Perspective

The book is written from the point of view of economics and sociology. It is a study of the different classes of society and how they developed and evolved due to changes in economic forces. Veblen examines the economic characteristics of the leisure class and determines why they do the things that they do and how they affect the rest of society and its progress. He employs a Darwinian approach to his analysis, which adds to the humor and satire.

Veblen is an academic who is qualified to write such a book. He was educated at Carleton College, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and Cornell University. He had a PhD in philosophy and was teaching at the University of Chicago when he authored the book. He is not an economist or a sociologist, but both fields basically evolved from the field of philosophy.

Veblen's intended audience is those...