A related story from LA Times: How businesses coax shoppers into buying. http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-shopping-psychology-20101122,0,1283284,full.story This is a good summary of the tactics that businesses use to coax shoppers into spending. The article also illuminates how the ideology of 'choice' can be illusionary. I may think that I am buying this particular item out of my personal, independent choice, but in reality that choice or preference is conditioned by a number of stimuli, both within the store and from outside (ads, culture, media). An important question that Raj Patel raises in the full speech is to what extent conscious buying can really help solve the problems of global economy, social justice, and the environment. Raj Patel's full speech: http://fora.tv/2008/05/16/Raj_Patel_Discusses_Stuffed_and_Starved Show Less >>