Konsum - Warum wir kaufen, was wir nicht brauchen

What comes after shopping? About the future of our consumption

The pandemic temporarily put us on a cold consumption withdrawal. But it hasn't cured us. We just keep buying - even things we don't actually need. What drives us to do this? And what is changing right now?

Trend researcher Carl Tillessen takes us behind the scenes of a global machinery whose success is primarily based on manipulation and exploitation. Piece by piece, he dissects the psychological mechanisms that repeatedly take hold of us - sharpening our awareness of our true needs, as well as the conditions under which our smartphones and sneakers are produced. The price that nature and people in the production countries pay for our hyper-consumption is high. Yet, the opportunity to change this has never been greater than it is today.

"The question of need has become secondary. The mere desire has evolved into the engine of our economy. Utility is no longer a prerequisite for a product's success. On the contrary: a useful product may at best satisfy us. But it is only what goes beyond utility, the luxury, that makes us happy. A vacuum cleaner bag brings us no joy, but a scented candle does."

"The fact that things appear more desirable the scarcer they are is in our nature. Evolution has taught us to secure everything that is only available in limited quantities because you never know when it will be available again. That’s why things suddenly seem much more valuable when we realize they are rare."

"I highly recommend this book to you." Bettina Rust on radioeins (rbb) Hörbar Rust, November 15, 2020.

"Tillessen writes precisely, very timely, and mercilessly points out the role that shopping plays in our lives [...]." (Hersfelder Zeitung, December 8, 2020).