Crap. We all have it. Filling drawers. Overflowing bins and baskets. Proudly displayed or
stuffed in boxes in basements and garages. Big and small. Metal fabric and a whole lot of
plastic. So much crap. Abundant cheap stuff is about as American as it gets. And it turns out
these seemingly unimportant consumer goods offer unique insights into ourselves--our values and
our desires. In Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America Wendy A. Woloson takes seriously the
history of objects that are often cynically-made and easy to dismiss: things not made to last
things we don't really need things we often don't even really want. Woloson does not mock
these ordinary everyday possessions but seeks to understand them as a way to understand
aspects of ourselves socially culturally and economically: Why do we--as individuals and as
a culture--possess these things? Where do they come from? Why do we want them? And what is the
true cost of owning them? Woloson tells the history of crap from the late eighteenth century up
through today exploring its many categories: gadgets knickknacks novelty goods
mass-produced collectibles giftware variety store merchandise. As Woloson shows not all crap
is crappy in the same way--bric-a-brac is crappy in a different way from say advertising
giveaways which are differently crappy from commemorative plates. Taking on the full brilliant
and depressing array of crappy material goods the book explores the overlooked corners of the
American market and mindset revealing the complexity of our relationship with commodity
culture over time. By studying crap rather than finely made material objects Woloson shows us
a new way to truly understand ourselves our national character and our collective psyche. For
all its problems and despite its disposability our crap is us.
