奢華狂潮 Luxury Fever
- 作者：羅伯特‧法蘭克著
- 原文作者：Robert H. Frank
- 譯者：席玉蘋譯
- 出版社：智庫
- 出版日期：2000年05月20日
隨著人民所得不斷提高，一些超級富豪揮金如土的現象，在各個國家不斷出現，也逐漸引起注意。因為《贏家通吃的社會》一書而享譽學界的學者羅伯特‧法蘭克，推出奢華狂潮一書，對整個資本主義發展提出嚴厲的批判和反省。
法蘭克引用許多調查和數據，顯示今日美國民眾的過度消費，實在已達到驚人的程度。相較而言，美國這十年的經濟成長率並未提高，為什麼近年卻出現這樣的現 象？原因是收入金字塔最高的那一個族群，競相花費令人無法想像的大筆金錢。此外，股票飆漲造就了許多一夕新富，加上信用卡公司等企業用各種行銷手法，刺激 消費，鼓勵貸款，更加強了這種現象。
由於奢華熱潮越演越烈，近來反而出現一股反撲現象。一些提倡簡單生活的書紛紛出現，鼓吹大家讓工作少一點，行程表鬆一點，負債少一點，多一點時間給家人、社區和大自然。
但法蘭克認為，這種自力救濟的行動，對扭轉整個奢華社會的大趨勢是不夠的。要解決這個問題，法蘭克建議政府課徵奢侈消費稅，來遏阻那些消費在前10％或 20％人士的消費。他認為，如果政府一味地對高所得者課徵嚴苛稅率，將使人不願努力賺錢，整體生產力大減。相反地，對那些奢侈的消費活動課稅，卻可以鼓勵 儲蓄，減少太多不必要的花費。
不論法蘭克提出的課徵奢侈消費稅方案是否可行，在過度生產、過度行銷、過度消費的社會裡，本書提供了一個刺激人們反思的重要聲音。
 | Luxury Fever: |
The turn of the twenty-first century witnessed a spectacular rise in gross consumption. With the super-rich setting the pace, everyone spent furiously in a desperate attempt to keep up. As cars and houses grew larger and more expensive, the costs were enormous--not only monetarily but also socially. Consumers spent more time at work and less time with their family and friends; they saved less money and borrowed more. In this book, Robert Frank presents the first comprehensive and accessible account of these financial choices. Frank uses scientific evidence to demonstrate how these spending patterns have not made us happier or healthier. Luxury Fever offers an exit from the rat race, suggesting ways to curb the culture of excess and restore true value to our lives. Robert H. Frank is the Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management and professor of economics at Cornell University, as well as an economics columnist for the New York Times. His books include The Winner-Take-All Society (with Philip Cook), What Price the Moral High Ground?, The Economic Naturalist, and Principles of Economics (with Ben Bernanke). "Luxury Fever is an important book. . . . It's admirable that an economist makes use of the research of behavioral biologists and evolutionary psychologists to explain why consumers spend as they do."--USA Today "Frank's analysis should be just as interesting to those who do not share his political position as to those who do."--Samuel Brittan, Times Literary Supplement "One does not have to be the kind of person who complains about fat-cat City salaries to wonder whether certain wealthy people are not, on the one hand, rich beyond utility, and spending their money on things that no sane consumer needs, on the other. Robert Frank's thoughtful study of conspicuous consumption . . . has a dreadful fascination."--Sunday Times (London) "The shop-till-you-drop, 'retail therapy' culture may have become more dominant in the last few years. . . . But are we really any happier for it? One person who thinks we are not is Robert Frank . . . whose new book, Luxury Fever, has been causing a bit of a stir. . . . The burst of consumerism in the U.S. . . . gives a new bite to these well-rehearsed concerns."--The Independent (London) Acknowledgments ix Another Princeton book by Robert H. Frank: |
可笑而讀之的書
奢侈与资本主义
作者: （德）桑巴特 1922
译者: 王燕平 / 侯小河
ISBN: 9787208054363
页数: 271
定价: 18.0
出版社: 上海人民出版社
丛书: 袖珍经典·世纪人文系列丛书
装帧: 平装
出版年: 2005-05
简介 · · · · · ·
目录 · · · · · ·
第一章 新社会原始材料和其他文献
一、 宫廷
二、 中产阶级的财富
三、 新贵族
第二章 城市
原始材料和其他文献
一、16、17以及18世纪的城市
二、城市的起源及内部结构
三、18世纪的城市理论
第三章 爱情的世俗化
原始材料和其他文献
一、 非法爱情的胜利
二、 高级妓女
第四章 奢侈的发展
原始材料和其他文献
一、 奢侈的定义和性质
二、 宫廷
三、 宫廷的模仿者：骑士和暴发户
四、 女人的胜利
第五章 资本主义――奢侈的产物
一、 对这一问题正确和错误的表述
二、 奢侈与贸易
三、 奢侈与农业
四、 奢侈与工业
附录：《奢侈与资本主义》英译本导言
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