Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change

Status and Culture by W. David Marx is a detailed exploration addressing the underlying forces shaping our tastes, identities, and cultural trends. The book brings together insights from various disciplines such as history, psychology, sociology, and anthropology to demonstrate how individual status seeking powers the cultural ecosystem. 'Status and Culture' also examines why things become 'cool,' why we see perpetual cycles in fashions and fads, and how the internet has influenced modern culture.