Riesman, David (1909–2002)

Thorstein Veblen: A Critical Interpretation

New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1953. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover with Dust Jacket.

Insightful study of Thorstein Veblen’s enduring influence on modern social thought by David Riesman, author of The Lonely Crowd. Blends biography and analysis to explore Veblen’s critique of consumerism and class behavior—an essential work linking economics, culture, and sociology in postwar intellectual life.

Part of the Twentieth Century Library series edited by Hiram Haydn. This review (editorial) copy retains the original Scribner’s publication card dated September 28, 1953, along with the Doubleday order reply card. From the estate of Horizon Books publisher Ben Raeburn.

Condition:
Appears unread. The bindings are tight and square. Text is clean; light, even age-toning. Minimal shelf handling wear. Original unclipped jacket ($3.00), now protected in a clear Mylar sleeve with shallow chipping to spine ends and corners, moderate toning at edges, and a small loss at the lower front panel affecting the ‘Library’ logo. Publisher’s laid-in ephemera remains crisp. An exceptionally well-preserved example.

David Riesman’s Thorstein Veblen: A Critical Interpretation offers a perceptive examination of the economist and social critic whose ideas on conspicuous consumption and institutional economics reshaped 20th-century thought. Riesman—later famed for The Lonely Crowd—situates Veblen within the broader evolution of American sociology and cultural analysis, revealing his continuing influence on social theory and consumer studies.

Subjects: Thorstein Veblen, Institutional Economics, Consumer Culture, Social Psychology, Sociology, Political Economy, American Intellectual History, Biography; Social Theory; Economic History.




Item #21261

Price: $75.00