The Racism of 19th-Century Advertisements
Illustrated advertising cards invoked ethnic stereotypes, using black women as foils in order to appeal to white consumers.
Business Advice from Aristotle
The philosopher’s teachings were not an absolute condemnation of the pursuit of profit.
Makeup in the Technicolor Age
When Technicolor changed the face of the film industry, it also altered the cosmetics industry, sparking the great Hollywood Powder Puff War of the 1930s.
Our Best Stories of 2018
Victorian librarians, Mister Rogers, queer time, and Jane Austen's subversive linguistics, oh my!
The Link between Startups and Privilege
Self-made? The most successful independent ventures are often backed by legacy money or networks.
The Sharing Economy Was Dead on Arrival
Sharing economy firms like Lyft and Airbnb promised community, but the ideas they promoted as overturning the status quo are the status quo.
What Monks Can Teach us about Managing our Work Lives
Medieval monks used labor-saving innovations like the mill not to increase productivity, but to free up more time for what they wanted to do.
Light Bulbs for Beauty
When electric lighting was first introduced to U.S. households, marketing departments tried to convince women that better lighting would be flattering.
How Business Got Risky
The word “risk” took on new meaning in the 19th century, when it became a way of understanding the interactions between individuals and economic markets.
How Hacking Got Hacked
How the archetype of the quirky, brilliant tech entrepreneur whose ideas could change the world migrated from high-tech hacker culture to Wall Street.