Includes bibliographical references (pages 139-198) and index.

Introduction -- Fathoming consumer society -- The (mostly) empty promise of the sharing economy -- The mass-market maker movement -- Localization fallacies -- Consumption in the era of digital automation --Conclusion.

"There are growing indications that the system of mass consumption that blossomed in the United States and other countries during the decades following World War II is now eroding due to demographic ageing, increasing income inequality, political payalysis, and resource scarcity. At the same time, steady jobs that compensate employess on a salaried or hourly basis are being replaced by freelanding and contingent work. Such circumstances are making perpetuation of consumerist lifestyle difficult. The rise of the so-called sharing economy, the growth of do-it-yourself production, and the speading popularity of economic localization are evidence that people are striving to find new ways to ensure livelihoods for themselves and their families in the face of profound change. Historical experience points to the importance of mutual assistance during periods of transformational upheaval and this book describes the role that worker-consumer cooperatives could play during a period when government-sponsored initiatives are unlikely to be forthcoming."--Front flap.