The SAT is not perfect. We all know smart, knowledgeable people who do badly on standardized tests. But neither is it useless.… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
The goal of socialism is a fairer allocation of economic resources, which its advocates often claim will also be a less wasteful… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Grassroots techies - the mostly unknown people who write code and start companies that don't make the headlines - hate, loathe, and… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Rising living standards - whether in a village, a region, a nation, or the world - depend first on specialization: on letting… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
We are material creatures who spend much of our lives on material pursuits (even building a cathedral or writing a novel requires… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Abundant choice doesn't force us to look for the absolute best of everything. It allows us to find the extremes in those… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
The Internet's abundance - of information, goods, tastes and sources of authority - creates unparalleled opportunities for individuals to get exactly what… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Cosmetics makers have always sold 'hope in a jar' - creams and potions that promise youth, beauty, sex appeal, and even love… — 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
Like Disneyland, luxury retailers have long had to figure out how to overcome customers' natural inertia. Unlike less pricey stores, they tend… — Virginia Postrel Copy Share Image
Kidney disease is a low-profile, unglamorous problem, a disease that disproportionately strikes minorities and the poor. Its celebrity spokesman is blue-collar comedian… — 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
