Absentee Ownership: Business Enterprise in Recent Times: The Case of America [Paperback]

Thorstein Veblen (Author), Jr. Marion Levy (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1997

Absentee Ownership is an inquiry into economic circumstances as they have taken shape in the twentieth century, particularly as exemplified in the case of America. According to Thorstein Veblen, absentee ownership is the main and immediate controlling interest in the life of civilized men.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) was perhaps the most famous American economist and social critic of his time. He taught at the universities of Chicago and Missouri, Stanford University, and the New School for Social Research.

Marion J. Levy, Jr. (1918-2002) was Musgrave Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology and International Affairs in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. His works include Levy’s Laws of the Disillusionment of the True Liberal, The Structure of Societies, and several publications on Chinese and Japanese history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 445 pages
• Publisher: Transaction Publishers; New edition edition (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560009225
• ISBN-13: 978-1560009221
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,540,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heavy reading, but well worth the effort, March 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Absentee Ownership: Business Enterprise in Recent Times: The Case of America (Paperback)

Absentee Ownership is Veblen's attempt to explain the case of American business after World War II and prior to the great depression, which he unfortunately did not live to see. The book reads like a warning for the crash which came a few years after its publication. Veblen charts the rise and fall of the Captain of Indusrty, talks about the sabatoge of entrepreneurs, and other topics relevant to anyone who is interested in economics or sociology. The downside is Veblen's intensely dry writing style, which takes a bit of getting used to and slows down the speed of the reading a great deal. I would recommend at least a basic knowledge of laissez-faire capitalism before attempting this book.