Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays

( Christmas is a time of seasonal cheer, family get-toget...)

Christmas is a time of seasonal cheer, family get-togethers, holiday parties, and-gift giving. Lots and lots--and lots--of gift giving. It's hard to imagine any Christmas without this time-honored custom. But let's stop to consider the gifts we receive--the rooster sweater from Grandma or the singing fish from Uncle Mike. How many of us get gifts we like? How many of us give gifts not knowing what recipients want? Did your cousin really look excited about that jumping alarm clock? Lively and informed, Scroogenomics illustrates how our consumer spending generates vast amounts of economic waste--to the shocking tune of eighty-five billion dollars each winter. Economist Joel Waldfogel provides solid explanations to show us why it's time to stop the madness and think twice before buying gifts for the holidays. When we buy for ourselves, every dollar we spend produces at least a dollar in satisfaction, because we shop carefully and purchase items that are worth more than they cost. Gift giving is different. We make less-informed choices, max out on credit to buy gifts worth less than the money spent, and leave recipients less than satisfied, creating what Waldfogel calls "deadweight loss." Waldfogel indicates that this waste isn't confined to Americans--most major economies share in this orgy of wealth destruction. While recognizing the difficulties of altering current trends, Waldfogel offers viable gift-giving alternatives. By reprioritizing our gift-giving habits, Scroogenomics proves that we can still maintain the economy without gouging our wallets, and reclaim the true spirit of the holiday season.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691142645/?tag=2022091-20

Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays Hardcover - October 25, 2009

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010EUN2ZA/?tag=2022091-20

(Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays ) Author: Joel Waldfogel Oct-2009

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010BFVJM6/?tag=2022091-20

Scroogenomics (text only) by J. Waldfogel

(Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Hol...)

Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays HardcoverJoel Waldfogel (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H01GSO/?tag=2022091-20

The Tyranny of the Market: Why You Can't Always Get What You Want

( Economists have long counseled reliance on markets rat...)

Economists have long counseled reliance on markets rather than on government to decide a wide range of questions, in part because allocation through voting can give rise to a "tyranny of the majority." Markets, by contrast, are believed to make products available to suit any individual, regardless of what others want. But the argument is not generally correct. In markets, you can't always get what you want. This book explores why this is so and its consequences for consumers with atypical preferences. When fixed costs are substantial, markets provide only products desired by large concentrations of people. As a result, people are better off in their capacity as consumers when more fellow consumers share their product preferences. Small groups of consumers with less prevalent tastes, such as blacks, Hispanics, people with rare diseases, and people living in remote areas, find less satisfaction in markets. In some cases, an actual tyranny of the majority occurs in product markets. A single product can suit one group or another. If one group is larger, the product is targeted to the larger group, making them better off and others worse off. The book illustrates these phenomena with evidence from a variety of industries such as restaurants, air travel, pharmaceuticals, and the media, including radio broadcasting, newspapers, television, bookstores, libraries, and the Internet.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674025814/?tag=2022091-20