 2002 or 2003.
Why people recommend it
The Challenge of Affluence by Avner Offer is an economic history book that examines how increased wealth and consumerism have impacted societal well-being and created new forms of friction since the mid-twentieth century. Azeem Azhar mentioned the book on EconTalk during the episode Living with Exponential Change in March 2024. Azhar brought up Offer's work while discussing the rapid pace of technological innovation and modern consumer desires, noting that the book was published around 2002 or 2003. He utilized the historical perspective provided by the economic historian to contextualize contemporary societal challenges and the friction that arises when exponential economic growth meets human psychological needs. By referencing Offer's analysis, Azhar helped listeners understand that modern anxieties surrounding abundance and consumption are deeply rooted in recent economic history rather than being entirely unprecedented phenomena driven solely by twenty-first-century digital technologies, thereby grounding a futuristic conversation in established historical and economic scholarship.
Every mention
Azeem Azhar You there's a wonderful book by uh economic historian called Avner Offer called The Challenge of Affluence.… 1
“You there's a wonderful book by uh economic historian called Avner Offer called The Challenge of Affluence. And the book came out in about 2002 or 2003”
