With the advent of liquid modernity, society transforms from a society of producers into a society of consumers, where individuals become both promoters and the promoted goods simultaneously. Goods and sellers, commodities and traders, all reside in the same social space that is usually described by the term 'market'.

The trial that individuals must undergo in order to acquire the social 'rewards' they desire requires their transformation into attractive products. This insidious and corrosive transformation is the defining characteristic of consumer society. It is the hidden truth, the deepest and best-kept secret of it.

In this new book, Zygmunt Bauman examines the impact of consumer attitudes and behavior patterns on various seemingly unrelated aspects of social life: politics and democracy, social divisions and stratification, communities, identity formation, the production and use of knowledge, and preferred values.

The invasion and colonization of the fabric of human relationships by the worldviews and behavior patterns born from the commodity market are central themes of the new book by one of the most perceptive social thinkers worldwide.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]