Review: Thought provoking with wise advise
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 8, 2014
In the age of realty TV, of the uber haves being portrayed in every detail to the rest of us every time we turn on the TV or gaze enviously at a magazine cover while standing in the checkout line, it becomes exceedingly difficult to remember that having more doesn't always mean having a happier life. Our kids in particular are being bombarded with an endless stream of .... I was going to say suggestion but it's not even that any more. It's almost a constant demand for them to have this, have that, have it all or else never fit in. Even our modest family feels the call to buy buy buy every time we see a neighbor pop up with a new car or bbq grill or even just a new riding mower.Grace Scott addresses this issue and more, plus the surprisingly far reaching and damaging consequences of materialism to our society in great detail in The Materialistic World. I completely agree with her analysis that we are all becoming slaves once more, but this time our masters are our cars, electronics, and designer clothing.The chapter on Materialism and the Youth was very thought provoking and educational, as was the following chapter on the Remedy of Materialism. We have some grandkids who are already showing indications of being very materialistic thanks to a great grandmother who literally brings hefty sacks full of toys to them every time she visits... which is about once a week, and I intend to implement all of Scott's strategies to try and combat their (and ours) perceived need to have more and more stuff. I also intend to put the suggested non-material forms of entertainment into practice.My only complaint is the table of contents isn't clickable so I have to wade through the pages trying to find specific sections, but that's a minor whine compared to the valuable insight and advise provided.