Hal Kane -- "Triumph of the Mundane"

From the book jacket:

In recent years, not only has the desire for greater creature comforts and material success come to dominate the goals and values of most Americans, but also a desire for more speed, for frequent new jobs and moves to new homes, and, by surprisingly many people, for places where they can live alone. In the pithy language of the bumper sticker, "He who dies with the most toys wins;" but now that bumper sticker reads: he who goes the fastest wins, he who lives alone wins, he who changes his work the most often wins.

In Triumph of the Mundane, Hal Kane offers a unique assessment of how and why our day-to-day lives have changed, and considers the wide-ranging impacts of those changes. Using a variety of indicators of behavior--distances between family members, the things we own, the pace of our lives--he traces the social transformations that have occurred in recent decades, and considers the profound effects of those changes on our values, relationships, and physical surroundings.

Kane takes a first step at defining a new set of political goals, as he identifies questions that leaders and policymakers must address if they are to reinvigorate our public discourse so that it can improve the quality of our lives. He provides examples of powerful new ways of measuring the things we really care about, and offers an important means of recognizing the often-overlooked issues that underlie much of the environmental crisis.

Triumph of the Mundane explores in a fresh, engaging way the social causes and consequences of environmental degradation, and is a thought-provoking work for anyone interested in environmental issues or the future of American society.

	Brand New!!!: Triumph of the Mundane [Click here to purchase this book.]	Read Reviews of this book from the San Francisco Chronicle Book Review and Library Journal
Advance praise for Triumph of the Mundane: "Hal Kane's book skillfully examines the physical and social changes that shape the future of our culture. On the whole, Americans are healthier and living more comfortably than ever before, yet, as Kane observes, to navigate our rapidly changing, fast-paced lifestyle, we are increasingly attempting to fill non-material needs materially. Craving quick relief from boredom, pain and loneliness, we turn to products instead of our family members or communities. This book is an excellent tool for helping us understand the hidden social costs of a highly materialistic society." --Betsy Taylor, Executive Director, Center for a New American Dream "Triumph of the Mundane embodies a unique approach to understanding who we are as a people. It is as absorbing as it is original. Anyone who has ever wondered how our lives became so complicated, and how that is changing our values and our environment, should read this book." --Lester Brown, Chairman, Worldwatch Institute
		Triumph of the Mundane The Unseen Trends that Shape Our Lives and Environment (Island Press, 2000) Introduction: The Physical and Private Changes That Have Shaped America Chapter 1. Speed: The Fastest People Who Have Ever Lived Chapter 2. Moving Away: Americans Have a Unique Approach to Accomplishing Their Goals Chapter 3. Living Alone: Americans Have Acquired Something That Few Have Ever Had Before Chapter 4. Possession: Americans Built Their Country Partly of Knickknacks, Electronic Gadgets, and Paraphernalia Chapter 5. The Future We Haven't Talked About: America's Other Public Affairs Index [Click here to purchase this book.]
	From the book jacket: In recent years, not only has the desire for greater creature comforts and material success come to dominate the goals and values of most Americans, but also a desire for more speed, for frequent new jobs and moves to new homes, and, by surprisingly many people, for places where they can live alone. In the pithy language of the bumper sticker, "He who dies with the most toys wins;" but now that bumper sticker reads: he who goes the fastest wins, he who lives alone wins, he who changes his work the most often wins. In Triumph of the Mundane, Hal Kane offers a unique assessment of how and why our day-to-day lives have changed, and considers the wide-ranging impacts of those changes. Using a variety of indicators of behavior--distances between family members, the things we own, the pace of our lives--he traces the social transformations that have occurred in recent decades, and considers the profound effects of those changes on our values, relationships, and physical surroundings. Kane takes a first step at defining a new set of political goals, as he identifies questions that leaders and policymakers must address if they are to reinvigorate our public discourse so that it can improve the quality of our lives. He provides examples of powerful new ways of measuring the things we really care about, and offers an important means of recognizing the often-overlooked issues that underlie much of the environmental crisis. Triumph of the Mundane explores in a fresh, engaging way the social causes and consequences of environmental degradation, and is a thought-provoking work for anyone interested in environmental issues or the future of American society.