Cool ─ How the Brain's Hidden Quest for Cool Drives Our Economy and Shapes Our World

A bold argument that our "quest for cool" shapes modern culture and the global economy

The clothes we wear, the cars we drive, and the food we eat lead double lives: they don't merely satisfy our needs; they also communicate our values, identities, and aspirations. In Cool, the neuroscientist and philosopher Steven Quartz and the political scientist Anette Asp bring together groundbreaking findings in neuroscience, economics, and evolutionary biology to present a new understanding of why we consume and how our concepts of what is "cool"--be it designer jeans, smartphones, or craft beer--help drive the global economy.

Through a novel combination of cultural and economic history and in-depth studies of the brain,Cool puts forth a theory of consumerism that reveals the crucial missing links in an understanding of our spending habits. Quartz and Asp show how ancient motivations make us natural-born consumers and how they sparked the emergence of "cool consumption." And they examine how cool was reshaped in the 1990s by a changing society and the Internet, unpacking the social motivations behind today's hip, ethical consumption and provocatively arguing that we should embrace, rather than deny, the power of consumerism.

Taking us from Norman Mailer to normcore, Cool is surprising at every turn, and will forever change the way you think about money, status, desire, happiness, and choice.

Steven Quartz is a professor of philosophy and cognitive science and the director of the Social Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. He is the coauthor ofLiars, Lovers, and Heroes and lives in Malibu, California.

Anette Asp is a political scientist, public relations and communications professional, and pioneer in the field of neuromarketing. She is a former project manager at the Social Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and is currently the communications manager of a leading telecommunications company. She lives in Stockholm, Sweden.