Never before have so many people felt the American Dream crashing down around them. The corporate framework -- which values competition and the bottom line above all else -- keeps people running after an elusive goal and impinges on their personal lives. The authors show how our advertising-driven culture causes material desires to grow with no corresponding increase in personal time or energy to pursue them. These artificially amped-up needs cause a pressure-cooker lifestyle that threatens health and happiness. This book teaches how to find balance by simplifying, paring down on material possessions, and reevaluating corporate careers.