Dematerializing: Taming The Power Of Possessions - Hardcover

Hammerslough, Jane

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0738203866 ISBN 13: 9780738203867

Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2001

Synopsis

Can the perfect new couch in your family room make for great times with your family? Does a diamond that costs two months' salary mean that love will last forever? In this era of high expectations and "low monthly payments," getting what you want has never seemed easier. And "getting what you want," in this environment, is increasingly linked to buying something. But is it always enough?Picking up where "simplifying" may not satisfy, Dematerializing acknowledges the pleasures, along with the pitfalls, of living in a material world. With a sharp eye and an attitude that's anything but holier-than-thou, Jane Hammerslough encourages readers to explore how a consumption-crazed culture affects their own relationships with objects. By considering what possessions can and can't do, and by exploring where belief in the magic of the material encroaches on belief in ourselves and other people, Dematerializing offers insight into the pressures of living in a possession-obsessed environment-and ways to tame materialism in our own lives. Grounded by real-world examples, research, and the author's own experience, this inspiring book is for those who appreciate having "nice things" but are also disturbed by the control "nice things" sometimes have on their lives.

About this title

About the Author

An award-winning journalist,Jane Hammerslough has written feature stories and essays for Parenting, Child, Garden Design, Saveur, Travel & Leisure, Country Living, and other national magazines. She lives with her husband and two sons in Westport, Connecticut.

Reviews

For decades critics have lamented the increasing materialism of American culture. Here, though, Hammerslough takes a fresh, current look at the role objects play in our daily lives. Beginning with a reminder of the most basic definition of "materializing" from myths and fairy tales ("the spirit of something becomes tangible"), she explores the ubiquitous effort to make intangibles like love, self-esteem, success, health, happiness, control, superiority, perfection, morality and safety manifest through ownership of things. Refreshingly, Hammerslough probes deeper than trite complaints about spoiled children and adults with misguided values. She acknowledges that the joy of a new car may be perfectly reasonable and harmless, while pointing out that our "faith" in and "expectations" of objects can be destructive in many ways, for both individuals and communities. Objects, Hammerslough contends, are expected to relieve stress, alleviate fears, provide escape, express identity (or a desired identity), procure acceptance and deliver people from pain and disappointment. Yet she describes how "possession-obsession" blocks creativity, stunts growth, hinders relationships, garbles communication and redirects energy and attention away from achievement and toward the illusions and accoutrements of achievement. A contributor to Parenting, Child, Travel & Leisure and Country Living, Hammerslough presents thorough, detailed information in an easy, conversational style. While occasionally underestimating the difficulty of transforming deeply held beliefs and ingrained (culturally supported) habits, she offers many practical suggestions for positive change and an inspirational view of a timely topic. (Oct.)Forecast: Offering much discussion fodder, a sensible approach to prosperity and a compassionate authorial voice, this addition to the simpler-living genre should be a shoe-in for interviews and talk shows.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

There are plenty of academic studies of consumer culture, but journalist Hammerslough approaches the subject through the experience of ordinary Americans, who are often overwhelmed with "getting and spending" but not quite sure what to do about it. Dematerializing explores in some detail the other "goods" people seek through ownership, from love and belonging to freedom from fear and making peace with the past. She draws on the philosophers and scholars recommended at the close of her book--e.g., Aristotle, Tocqueville, and Thoreau, among others--but describes their insights through anecdotes about single moms and soccer moms, workaholic dads, and high-school friends who manage in middle age to get past their traditional competitiveness and recognize that they've spent their whole lives reacting to similar family pressures. Hammerslough isn't urging readers to trek off to a cabin in the woods, but she offers plenty of useful advice about how to gain perspective and be more mindful in deciding how much and precisely what one wants to own and why one wants to own it. Mary Carroll
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Americans are bombarded with messages telling them that buying certain objects will result in spiritual fulfillment. Here, Hammerslough, a former New York Post columnist, explores this rampant materialism and suggests a middle-of-the-road solution: people need to start thinking about what possessions can and cannot do. Through the use of many examples, research, and her own personal experience, she discusses happiness, relationships, love, doing the right thing, money, fear, and other topics. Readable and interspersed with touches of humor, the text will sustain many readers' interest. A recommended reading list is included, but when studies and results are discussed, Hammerslough does not offer any detailed information, notes, or a bibliography. Recommended for self-help collections in large public libraries. Elizabeth Goeters, Georgia Perimeter Coll., Dunwoody
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0738203866
• ISBN 13: 9780738203867
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288