Shows how lousy food, cheesy clothes, and dingy homes can ruin our lives.

By exploring the connections between aesthetic sensitivity and moral character, this book connects them both to the larger cultural malaise. It locates the relationship between human nature and moral reasoning in what the author calls "domestic aesthetic skill," bringing together moral and aesthetic judgment about little things that are close to home-food, clothing, and furniture. McCracken combines the study of modern moral theory with the study of modern economics, contemporary popular culture, advertising, and design, to help understand how heady theories become translated into everyday actions.