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The Rise of the Skilled (and Lonely) Consumer

January 16th, 2026 | 12 min read

By Eddie LaRow

David Riesman, in his 1950 work The Lonely Crowd, wrote that “Today the future occupation of all moppets is to be skilled consumers.” I would alter this to say “to be skilled and lonely consumers”—a change that I’m quite sure Riesman would approve of.

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Eddie LaRow

Eddie LaRow is an acquisitions editor with Baker Books.