Lee Eisenberg’s new book is Shoptimism: Why the American Consumer Will Keep on Buying No Matter What. Excerpts and the author’s blog can be found at LeeEisenberg.com.

As Black Friday approaches, American consumers are ready to shop again. Before you max out the credit card, see where you fall on the Compulsive Buying Scale.

Peggy Noonan thinks we have entered a new era of austerity and "authenticity chic." Lee Eisenberg says she's not giving enough credit to the indomitable American consumer.

As the Dow creeps up, much maligned day traders are coming out of the closet again. Lee Eisenberg on his own perilous relationship with stocks—and his system to beat Buffett.

Mega-shopping centers once flowed like Starbucks in America. Today, many are being mourned on sites like Deadmalls.com. Lee Eisenberg looks at how we lost our mall hegemony to the rest of the world.

In today's pushcart economy, every price is negotiable—from cars and electronics to cashmere sweaters and fine jewelry. Lee Eisenberg bargains his way up Michigan Avenue.