This scathing critique of America’s preoccupation with wealth and status in the Gilded Age continues to resonate more than a century after it was first published   According to economist Thorstein Veblen, the leisure class produces nothing, contributes nothing, and creates nothing, yet exercises a peculiar control over American society. The shallowness of their interests—from fashion to sports to entertainment—endows the practice of “conspicuous consumption” with an undeserving air of respectability.   Veblen deploys a razor sharp wit to expose the pretensions of the idle rich and their disastrous influence on the national character. From ruthless business practices to the plight of women in a male-dominated culture, The Theory of the Leisure Class tackles difficult subjects with sophisticated analysis and a vibrant literary style that influenced the work of authors including Edith Wharton, Henry James, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.   A must-read for students of American history and anyone concerned about economic inequality, Veblen’s classic treatise is timelier today than ever.   This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.