CHICAGO PUBLIC RADIO Consuming Desire Consuming Desire examines Americans’ love of shopping. In particular, what motivates us to buy more than we need and whether this culturally sanctioned pursuit hints at darker aspects, financial or emotional, in our lives. Central to the story are six or so Chicagoans who present an array of behavior that may or may not be problematic, depending on the listener’s own point of view. These individuals “show” their collections of purses, pottery, designer clothes and more. They also talk about the exhilaration they feel when the buy, and also for some the negative emotions that come after binges. Their insights raise questions about the difference between collectors and compulsive buyers and how ephemeral and even addictive the “shopping high” can be. Experts on collecting and compulsive buying place the sources’ stories in a broader context. As many as five percent of Americans now show signs of being compulsive buyers, according to a soon-t