• USA Today , Monday, August 25, 2008 10:30 AM

Contrary to the belief that today's short-attention-span consumer is impervious to marketing, and that big brands no longer matter, author Rob Walker argues that marketing methods are stronger than ever, just harder to spot. And murky is a stealthy way to sell, he reveals in his new book, Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are.

Walker, who writes the weekly "Consumed" column for The New York Times Magazine, fills his richly reported book with insights from cutting-edge marketers, entrepreneurs and artists. He also delves into case studies of resurging old brands such as Timberland and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, as well as hot-selling energy drink Red Bull and Lance Armstrong's Livestrong bracelet.

Walker's task is to dissect why, more than ever, consumers are what they buy and vice versa. How can tossing back a can of Red Bull, for instance, do just that for a sorority girl and an extreme sports nut at the same time? Easy. Symbols aren't defined by rational rules. They are open to individual interpretations. Walker's epiphany: It isn't the brand that defines you. You define the brand.

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