Rhetoric of Coffee

     The invisible forces, according to the author, are the collections of rhetoric imposed on us from sellers. They are the things that surround us every day of our lives in a consumer based economy, wich try to persuade us to buy a product or service. The author gives the example of the employees of Starbucks acting as if they are members of a play. They repeat specific sayings and play predetermined roles, all for the entertainment or pleasure of the consumer. In our daily lives we are bombarded the invisible forces. Companies try to make their product seem like it is something you have to have. For example, people today don't think they could live without gourmet coffee, iphones, or McDonalds, but that may just be an illusion given to us by constant advertisements. If one takes a step back and really thinks about what the benefits of buying certain goods will be, instead of making irrational decisions, they might come to realize that those new items won't make them any happier. Two hundred years ago people were probably as happy as people are today. It is true that they didn't have all the gadgets and media, but they also had much slower lives. Do all of the advanced technologies really help the everyday person. In my opinion, no. I think they act of wanting is what the consumers try to harness that resides in most consumers. People will always want bigger and better things.
   The goal of the article was to try to make consumers more aware of the tricks and scams that bombard us from everywhere we go. If people were more rational and thoughtful about their purchases they would realize the kind of traps they fall into. In today's world, a rational thought process is becoming more and more necessary as sellers consistently try to take advantage of the consumer.