Preface to The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen

This week’s blog is the preface to a book I found in a small shop in Roanoke, Indiana, called Paper Moon. I love old books for excellent prices and snapped it right up! (I would also recommend a visit to historic downtown Roanoke–delightful shops and just enough for a day trip!) This is my first exposure to Thorstein Veblen so I look forward to reading this, one of his best-known works. I can’t say a whole lot, at this point, about his writing or his views, but as I read and then share, here, what I find most interesting, I’ll let you know! If you are familiar with him, please comment with what you think is most important to know. Thanks!

I will say, the two bits that stuck out to me from this brief preface is the reference to a general topic titled, “The Barbarian Status of Women,” which, I believe we’ll discover more about in Chapter 3. Secondly, as a former English teacher, I can hardly bear to excuse his avoidance of source citation! I understand his reasoning and can grant him that, but old habits die hard . . . .

In any event, enjoy and stay tuned!

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