A documentary that looks at out society, how we see the quest for possessions and ?status symbols?. This DVD is basically a history of how the term ?Status Symbol? came to be used and why we value ?things? so much. Alain De Botton explains what we are doing to ourselves when we place unreasonable demands on our limited resources. De Botton presents a well thought out guide to overcoming the need to comply; his steps to remove anxiety from our lives and find inner peace are brilliant.

De Botton turns to historical events and travels all over the world, to prove his point on the futility of chasing the unattainable; his style is non-threatening as he explains in great detail the ?why? of status and it?s importance in our lives. De Botton looks at great events such as revolutions and wars to show us that there is a different way to live. He also discusses human nature, and typical responses such as when we secretly hope our dearest friends will fail when they try to achieve, and how their failure will ultimately make us feel better about ourselves.

I was fascinated by what De Botton was saying, his simple interpretation of very complex events and feeling in our lives made complete sense. His language was clear and concise and the footage and interviews worked in so well. This is a cleverly put together production made to appear on the surface to be simple but underlying is an extremely complex construction. His genuine approach to situations that affect most of the human population is fabulous, if you are the slightest bit interested in philosophy in any form then this is a must watch production. Alain De Botton has turned his brilliant books into equally magnificent DVD?s. Running for approx 150 minutes and rated PG this is a great DVD to show almost everybody over 15. The thought provoking nature of this production leaves the viewer not only contemplating life in general but also evaluating appropriate responses to every day situations, and changing the way we view and measure success and failure.

The ABC has made this series available to own and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I thoroughly enjoyed all three DVD?s and would mention that if you were considering adding this one to the home collection then perhaps it would be worthwhile getting all three DVD?s. This is a quality DVD that is yet another example of the ability of the ABC deliver great documentaries to the home.

THE EXTRAS

No Bonus features

CONCLUSION

A documentary that looks at out society, how we see the quest for possessions and ?status symbols?. This DVD is basically a history of how the term ?Status Symbol? came to be used and why we value ?things? so much. Alain De Botton explains what we are doing to ourselves when we place unreasonable demands on our limited resources. De Botton presents a well thought out guide to overcoming the need to comply; his steps to remove anxiety from our lives and find inner peace are brilliant.