Barry Schwartz's The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less is like an intellectual house of mirrors. Those exposed to this social-psychological vision of American life may experience a dawning shock of recognition, first exclaiming, "That's not me" and then admitting, "Oh, yes it is." That's because Schwartz, a professor of social theory at Swarthmore College, describes case after case of people who say they like to have options but who, in almost every sphere of life, are overwhelmed by the necessity of choosing from a vast and growing number of alternatives. This, he says, accounts in large part for why so many people tell pollsters they are unhappy despite living in a world of abundant possibility.
展开▼
