Living It Up: Our Love Affair with Luxury

In the pages of Living It Up, Twitchell commits the academic heresy of paying respect to popular luxury consumption as a force that has united the country and the globe in a way that no war, movement, or ideology ever has. What's more, he claims, the shopping experience for Americans today has its roots in the spiritual, the religious, and the transcendent.

Deft and subtle writing, audacious ideas, and a fine sense of humor inform this entertaining and insightful book.

Ah, the evils of luxury. Spending for its own sake, accumulating unnecessary "stuff," the need to own for status, the trophy car, the trophy home, designer everything. But here's the conundrum: Who better to sort the whole thing out than Twitchell, one of Newsweek's " Cultural Elite. But is the desire for high-end junk as wasteful and garish as it seemed when it was available to only the few?

Twitchell makes the case for a mild defense of luxury in that its mass consumption ultimately lifts up the masses economically. As the author of works on advertising, materialism and modern culture, University of Florida professor Twitchell should have been the most immune to acquisitive desire while doing research in posh Rodeo Drive and Madison Avenue stores.

That he was momentarily struck with passion by a Ralph Lauren tie not only demonstrates his humanity, but also underlines one of his theses: The reason for this, he says, is, "We understand each other not by sharing religion, politics, or ideas. We share branded things. We speak the Esperanto of advertising, luxe populi.

He embarks on a course of fieldwork that is both absurdist and charming, as he chats up Fendi salespeople and stands slack-jawed in the lobby of the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. With the research done, but the tie unbought, he comes away with insights about the American quest for luxury products and provides a history of such yearning: We have always been desirous of things. With its intelligence and wit, Twitchell's exploration of consumerism belongs in every shopping bag.

Ad execs, sociologists, market analysts, spending-conscious Mercedes drivers and others will delight in Twitchell's book. It's funnier than Robert H. Frank's Luxury Fever and less pretentious than Juliet B.

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Schor's The Overspent American Twitchell English and advertising, Univ. His central tenet of "materialism for all" is supported by a smorgasbord of colorful examples, from dissection of luxury-themed advertising and glitzy media to visits to upscale shopping meccas e. Twitchell also draws on his humanistic background to examine the democratization of luxury using literary figures and key historic events. His journey peaks with a thorough investigation into the extravagant world of Las Vegas, concluding that the quest for luxury may be considered beneficial, a unifying force.

The book is very interesting, filled with intriguing current material, and written in a highly engaging, witty, and sophisticated style.

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Please verify that you are not a robot. Would you also like to submit a review for this item? You already recently rated this item. Your rating has been recorded. Write a review Rate this item: Preview this item Preview this item. James B Twitchell Publisher: English View all editions and formats Summary: Cites the evolution of luxury-based consumerism in America, seeking to define the category itself while considering luxury from a manufacturing and customer perspective and drawing conclusions on the economic impact of luxury spending. Allow this favorite library to be seen by others Keep this favorite library private.

Find a copy in the library Finding libraries that hold this item James B Twitchell Find more information about: The democratization of luxury, Twitchell contends, has been the single most important marketing phenomenon of our times. Publisher Synopsis The author is savvy enough to conduct most of his research in the real world.

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