《消费：疯狂还是理智》书评

政治和经济视角下的消费可能是一种误导，消费本质上也是一种文化的展示（需要）

本书的核心问题是：什么是消费以及消费给我们带来什么影响。作者就消费本身来研究消费，而不是像其他研究者将消费归化成其他问题来研究。作者重新思考政治经济学的性质和质疑当前可持续消费的一些做法。“Consumption and Its ConsequencesDaniel MillerCambridge, Polity Press, 2012, 205 pp., ISBN 978 0 7456 6108 7Daniel Miller is Professor of Anthropology at University College London and a fieldworker in anthropology. I read his book twice before writing this review. The first time I read it I found it rather annoying, possibly the most self-referential text that I have come across in many years. However, the second reading revealed that it was a more interesting and subtle study than had appeared at first glance. The book follows on from the author’s previous book Stuff, which is about how material things act as culture. The current book explores consumption in terms not of theory or of politics, but of ethnographic study—what actually occurs when people consume—with examples ranging from buying a frock in England to preparing for Christmas in Trinidad. The examples suggest that many current political and economic theories about consumption are misguided, and that consumption in many societies, and possibly in all, is above all an expression of culture.In order to explore some of the contradictions and conflicts inherent in how we consume, the book begins and ends with imagined conversations over dinner between a greenie, a leftie and an anthropologist, each of whom brings their own theory and perspectives to the discussion, and each of whom, the author admits, represents some aspect of his own beliefs. The book is an easy and engaging read, perhaps too easy in places, which may be why it was initially annoying, but it is worth persevering with it. It is also well referenced for anyone wanting to follow its arguments further.Consumption and Its Consequences concludes with some ideas on ways to tackle climate change, based on the need to reduce carbon emissions. In the end, the author seems to conclude that somehow we can all continue to have more, but that we can do it in greener ways. This is probably because the emphasis is narrowly on carbon counting, rather than on some broader measure of resource throughput. This is perhaps the majorshortfall in this book, as it does not investigate the idea that there may be ‘limits to growth’. This is an opportunity missed, since Miller shows that in societies with very few material goods, consumption still forms an essential part of cultural expression, so it might well be possible in a future society for the cultural richness of consumption to continue while having a much lower material throughput. Perhaps Professor Miller needs to write a third book, called Less Stuff?Robert Vale School of Architecture Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand Robert.Vale@vuw.ac.nz q 2013 Robert Vale http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2013.807005”供参考。