The biggest threat to a better life is the desire to keep the future under control - to make the world predictable… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
In 'The Future and Its Enemies,' I argue that individual creativity and enterprise are not only personally satisfying but socially good, producing… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Fit experts envision a future in which you'd carry your body scan in your cell phone or on a thumb drive, using… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
If you default on your Visa bill, nobody comes to repossess your refrigerator or auction off your shoes. The biggest penalty you'll… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
We know we need bosses and deadlines to help us get work done. But sometimes we can also use an external push… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
The children who are 'our future' will inherit a world created not just by parental devotion but by the sort of zealous,… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
The intimate contest for self-command never ends, and lifetime happiness requires finding the right balance between present impulses and future well-being. — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Society needs both parents and nonparents, both the work party and the home party. While raising children is the most important work… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
The low point for neon came in 1982, when Holiday Inn did away with its signature 'Great Sign,' replacing the neon extravaganza with a… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
'The Matrix' is a movie that is all about glamour. I could do a whole talk on 'The Matrix' and glamour. It was criticized… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Science is about exploring the unknown and cannot offer guarantees. — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
“Design is not style. It’s not about giving shape to the shell and not giving a damn about the guts. Good design is a… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Persuasion has become a kind of force. The more the advertiser knows about what consumers want, and the more desires the product and packaging… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
When credit is cheaper to use and easier to arrange, people do use more of it. — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Glamour is a beautiful illusion - the word 'glamour' originally meant a literal magic spell - that promises to transcend ordinary life and make… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
A standard 'well woman' checkup can last as little as 10 minutes, hardly time for any in-depth discussions. — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
When I was in college, I wanted to be editor of 'Reason' when I grew up. It was an impractical ambition, especially since the… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
A lot of consumers actively enjoy advertising, especially fashion print ads and clever TV commercials. The nostalgic cable channel TVLand features not only vintage… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
“Functionality still matters, of course. But competition has pushed quality so high and prices so low that many manufacturers can no longer distinguish themselves… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Like the skyscraper, the automobile, and the motion-picture palace, neon signs once symbolized popular hopes for a new era of technological achievement and commercial… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
