Distinction (Routledge Classics)

"Taste unites and separates."Admit it. Discrimination exists, although it's not politically correct. Not so many prople talk about the topic publicly and directly. When something exist but not talked about, it becomes mystery in every day life."Taste classifies."It is taste that classifies people. But taste itself has mysterious origin. Many people try so hard to 'upclass' and end up embarrassing themselves, because they don't know the real taste is from deep inside and takes long time to grow.The power lies in the fact that you understand what induces the taste for specific preferences and how you can surround yourself with that kind of environment that will prune you into what you want to be.It's been a long, difficult read. Be patient and focus, it is worth the effort.

They promised a second hand book, possible unread, and that is exactly what I got. It didn't smell and the pages were crisp. Would definitely use this bookstore again Amazon. The book itself is a classic for any sociologist and communication scholar, who wants to understand how taste is formed (cf why some people prefer theater over movies). Plenty of examples. Translation is excellent. Bourdieu writes/wrote like a typical French scholar, so the sentences are murky in French; this English translation is done very well.

I had to read this for my theory class and was surprised at how interesting it turned out to be. I actually kept the book (!) although the bookstore was offering me $50 for it and if that doesn't tell you something about this work, I don't know what will. Bourdieu outlines some very interesting concepts and analyzes them in detail, concepts that I've used time and time again for literary analysis. Is it maybe an oversimplification of culture and how we behave? Sure. But we are social creatures, and this book beautifully argues for some of the extensive conditioning we've internalized, without being aware of it.

What can I say? This is maybe the most important piece of social theory written in the last 40 years. A bit dense, but a great read, and a beautiful book.

It is alright; but a bit confusing; it is translated from the French, and so it is a bit difficult to read. It is more for the scholarly study, not for just straight reading. Since it was not what I was looking for; a gift for a friend who is interested in studying class in the USA - I sent it back.

A brilliant book on Sociology. Must read for students of sociology around the globe.

I have a hard copy. The Kindle version leaves out the interview sidebars that illustrate Bourdieu's points. And, when you copy and paste, the pasted copy does not include a page or location number.

I ordered this book a couple of months ago, and only now set down to read it. This review is not about the book itself, but about the quality of the print: every sixth page has a vertical white line crossing all paragraphs, deleting 1-2 letter from ever sentence. This makes the reading annoying, and frankly, I do not care for paying a full price for a damaged book.

This book, like many others, is reprinted by Amazon, which they don't tell you until you receive the book. The print quality is very poor. The plastic on the lid comes off very quickly. Amazon should explicitly say which books are reprinted by them!

A classical study in sociology that combines method and theory in an exemplary way.

This book is a unique piece of sociological literature. I am not a big fan of french thinkers, but this books allows a deep knowledge of the sociology of taste. I still find the style of the author difficult to read, but the knowledge that you can get with this book deserves a careful read.

Good translation.

a great book written by a genius