Spree: A Cultural History of Shopping

Ten years ago, Faith Popcorn declared "the end of shopping" in her bestselling bookThe Popcorn Report. But from the looks of things, shopping is as pervasive as ever; we are a culture obsessed and beguiled by the desire for consumer goods.

Journalist and shopping addict Pamela Klaffke documents the history of shopping, from a time when cattle were currency to the current age of contemporary shopping phenoms like QVC and eBay.

Topics covered include:

The history of shopping malls and department stores
The evolution of retail design
Inventions that made shopping easier: the cash -register (1884), the shopping cart (1936), the bar code (1952)
Information on the largest fashion retail chain (The Gap, 3,676 stores), the largest retail firm (Wal-Mart, with annual revenues of $191 billion), and the worlds largest mall (West Edmonton Mall, at 121 acres)
Shopping meccas and customs from around the world
The dark side of shopping: kleptomania, shopping addictions, anticonsumerism
The myths of shopping: Men Who Hate Shopping and Women Who Love Shoes

Full of fun and informative sidebars and photos, Klaffkes book demonstrates that how we shop explains a lot about who we are.

Paperback. English. Arsenal Pulp Press. 2003. Good Condition.