Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don't Have in Search of Happiness We Can't Buy

by James A. Roberts

In Shiny Objects , a cross between In Praise of Slowness and The Tipping Point , consumer behavior expert Professor James A. Roberts takes us on a tour of America's obsession with consumerism—pointing out its symptoms, diagnosing specific problems, and offering a series of groundbreaking solutions. Roberts gives practical advice for how to correct the materialistic trends in our lives which lock us into a cycle of financial hardship and stress. Shiny Objects , a new The Paradox of Choice for the modern reader, is more than a critique of capitalism—it's also an exploration into how we can live happier, fuller, more productive lives today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Finance, Sociology, Business, Society

368 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

Dr. James A. Roberts is a well-known author with approximately 100 articles published in the academic literature. He is currently the Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing at Baylor University in Waco, Texas where he has been a faculty member since 1991. “Too Much of a Good Thing” (his second book) follows closely on the heels of his highly successful first book, “Shiny Objects” (Harper Collins), which focused its attention on how our love of money and material possessions impacts our happiness.

Dr. Roberts is a nationally recognized expert on human/consumer behavior and has studied one form or another of addictive behavior for the past 15 years.

He has been quoted extensively in the media and has appeared on the CBS Early Show, ABC World News Tonight, NBC’s The Today Show, Yahoo.com’s “The Daily Ticker”, and has been quoted or featured on The O’Reilly Factor, US News & World Report, the New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Yahoo! Tech (one million page views), and countless other newspapers, magazines, websites, and television appearances.

Reviews

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rarity: an accessible book on consumerism and marketing written by an academic for a popular audience. There's not much new here--the kids-and-marshmallows test of self-control, for example, was an inescapable part of the zeitgeist all last year--but Roberts does an admirable job of weaving far flung statistics, surveys, articles, anecdotes, and self-assessment quizzes into a coherent and eminently readable whole.

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of the ideas on managing money in Robert's book were interesting, but not particularly new, such as using cash. I disliked this book in part because of its many references to god. I also take issue with his suggestions to punish oneself if one doesn't follow the rules; maybe this is part of his Christian thought process, which didn't resound well with this heathen at all.

[Glenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an exploration into the psychology of consumerism and its impact on our lives. Roberts delves into the reasons behind our frequent pursuit of material goods and the illusion that they will bring us lasting happiness.

As a matter of background, Roberts is a marketing professor with an understanding of consumer behavior. He presents a well-researched and thought-provoking analysis of why we are driven to spend excessively combined with academic research and real-world examples to illustrate how marketing tactics, societal norms, and psychological factors converge to create a culture of (over) consumption.

One of the book’s strengths is its accessibility. Roberts writes in a clear and engaging style, making complex psychological concepts easy to understand for a broad audience. He effectively uses anecdotes and case studies to bring the material to life, making it relatable and thought-provoking.

"Shiny Objects" contains some eye-opening revelations about the true cost of our consumer habits, the detrimental effects of debt, the environmental impact of overconsumption, and the emotional toll of living in a society that equates worth with wealth. He challenges readers to reconsider their spending habits and to reflect on what truly brings happiness and fulfillment.

In addition the book offers practical advice for breaking free from the cycle of consumerism. Roberts provides actionable steps to help readers develop healthier relationships with money and material possessions. His suggestions are realistic and grounded in psychological research, making them both practical and achievable.

"Shiny Objects" feels especially relevant in today’s society, where the pressure to keep up with the latest trends and gadgets is ever-present. Roberts’ insights encourage readers to think critically about their consumption patterns and to seek happiness beyond the superficial allure of shiny objects.

If you are looking to understand why you buy what you don't need, or are looking for control over your finances, to reduce your environmental footprint, or simply find more joy in life, this book provides some salient points along with valuable guidance.

[Yaaresse]

DNF@16% plus some random skimming.

I was hoping for more Paco Underhill and less self-help and theology. There really wasn't anything new in this marketing researcher's studies that make up the first half, and most of the tips in the self-help half are the usual fodder of blogs every January and April.

Had a good laugh at the part where he suggests you can save money by doing your own housecleaning, yard work, cooking, etc. Dude's been living on six or seven figures too long if he thinks that's the norm.

[Prima Seadiva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I more skimmed this book rather than read every single page. I thought it was going to go more in depth about why people overbuy. It did to some extent but the moralistic tone bugged me.
A lot of what the author discussed also seemed very obvious to me. I kind of felt like I was reading a companion book to a self help t.v. special which, even though I am an old geezer, I find really dull. I found it to be more of a how to get out of debt and control spending plan which I do not need. If you are looking for help this may help you.
I recommend you check it out of the library rather than buy it.

Don't spend more money than you have, objects will not grant real status or happiness, marketing is a ploy to make you spend, don't run up credit cards. If run up, how to pay off your credit cards, don't use them, use cash etc. I'm sure for some this is a useful guide. The focus and examples were for people far more affluent than I ever have been or will be.

Though it seems obvious in every commercial and ad ever made, thoughtless accumulation and then discarding so as to buy more new stuff for status grubbing and uber sex appeal, is prevalent in our society. Our economy is based on manipulating and persuading people they need something that they can only use a few times or have to have what the newest in crowd pleaser is.
I have to give the book credit for pointing this out in various areas-clothing, food, electronics. If it helps people resist great.

I am no saint of minimalism. First by necessity, then by choice and now once again by necessity, I have long been frugal. I buy virtually everything I need and want on the thrift store level so I see the vast acres of stuff cast off to buy more new. I also see how impulsive overbuying fills second hand shops with useless crap (as seen on t.v.). I can only imagine how much more is wasted by being tossed into the landfills.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great exploration of materialism in our culture - how it’s increasing, all of the encouragement from TV to some preachers, how materialism is documented to lead to lower satisfaction in life, and what you can do to combat it’s influence in your own life. Very readable.

[Beth Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had such a shiny title and ended up being on the dull side. The author is a university professor and summarized a lot of consumer research studies that had conclusions such as people who score higher on a materialism scale have more credit card debt.

[Linda Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense look at our materialistic society and our individual complicity

The book provides lots of food for thought. It helps each to see how we tend to seek more stuff, but end up less content. The author offers several reasonable ways to get out of debt and live a life not concentrating on possessions. Here is a quote the author gives from Aristotle:
There is no sense in producing or acquiring more shoes than can possibly be worn. This is self-evident. With regard to money, however, which has become exchangeable against everything, the illusion arises that it is good to accumulate it without limit. By doing so, man harms both the community and himself because, concentrating on such a narrow aim, he deprives his soul and spirit of larger and more rewarding experiences.
Highly recommend this book.

[Jeff G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roberts, a Marketing professor at Baylor, covers a number of topics in this book. In at least the first half, he discusses a number of consumer behavioral topics related to money (e.g. we spend more using a credit card than with cash, our level of materialism). Near the conclusion, he exhorts the reader to exhibit self-control & provides a list of "25 tweaks to financial tranquility".

I particularly appreciated Ch 10: Heaven Help Us: the Prosperity Gospel. In this chapter, Roberts connects consumer materialism with the modern prosperity gospel, and also provides some of the history behind that movement.

[Bryan Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly interesting exploration of the history of American materialism is followed by a fairly pedestrian self-help guide for changing our overspending ways. As someone who is financially solvent and doesn't even own a credit card, the former was far more informative than the latter (though even if you do have financial problems, I don't think much that he says in the self-help section is all that revelatory).

[Cherity · Rating 3 out of 5]

The theoretical part was very interesting, but the self-help part... what kind of advice to save money for supposedly broke people is to mow your own lawn and to clean your own house? That's like that family from a joke "the family was very poor. The parents were poor, the kids were poor, their gardener was poor, their maid was poor"

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title was the best part. The rest was just commentary

[Cherry (_forevermint) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of history and boriiing stuff ~ had to skim to get to the interesting parts. Nothing really new either :/

[宅女阿reen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is absolutely nothing wrong with the book, as the matter of facts it's educational, factual and informative enough. Just that it is lacking of fun, too much of preaching. There are many times that i was tempted to abandon the book (I'd keep on checking on the reading percentage at the bottom of pages). It had reminded me of a text book.

[Don B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has the American Dream been perverted by the lure of easy money? Have the old-fashioned values of hard work, thrift and moderation given way to sloth and envy and shop-till-you-dropism? Is there any way out of the tar pit of mindless, endless compulsory consumption in which America seems to be trapped?

Yes, yes and yes, says James Roberts in his provocative Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don't Have in Search of Happiness We Can't Buy.

Though Roberts is a professor of marketing, his book is no dry academic treatise. There's not much genuinely new here—the kids-and-marshmallows willpower test, for example, was a newsy meme last year—but Roberts does an admirable job of weaving far-flung statistics, anecdotes, scholarly papers and current events into a coherent and compelling narrative of a way of life thoroughly corrupted by materialism and commercialism. He deftly sketches the outlines of the American Dream, traces its origins and development, and examines its decline over the past century or so as the combined forces of mass production, mass communication and mass marketing converged to overwhelm an increasingly rootless, affluent and leisured populace. Finally, he offers practical advice on how to spot and resist those forces as well as how go about living a simpler, more humane and meaningful life without dropping out of mainstream American society.

Shiny Objects is brisk reading. It is liberally peppered with graphs, USA Today-style box quotes, and self-assessment quizzes covering everything from your "General Happiness Scale" to your susceptibility to product placements in movies and television. I found it insightful and informative overall, but two things kept me from rating it higher.

First, when it comes to dispensing practical advice in the final third of the book, Roberts turns out to be an enthusiastic disciple of Dave Ramsey. Nothing wrong with that, but if I want Dave Ramsey's advice I'll go straight to the source. Then, too, there's an element of blaming the victim at work when Roberts wags his finger at Americans for not saving enough, not planning for retirement, and not buying homes they might actually be able to afford. Nevermind the paucity of affordable new housing in this country, the decimation of pensions and IRAs in the wake of the stock market collapse, or a federal monetary policy that—intentionally or not—has discouraged personal saving by artificially suppressing interest rates for the past three decades.

Nevertheless, Shiny Objects is a worthwhile read. Any book that gets me to consider picking up a Cecily von Ziegesar novel must have something going for it. Why would any grown man read Ziegesar's Gossip Girl, Zoey Dean's A-List or Lisi Harrison's Clique? Simple: to see if it really is possible to cram an average of one product placement on each and every page of a 200+ page book.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, this book totally worked for me. It CAN sound a little academic, but ultimately, the author explores some pretty compelling ideas. There are some really basic truths in here (do you have an emergency backup fund? No? Then you probably need to rethink every purchase you make until you've got a good one going). There's also some interesting exploration of where the concept of the "American Dream" came from. (I, for one, never knew who coined it, but it's interesting how most companies use the expression to serve their own needs, rather than how the author really intended it.) Anyway. An interesting book, and pretty timely, with all the Christmas shopping.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the idea of materialism as something we need to get away from is not a particularly new subject, the author presents research that is scary and frustrating. I was surprised at some of the numbers about product placement. The chapter on Prosperity Gospel was certainly an interesting reminder of how pervasive this has become. Caught a number of phrases that I've heard in my own head that I need to break out of. There are definitely more positive affirmations one can have than "I deserve to buy...."

[Kate Woods Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marketing professor James A. Roberts takes us on comprehensive tour through human greed, with particular attention to the American consumer culture.

Shiny Objects could be a high school or college text, a book club choice, a Sunday School lesson or just a spiritually-tinged personal challenge for the overly materialistic. It's well-written and not too preachy.

Comedian Bill Hicks thought anyone involved in marketing should just kill themselves. I don't know that this book would have changed his mind, but it might have made him merciful enough to recommend a painless method.

[TheSaint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but kind of all over the place, research-wise. I suppose that might be necessary in re the topic. Though the chapter on the prosperity gospel might have been a stretch!

Solid reporting of studies from sociology, biology, and even my new fave, evolutionary psychology. Spent: Sex, Evolution and Consumer Behavior by Geoffrey Miller is the go-to for that topic.

Beyond the individual and social causes of materialism, the author also includes chapters for people who want to step off the earn-spend cycle.

A solid effort for the lay reader.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, this was ok. There were some interesting bits and pieces, but I didn't find it to be an overly compelling read. Pretty much the standard message: money can't buy -- and things don't provide -- happiness. Clearly our culture has a serious habit when it comes to buying stuff, and views having lots of money and possessions as proof of success and the key to happiness. Nothing new there...

[Catania Larson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like this book was okay. It was dry and sometimes boring. A lot of it seemed kind of obvious (money can't buy you happiness). There were a few parts I liked, but I just kept falling asleep while reading this. I think that there are more interesting non-fiction books that can deal with this subject.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made depressing reading, if only because it made clear a lot of the things we all kind of half-know but try not to acknowledge.
I found myself saying "nah" and closing out of shopping sites without buying the junk in my cart several times because of this book. Which is a good thing: I could stand to do a lot less pointless acquisition.

[Daphne Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating--almost

The first part of the book, on the history of materialism and marketing, was fascinating. Second part was less helpful--a tired review of operant conditioning and behavior change and platitudes about money not buying love. I really wanted to like this book--and almost did.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, well researched and enlightening. A bit of a finger wagger, yes but I can't say I didn't agree. I didn't find the self-help chapters to be burdensome, they were the shortest and were well done.

[Alvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part review of current trends and part self-assessment/self-help. I prefer and started this book for a look at the state of materialism today and what it is doing to us individually and collectively. I just skipped the "answer the following questions about your spending habits" chapters.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the abstract on the inside cover and the title, I was expecting more of a socioeconomic discourse. This was more self help book about finances, which I don't need or want. Would be helpful for someone who wanted a more clinical version of Dave Ramsey, I guess.

[Chris Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book that sadly I think probably a fourth of my friends could benefit from reading. Bonus to the author for including "Prosperity Gospel" as another factor in what's making the country so material.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing earth shattering. A lot of information I already knew and more of a self-help book than I thought it would be.

[Tracey]

Author appearance on Diane Rhem show 23 Nov 2011

[Marianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The statistics and references to various studies really bogged this book down. I think the topic is a worthwhile one for our time, but this book didn't do the best job of covering it.