Spree: A Cultural History of Shopping

By Pamela Klaffke

Book Overview

Ten years ago, Faith Popcorn declared "the end of shopping" in her bestselling book The 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 world's 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, Klaffke's book demonstrates that how we shop explains a lot about who we are.

Pamela Klaffke is a writer, editor, and media consultant. She is currently the literary editor of the Calgary Herald and her semiweekly column about popular culture trends can often be read in various newspapers across Canada. Spree: A Cultural History of Shopping is her first book.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1551521431
• ISBN13: 9781551521435
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press
• Length: 231 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Great Book For Shoppers and Sociologists

I loved this book. Every page was filled with interesting facts I did not previously know. Who knew the word Muzak was invented in the 1930s? Not me. I was constantly reading passages aloud to whoever was nearby to hear, (my mother, my best friend, my boss, a random student in the Starbuck's). I would suggest this book for anyone interested in the socio-cultural aspects and impact of shopping.

How inventions in modern history have transformed the shopping experience

Journalist, culture columnist, and avid shopper Pamela Klaffke presents Spree: A Cultural History Of Shopping, which covers the ritual of purchasing and its evolution from "need" to "want" to "sport". Spree covers how inventions in modern history have transformed the shopping experience, from cash registers and shopping carts to the online shopping revolution; Spree also examines cultural differences in shopping around the world, from American malls to Parisian arcades. Black-and-white photographs, sidebar anecdotes, and a wealth of research presented in a cheerful narrative style make Spree more fun to read than an trip to the mall - also more educational and very likely less costly!

Spree. Whee!

I picked up Spree; A Cultural History of Shopping thinking it would be a quick and enjoyable read. Enjoyable, yes. Quick, no. For such a small book (trade paperback, 230 pages including an excellent bibliography and index), Spree is packed with more information about shopping than you would have imagined. Canadian author Pamela Klaffke examines shopping from a multitude of angles, taking only a few pages at most for each topic. She really knows how to distill information down to the basics, while remaining informative and entertaining. Learn about Muzak, malls, Tupperware, infomercials, pawn shops, mystery shoppers, dysfunctional shopping, mall walking, and more. My favorite chapter is Shopping and the Media, which examines how shopping is portrayed in movies, television (sitcoms and game shows), and music. The text is interesting enough, but in the wide side margins of many pages are additional tidbits, such as a list of celebrity shoplifters, a list of celebrity cheapskates (Katie Couric!), and the evolution of Buy Nothing Day. Great to browse through or to read from cover to cover.

Entertaining

Spree is a fabulous and fun book. Whether you're a trivia buff, curious shopper, or just want a little defense of your favourite pasttime, this is a great book for understanding and appreciating all that is shopping. Klaffke's style is witty and sharp, and the book is consumable in short bits - perfect for waiting in long line ups.

Fabulous and fun

Spree is a fabulous and fun book. Whether you're a trivia buff, curious shopper, or just want a little defense of your favourite pasttime, this is a great book for understanding and appreciating all that is shopping. Klaffke's style is witty and sharp, and the book is consumable in short bits - perfect for waiting in long line ups.