On Thursday, January 17 at 7pm, Will is going to be at Waterstone’s Gower Street branch in central London (82 Gower St, WC1E 6EQ, www.waterstones.com) in conversation with the psychologist Oliver James, whose new book, The Selfish Capitalist, looks further into the origins of what he terms Affluenza — “an obsessive, envious, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses, that makes us twice as prone to depression, anxiety and addictions than people in other developed nations”. The paperback of Affluenza is also published. James will be giving a seminar first, “Making the rich richer and the rest of us mentally ill — the legacy of modern governments”. Tickets are available instore for £5 or you can call 020-7636 1577.
Will has written of Affluenza that “Oliver James is our foremost chronicler of what ails us. This book elegantly, authoritatively and devastatingly delivers his diagnosis, and heroically resists the kind of glib ‘cures’ offered by so many psycho-babblers. Affluenza should be mandatory reading for everyone, but especially those in politics, business and the media who are intent on upping our society’s dosage of toxic affluence.”
James has recently written an op-ed piece for the Guardian, outlining his thesis. James’s website is www.selfishcapitalist.com