Spending Spree: The History of American Shopping

"In this modern world of conspicuous consumption, mega-malls, and shopping apps, it is hard to imagine a time when families traveled for days to purchase sacks of sugar and flour and maybe a few pieces of penny candy from a general store. This title gives historical perspective and background on shopping and explains how it moved from mere necessity to a status-generating social activity. The book is divided into chronological chapters, beginning with the bartering system used by Native Americans and ending with online shopping and trendy pop-up stores. Average-quality vintage photographs and catalog pages are included throughout, along with quotes from literature and famous people, among them, Snooki. The serviceable text is not likely to grab browsers, but for report writers, there are plenty of facts and interesting tidbits." --School Library Journal

"This informative book surveys the history of retail trade in America from the colonial period through the global e-commerce of the twenty-first century. After describing early America as a largely rural society where most people raised their own food, made their own clothes, and 'could count their manufactured possessions on the fingers of two hands, ' Bix profiles the changes brought by rail transportation, manufactured household goods, advertising, mail-order catalogs, department stores, grocery and discount stores, shopping malls, cybershopping, and other retail trends. Sidebars highlight topics such as the origin of credit cards and the rise of infomercials. Tracing the social and economic changes that led the American population from self-sufficiency to recreational shopping, the text is interesting and very readable. The well captioned, black-and-white illustrations are mainly archival photos. Green highlights provide the only color. In this useful, historical presentation, Bix offers a good deal of information in an accessible way." --Booklist