Author Description
We Live In A World Obsessed By Luxury. Long-distance Airlines Compete To Offer First-class Sleeping Experiences And Hotels Recommend Exclusive Suites Where You Are Never Disturbed. Luxury Is A Rapidly Changing Global Industry That Makes The Headlines Daily In Our Newspapers And On The Internet. More Than Ever, Luxury Is A Pervasive Presence In The Cultural And Economic Life Of The West - And Increasingly Too In The Emerging Super-economies Of Asia And Latin America. Yet Luxury Is Hardly A New Phenomenon. Today's Obsession With Luxury Brands And Services Is Just One Of The Many Manifestations That Luxury Has Assumed. In The Middle Ages And The Renaissance, For Example, Luxury Was Linked To Notions Of Magnificence And Courtly Splendour. In The Eighteenth Century Luxury Was At The Centre Of Philosophical Debates Over Its Role In Shaping People's Desires And Oiling The Wheels Of Commerce. And It Continues To Morph Today, With The Growth Of The Global Super-rich And Increasing Wealth Polarization. From Palaces To Penthouses, From Couture Fashion To Lavish Jewellery, From Handbags To Red Wine, From Fast Cars To Easy Money, Peter Mcneil And Giorgio Riello Present The First Ever Global History Of Luxury, From The Romans To The Twenty-first Century: A Sparkling And Ever-changing Story Of Extravagance, Excess, Novelty, And Indulgence.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the historical evolution of luxury as a shifting cultural and economic phenomenon from the Roman era to the present day. Authors Giorgio Riello and Peter McNeil, both established scholars in design history and material culture, utilize a broad historical framework to argue that luxury is not a static concept but a fluid construct that adapts to the social and economic pressures of its time. They examine how luxury has transitioned from a symbol of courtly magnificence in the Renaissance to a central pillar of modern global commerce and wealth polarization.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological analysis of luxury consumption from the Roman Empire through the twenty-first century.
- Examination of the philosophical debates regarding luxury during the eighteenth century.
- Comparative studies of luxury across diverse geographic regions, including the West, Asia, and Latin America.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on material culture and economic history rather than psychological or individual consumer behavior.
- It does not provide a prescriptive guide for modern luxury brand management or investment strategies.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and critics recognize this volume as a comprehensive survey that successfully bridges the gap between historical inquiry and contemporary economic analysis. Readers frequently note the academic rigor of the prose, which provides a foundational understanding of how luxury has shaped global societal structures over centuries.
Page Count:
336
Publication Date:
2016-01-01
ISBN-10:
0191640271
ISBN-13:
9780191640278
History
Economics
Global History
Sociology