"Rich: The Rise and Fall of American Wealth Culture"
For those woe-sayers predicting that the recession is 'the end of prosperity as we’ve known it,' Larry Samuels points out that those who see the glass as half-empty tend to forget one thing: That what Americans do best is make (and spend) money, making a recession or even a depression more of a temporary setback, or inevitable correction, than a fatal blow. The American rich are now “Instapreneurs”. If there is any single grand narrative of the rich, it is that American wealth culture – the beliefs and behaviors of the upper class – became increasingly democratized over the past century and that even now there are more people with more money than there has been in any other civilization in history. Samuels explores how over the last decade, despite the economic downturn, we’ve reached a new plateau in individual and collective prosperity. Obtaining a better understanding of the ultra wealthy – especially now – is one of the greatest challenges and opportunities facing luxury marketers today. He will explore our continuing love/hate relationship with the rich; the tenuous relationship between wealth and happiness and how “different”, to cite F. Scott Fitzgerald, today’s rich really are. At a critical juncture for luxury brands, Mr. Samuel offers a deeper understanding of our country’s most enigmatic class.
About Larry Samuel
 Larry Samuel is the founder of Culture Planning LLC, a Miami- and New York-based resource helping organizations market to the wealthy. Larry has been a leading cultural consultant to Fortune 500 companies and major advertising agencies since 1990, and was called “the anthropologist of plutocrats” by Slate in reporting his research study on the “5 Kinds of Millionaires” for J.P. Morgan. His previous books include The Future Ain't What It Used to Be: The 40 Cultural Trends Transforming Your Job, Your Life, Your World, Brought to You By: Postwar Television Advertising and the American Dream, and Future: A Recent History. Larry holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota. What the Experts are Saying about RICH: THE RISE AND FALL OF AMERICAN WEALTH CULTURE  “If ever anyone needed proof that history repeats itself, Samuel offers ample and compelling evidence in this witty portrait of American wealth culture in times of boom and bust.”
--Publishers Weekly
“Fascinating, humorous, and readable, this book is recommended for anyone—general reader or scholar—interested in wealth in this country.” --Library Journal
“This is an excellent book offering valuable insight into America’s wealthy, an important target market for many corporations’ products and services.” --Booklist
“For anyone interested in where affluence in America is headed during this enormous transition, Larry Samuel’s book provides an engaging, unique and necessary historical perspective.”
-- Chris Glowacki, CEO, Plum TV
“Rich is a richly entertaining and informative history of how those with serious money in this country got it and used it over recent decades.” -- John Steele Gordon, Author of “An Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American Economic Power
“Fascinating reading for anyone interested in the American rich and how they got that way. Insightful, timely and captivating.” -- Russ Alan Prince, President Prince and Associates
“Most of the time we only get nuggets about America’s amazing wealth sag in two-minute TV segments and colorful sound bites. Larry Samuel brings us the whole story, including the incredible transformation of American society through affluence. He’s created the bible of big money in the U.S.”
-- Lewis Schiff, co-author, The Influence of Affluence and The Middle Class Millionaire
GE Monogram Design Center
In a city that boasts the best of everything, New York’s Architects & Designers Building has emerged as an epicenter for luxury home design. Making its debut on the tenth floor of the Midtown East building is the GE Monogram Design Center, a 4,000-square-foot appliance showroom open to kitchen designers, architects, contract re-modelers, and the general public. Throughout the center, a host of Manhattan-inspired details create a sense of movement and provide a dynamic environment for the complete line of Monogram appliances. The city motif, which is more artful than literal, tells visitors that they have not only arrived, but they have also been transported into the realm of the extraordinary. “The concept is to create an environment that’s familiar and surprisingly original at the same time,” says Paula Cecere, manager of the center. “We wanted to showcase Monogram appliances against a backdrop that beckons visitors to explore.” At the entrance of the center, a terrazzo floor with a distinct street-grid pattern subtly leads visitors from the reception area to a series of kitchens and appliance vignettes. Along the way, visitors are greeted with building-like towers that use stylized cityscape reflections to highlight Monogram wall ovens. Elsewhere in the center, subway-station wall tiles enticingly frame an array of Monogram refrigerators in custom, integrated and professional styles. Other appliances that fit into the overall scheme are state-of-the-art wine storage systems, powerful professional appliances with coordinating ventilation hoods, fully integrated dishwashers and under-counter refrigeration modules. New product innovations, such as induction cook-tops, also occupy a prominent place in the center, bringing to light the exceptional design and performance possibilities of Monogram appliances. |
