This new work from Keynesian scholar Robert Skidelsky and his son Edward explores why Western doubling of individual wealth over the last century has had little impact on people’s happiness.
Arguing a causal link in capitalism's unending pursuit of economic growth, they claim that money has replaced the traditionally assumed concept of leisure as the facilitator of an individual's 'good life'. Instead of using financial freedom to pursue interests, consumerism has fed our earnings back into the system, creating a cyclical expansion of unnecessary 'wants'. Whilst politically vague at times, this is an interesting historical exploration of how we have rapidly absorbed the vision of the free market, and a helpful guide to question its validity and redefine 'basic needs' in our quest for a happier society.
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