Handbook of consumer behavior /

Robertson (Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania) and Kassarjian (UCLA) have edited a book thoroughly covering the field of consumer behavior. Though not a handbook in the normal sense of the word, its different chapters provide in-depth discussions of the study of consumer behavior as characterized by micro and macro approaches. The individual consumer is the object of the micro study, with emphasis on the ways a person thinks about, feels about, and makes consumer decisions. The focus of the macro area is those broader aspects of society, such as mass communication, social cognition, and expectations, that impinge on the consumer and influence different behaviors. The last three chapters look at consumer behavior research in general and the future of such research. The chapter titled "Behavioral Methods" provides a good analysis of the differences among academic consumer researchers, marketing scientists, behavioral theorists, behavioral science methodologists, and consumer research practitioners. The succinct descriptions of the various models of consumer research and the extensive bibliographies make this a worthwhile resource--the type of information a graduate student could use as one begins research on a topic. Any graduate program in marketing, advertising, or consumer economics should have this book. -N. A. Mackey, Southwest Missouri State University