"Review of Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class",
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), Apr., 8, 1899, p. 6
[‘article: An Economic Study’]

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An Economic Study.
“The Theory of the Leisure Class,” by Thorstein Veblen (The Macmillan 
Company) is far more entertaining than the author evidently intended. It is 
undeniable clever, possibly true, but there is unconscious humor in the book 
from the first page to the last. The author in his closing chapter on “The 
Higher Learning” has pointed out that even the language of the leisure class 
is purposely “archaic and wasteful.” Query: Does Mr. Veblen belong to the 
leisure class? His language is certainly archaic, fantastic, full of 
repetition and therefore, “wasteful.” It appears like the work of a clever 
and learned foreigner, who, knowing the sources of our language, has, 
whenever he was at a loss for a word, coined one that is perfectly correct in 
formation, plainly understandable, but never used by an English speaking 
person. But apart from the odd manner in which the ideas are expressed the 
book is interesting. Mr. Veblen has made a study of the leisure class, 
evidently in England and America, principally, and, if we may judge from his 
conclusions, his opinions represent American society better than English. He 
traces almost all practices and tastes of the leisure class directly to the 
pecuniary interest. Men and women admire that which gives evidence of their 
wealth. The accusation is not new, but Mr. Veblen is most ingenious in his 
efforts to prove it. For instance in the matter of fashion he points out that 
no one admires a garment of rough material, no matter how fine the texture or 
artistic the make-up if smooth fabrics chance to be fashionable. The shine of 
a new silk hat does not differ in artistic or ornamental purpose from the 
shine of a threadbare coat, yet the relative estimation in which they are 
held is known to all. He even goes so far as to attempt to prove that devout 
observance owe their hold upon the people, particularly the leisure class to 
the uselessness from an economic standpoint of the appurtenances in places of 
worship. The dress of the clergy has been elaborated, unconsciously, maybe, 
but, according to Mr. Veblen, certainly, to emphasize the fact that they are 
hindered from successfully following the ordinary occupations of men. He 
presents the same idea in reference to education. The sole value of a 
classical education to the majority of those who send their children to 
college is that it is evidence that the parents could afford to allow the boy 
or girl to waste just so many of the best years of their lives. The trouble 
with Mr. Veblen’s Theory is that he is a Philistine, totally lacking in the 
power to comprehend value apart from its equivalent in money. There is truth 
in many of his observations, but even in America there are noble men and 
women who despise money, who believe that a man’s possessions do not consist 
in that which he hath, but in that which he is. There are many more who 
recognize that money is power, but who

Rowing hard against the stream,
See distant gates of Eden gleam,
And do not dream it is a dream.

Mr. Veblen even uses theory to explain the arbitrary spelling in our 
language. It is difficult to acquire; ignorance of it is easily detected, 
therefore, it serves its purpose as indicating a certain rank which can 
afford the time to master it. But enough has been said to show that the 
author believes in his theory. Whether he can make others do so remains to be 
seen. His book deserves to be read, for it is cleverly thought out and the 
argument is well sustained.
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