Living It Up: America's Love Affair with Luxury

Luxury isn't just for the rich,says James B. Twitchell. Today you don't need a six-figure income to wear pashmina, drink a limited-edition coffee at Starbucks, or drive a Mercedes home to collapse on the couch in front of a flat-screen plasma TV. In Living It Up,sharp-eyed consumer anthropologist Twitchell takes a witty and insightful look at luxury — what it is, who defines it, and why we can't seem to get enough of it.

In recent years, says Twitchell, luxury spending has grown much faster than overall spending — and it continues to grow despite the economic recession. Luxury has become such a powerful marketing force that it cuts across every layer of society, spawning a magazine devoted to spas, cashmere bedspreads on sale at Kmart, and a dazzling array of bottled waters.