Description
About the Author
William Howard Adams, an independent scholar, lives and writes at his farm in the Shenandoah Valley in West Virginia. His books include Nature Perfected: Gardens through History, The Paris Years of Thomas Jefferson and Gouverneur Morris: An Independent Life. He was curator of the National Gallery of Art's landmark exhibition "The Eye of Thomas Jefferson" and the Museum of Modern Art's exhibition "Roberto Burle Marx: The Unnatural Art of the Garden."
Reviews
"In On Luxury, William Howard Adams gives us the most comprehensive and accessible history to date of luxury and Western culture's ongoing engagement of it. Together, his conversational style and impeccable scholarship make this volume a treasure for every thinking American."-Phyllis Tickle, author of Greed: The Seven Deadly Sins
"Some today lust for luxury. Others snicker at it. In a world of outrageously concentrated wealth and dwindling natural resources, William Howard Adams helps us understand that both these responses doom us to dangerous dead ends. His insightful-and eminently readable-history offers up a far better path."-Sam Pizzigati, author of The Rich Don't Always Win and editor of Too Much, an online weekly on excess and inequality
"William Howard Adams's On Luxury is an intellectual and insightful study of what luxury is-its history, its evolution, and how it is in danger of extinction. A must read for anyone who wants to understand our consumer society today."-Dana Thomas, author of Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster
"This is a delightful reflection on luxury and excess-from the 'pernicious cash' that the ancient Romans believed sapped their moral fiber to the gold-plated yachts and vast ranches of the modern super-rich. Adams offers some well-timed warnings here, but with a lively elegance and without preaching."-Mary Beard, professor of classics, Cambridge University
Book Information
ISBN 9781612344171
Author William Howard Adams
Format Hardback
Page Count 228
Imprint Potomac Books Inc
Publisher Potomac Books Inc
Weight(grams) 499g