What Made the Pinto Such a Controversial Car
The Pinto became known as the subcompact car that Ford sold while ignoring major safety defects. But was that just a false narrative?
Entrepreneur Personality Test
A study of successful entrepreneurs finds a high level of emotional intelligence and sociability, along with a marked need to dominate.
When Washington, DC, Became a Tourist Destination
When the U.S. federal government first moved to D.C. in 1800, the city was still largely swamp. Tourists didn't start to visit until many decades later.
The French Perfume Boom
The marketing of scents through clever branding, rather than real differences in what’s being sold, originated in nineteenth-century France.
Can Consumer Groups Be Radical?
Historian Lawrence Glickman looked at the consumer movements of the 1930s to find out.
Atlantic City’s Grand Casino Bust
Nearly every American is now within a few hours’ drive of a casino. But critics note that casino gambling has not delivered on its economic promises.
What Good Moms Buy
The way advertisers target mothers has changed along with the social understanding of American motherhood, one sociologist found.
Why Americans Used to Hate Hotel Workers
In 1874, popular writer Henry Hooper called the hotel clerk “the supercilious embodiment of Philistinism.” What accounts for the nineteenth century hate?
What Makes a Company Worth Working For?
Academics are studying what makes a good company culture. These have involved everything from ranking hierarchies of needs to sociological explanations of group mentalities.
Rupert Murdoch’s American Legacy
Rupert Murdoch was born in Australia, and first made an international impact in Britain. He thrust himself into the U.S. market with his purchase of the New York Post newspaper in 1974.