"On the economic underpinnings of two American pastimes: buying and consuming. In a capitalist society, people sell their labor so they can purchase staples like food, shelter, and anxiety medication, which are the things needed for a happy life. Work and consumption thus deliver happiness, and they also grow the economy. Except, does it really work like that? In Growth Machines, Mark Stelzner establishes the gaps between economic thinking and economic reality: he argues that consumption is no longer a reflection of needs, but rather, reflects a need for transaction-in many cases, a treat we seek out because it feels good. We work not to be able to consume the essentials for living, but to consume for consumptions sake. Stelzner traces this strange nature of consumption to an environmental source: an economy that demands growth. In order to keep its economy pumping, the US has to keep Americans consuming. For readers, that makes Stelzners book an uncomfortable reflection on how we internalize our economy.

To be an American is to consume; to consume is what makes America"--.