ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines some of the topics that have been the "bread and butter" of research at the intersection of consumption, culture, and markets. It comprises essays that collectively illuminate the rhetoric, roles, and relationships that animate specific practices that flourish in contemporary consumer culture. The book investigates the contemporary institution of the wedding gift registry to better explicate the different kinds of "giving" that are entangled in the use(s) of such gift circuits. It proposes the formation of a complementary new "theory in practice" alternative to consumer culture theory (CCT), and promotes consumer culture strategy (CCS) as a paradigm devoted to addressing pressing social and environmental. The book presents a collation of calls to action for CCT researchers. It concludes with a selection of poetry to provoke thought and delight among CCT scholars.
