'Beautifully written and brilliantly argued Possessed is one of the few things you really need
to own' Daniel GilbertHow ownership came to own us - and what we can do about itOur love affair
with possessions seems to be all-consuming even as we face economic and environmental breaking
points. The global pandemic is a wake-up call that forces us to reassess what we value most in
our lives and yet we remain reluctant to change our ways when it comes to accumulating things.
Why?The answer is our need for ownership. A uniquely human preoccupation rooted in our biology
psychological ownership can be seen in everything from nations fighting over resources to the
rise of political extremism.Award-winning psychologist Bruce Hood draws on his own and
international research to explain why ownership is an emotional state of mind that governs our
behaviour from cradle to grave even when it is often irrational and destructive. Does our
shopping define us? What motivates us to buy more than we need? Why do some cultures favour
shared community ownership and others individual? How does our urge to acquire control our
behaviour in times of crisis? Timely and persuasive Possessed is the first book to explore how
ownership has us in thrall to the relentless pursuit of a false happiness with damaging
consequences for society and the planet - and how we can stop buying into it.
