With parents today worried that they are raising the 'I want' generation, WHAT KIDS WANT THAT MONEY CAN'T BUY arrives at just the right moment. Betsy Taylor's advice ranges from simple, everyday things parents can do to more sophisticated approaches, such as teaching media literacy and financial skills to their children to fight this problem.

She enlists the voices and stories of parents and educators on the front line and promotes the philosophy of how to have more fun with less stuff, by returning to simple, meaningful rituals like dinner conversation and picnics. The average 12-year-old spends the equivalent of two months a year watching television, during which time 20-40,000 advertisements are broadcast. The average American planned to spend $800 on Christmas gifts in 1997 and 96% of children ages 8-12 included a big-screen TV on their holiday wish list.