Consuming Desire

Consuming Desire investigates why a science of sex emerged when it did at the turn of the twentieth century and delivers a provocative account of the role of sexology in our contemporary culture. Examining key texts in the theories of sexuality, psychoanalysis, evolution, and economics, Lawrence Birken illuminates the intellectual heritage of sexology and the ways in which it is now being pressed into the service of sexual counterrevolutionaries from both the right and the left.

Provides an accessible introduction to psychoanalytic explanations of consumer desire. Topics are drawn widely to reflect the scope of Freud's vision and include dreams, sexuality and hysteria. Discussion is widened to selectively include authors such as Melanie Klein and Jacques Lacan, and to include evaluation of current research.

An inspirational self-help book for those seeking personal fulfillment and professional success from the author of The Power of Being Different. We are all searching for a better life, more inspiration, and a way to be more productive and fulfilled—without the constant competition in our personal lives and workplaces wearing us down. With An All-Consuming Desire to Succeed, you can learn to stand out from the crowd by discovering: how to maintain a competitive edge through positive affirmations; how to control negative influences; the secrets of the highly successful; how to plan out and achieve newfound goals; and lessons on how to motivate yourself to stay true to your unique vision. “In the spirit of such inspirational authors as Norman Vincent Peale, Napoleon Hill, and W. Clement Stone, John Paul Carinci has written a classic self-help book centered around achieving success . . . Any reader seeking a healthy dose of positive motivation to achieve the loftiest goals or even to meet the daily challenges of life is sure to find much of value in John Paul Carinci’s inspirational work.” —Foreword Reviews

Consider this paradox: Ecologists estimate that it would take three planets Earth to provide an American standard of living to the entire world. Yet it is that standard of living to which the whole world aspires.In Consuming Desires, award-winning writer and social commentator Roger Rosenblatt brings together a brilliant collection of thinkers and writers to shed light on the triumphs and tragedies of that disturbing paradox. The book represents a captivating salon, offering a rich and varied dialogue on the underlying roots of consumer culture and its pervasive impact on ourselves and the world around us. Each author offers a unique perspective, their layers of thoughts and insights building together to create a striking, multifaceted picture of our society and culture.Jane Smiley probes the roots of consumerism in the emancipation of women from household drudgery afforded by labor-saving devices and technological innovation; Alex Kotlowitz describes the mutual reinforcement of fashion trends as poor inner-city kids and rich suburban kids strive to imitate each other; Bill McKibben discusses the significance, and the irony, of defining yourself not by what you buy, but by what you don't buy.The essays range widely, but two ideas are central to nearly all of them: that consumption is driven by yearning and desire -- often unspoken, seemingly insatiable -- and that what prevents us from keeping our consumptive impulse in check is the western concept of self, the solitary and restless self, entitled to all it can pay for.As Rosenblatt explains in his insightful introduction: "Individualism and desire are what makes us great and what makes us small. Freedom is our dream and our enemy. The essays touch on these paradoxes, and while all are too nuanced and graceful to preach easy reform, they give an idea of what reform means, where it is possible, and, in some cases, where it may not be as desirable as it appears."

Consuming Desires examines new forms of marriage emerging in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in reaction, in part, to the governments' increasing attempts to control sexuality with shari'a law.

We each search for a better life, more inspiration, and a way to be more productive and fulfilled. We are in constant competition in personal life and business. You can stand out from the crowd. With: "An All-Consuming Desire to Succeed", you will learn: How to maintain a competitive edge through Positive Affirmations. How to control negative influences. The secrets that the highly successful possess. How to plan out and achieve newfound goals. Learning to motivate yourself to become and stay different than all others.

This book provides a fascinating examination of the relationship between consumption, the idea of the body and the formation of the self. In tracing these connections, The Consuming Body develops a profile of individuality in the late twentieth century - in both its bodily and mental aspects. Pasi Falk offers a major synthesis and critical assessment of the debates surrounding the body, the self and contemporary consumer culture. The author explores two fundamental issues for modern social theory - the delineation of modern consumption and the body's historically changing position in various cultural orders. In the course of his argument he examines both metaphors of consumption and investigates the issues of representation i

The romance industry has profited on the fantasies of women for centuries. However, as a new generation of women raised under the guidance of second-wave feminists take up the reins of romance production, romance novels and films have increasingly challenged tired stereotypes labeling romantic stories as formulaic fodder. This book examines how the romance genre serves women in multiple ways, from escapism to sexual education, from fantasy to fun, and most importantly, as a site of production for feminist texts.