The Theory of the Leisure Class
Audio only

The Theory of the Leisure Class

By Thorstein VeblenNarrated by John Lescault
Length11h 54m

About this audiobook

In this, his best-known work, the controversial American economist and social critic Thorstein Veblen appropriates Darwin’s theory of evolution to analyze the modern industrial system. For Veblen, the shallowness and superficiality observed in society results from the tendency to believe that true accomplishment lies in arriving at a condition of ostentatious wealth and status. In developing his thesis, Veblen traces the origins and development of ownership and property, offering extraordinary insights into consumerism, the evolution of class structure, the rise of leisure time, and how modern societal goals are grounded in monetary aspirations and achievements. With a cool gaze and devastating wit, Veblen examines the human cost paid when social institutions are founded on the consumption of unessential goods for the sake of personal profit. Fashion, beauty, sports, the home, the clergy, scholars—all are assessed for their true usefulness and found wanting. Indeed, Veblen’s critique covers all aspects of modern life from dress, class, industry, business, and home decoration to religion, scholarship, education, and the position of women, laying bare the hollowness of many cherished standards of taste and culture. The targets of Veblen’s brilliant, scathing satire are as evident today as they were when this classic of economic and social theory was first published, and his book still has the power to shock and enlighten.

Audiobook details

GenrePsychology, Business and Economics
Length11 hrs 54 mins
Narrated byJohn Lescault
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateDec 19, 2017
LanguageEnglish

You may also like

Empires of the Normans
Empires of the NormansLevi Roach10h 4m$20
The Story of Westminster Abbey
The Story of Westminster AbbeyViolet Brooke-Hunt9h 25m$1 · $0.00
From a Terrace in Prague
From a Terrace in PragueB. Granville Baker5h 7m$1 · $0.00
William the Conqueror
William the ConquerorEdward A. Freeman5h 33m$2 · $0.00
Ancient Rome
Ancient RomeThomas R. Martin8h 52m$20
True Politeness
True PolitenessAnonymous1h 4m$1 · $0.00
The Philosophy of Right & The Philosophy of Law
The Philosophy of Right & The Philosophy of LawGeorg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel14h 10m$2 · $0.00
The Story of Milan
The Story of MilanElla Noyes13h 2m$1 · $0.00
Horses Past and Present
Horses Past and PresentWalter Sir Gilbey1h 43m$1 · $0.00
The Kingdom
The KingdomRobert Lacey22h 47m$32
Die Erste - Eine Frauenstimme! (Wibke Bruhns Und Anne-Rose Neumann, Nachrichtensprecherinnen)
Die Erste - Eine Frauenstimme! (Wibke Bruhns Und Anne-Rose Neumann, Nachrichtensprecherinnen)Barbara Sichtermann, Ingo Rose11m$3 · $0.00
The Instruction of Ptah-Hotep and the Instruction of Ke'Gemni
The Instruction of Ptah-Hotep and the Instruction of Ke'GemniPtahhotep, Kagemna1h 1m$2 · $0.00
The Division of Land: 3 Classic Books on Ownership and Rights
The Division of Land: 3 Classic Books on Ownership and RightsCharles C. Royce, Joseph Fisher, Peter A. Speek12h 23m$2 · $0.00
The Rise and Fall of Austria or the Habsburg Empire
The Rise and Fall of Austria or the Habsburg EmpireJohn S. C. Abbott18h 47m$1 · $0.00
The Counts of Gruyère
The Counts of GruyèreAnna De Koven2h 38m$2 · $0.00
Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen
Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's QueenLiliʻuokalani11h 38m$2 · $0.00
Ancient Greece, Second Edition
Ancient Greece, Second EditionThomas R. Martin12h 59m$23
Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars (Even When They Lose Elections)
Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars (Even When They Lose Elections)Stephen Prothero10h 42m$29 · $0.00
Collected Writings of Confucius + The Life, Labours and Doctrines of Confucius
Collected Writings of Confucius + The Life, Labours and Doctrines of ConfuciusConfucius7h 36m$2 · $0.00
An Essay on the Antient and Modern State of Ireland
An Essay on the Antient and Modern State of IrelandHenry Brooke3h 5m$1 · $0.00