Thorstein Veblen 
The Instinct of Workmanship and the State of the Industrial Arts 

“The Instinct of Workmanship and the State of the Industrial Arts” is an 1899 treatise by Thorstein Veblen. Thorstein Bunde Veblen (1857 – 1929) was an Norwegian-American sociologist and economist most famous for his idea of ‘conspicuous consumption. He theorised that humans do not rationally pursue value and utility—an idea that has become one of the cornerstones of modern behavioural economics. He made a lasting contribution to his field and has influenced many scholars that have followed him. Other notable works include “The Theory of the Leisure Class” (1899) and “In The Theory of Business Enterprise” (1904). Contents include: “Introductory”, “Contamination Of Instincts In Primitive Technology”, “The Savage State Of The Industrial Arts”, “The Technology Of The Predatory Culture”, “Ownership And The Competitive System”, “The Era Of Handicraft”, “The Machine Industry”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.