The Theory of the Leisure Class

By: Thorstein Veblen

Narrated by: John Lescault

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.

Public Domain (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Informative and Engaging

A great listen. It’s detailed and unique perspective of how our modern Western societies have developed.

An independent mind

Love Thorstein Veblen. A wide intellectual range. Many of his views ring true today.

At times pedantic and occasionally slow, overall very good. I smiled at some arguments because Veblen must have been a grumpy guy. But whatever annoyed him gave rise to an intellectual clarity that is worth a listen

Accurate to the 2000s

Conspicuous consumption. Honorific intent, leisure and labor. Thorstein could have written this book today. Rich and poor are exactly the same.

Brilliant analyis

Veblen was writing not only economic analysis but satire. His interpretations are acute and original. His language may seem anarchistic but is also wry and account for why the book is considered humorous by readers familiar with his work and style. Anyway, I like it. His life was very hard, as it often is with unconventional types who don't fit into academia.

A lesser read (it seems?) but important classic

Veblen really attempts to demonstrate that the rise of a moneyed (or capital-rich), leisure class gives downward rise to a wide variety of phenomena in modern economies, and that they are really an ultimate driver of stratification, segmentation, and both the positive aspects of the modern, complex economy and its ills. At times, Veblen is not just a little but quite overtly sexist. These aspects of the book weather the most poorly, because in them he makes the model predictions that are most flagrantly erroneous. However, there is some merit to the overall model, and it's worth thinking about in terms of thinking about how the world is evolving, particularly in light of recent predictions (e.g. Piketty) that the world is heading back in the direction of long-term inequality and entrenched moneyed classes. Narration is dry but suitable.