Love it or hate it, everybody shops. Shopping is an integral part of American life, but it hasn't always been so. From small, country general stores to the first shopping emporiums in New York, shopping grew and spread until now, in the twenty-first century, we stroll through malls that are larger than real-life main streets. Spending Spree traces the lively history of shopping in the United States, from the where the shops, department stores, discount barns, malls, and computer keyboards to the whys of consumer behavior. With primary-source research brought to life with vintage photos, ads, catalog imagery and more, this book will appeal to mall-roaming teens.