Excerpt from Lessons in Expression and Physical Drill To make a book on a subject which has been publicly discussed ever since the classic days of Greece, Without largely using the thoughts of others, would probably be unwise if not impossible. But changed conditions and new methods of instruction constantly call for the putting of old thoughts into new form. This little book is an efl'ort to answer one of those calls. I have here embodied a series of lessons which I have used for some years past in classes of beginners. I have found a number of the most excellent books to be designed for use in schools of oratory, and therefore not suited for the ordinary school or academy; others were manuals rather than text - books for class use. In order to put into the hands of the class a book setting forth, as nearly as possible, the work that they would be ex pected to do, this volume was prepared. Instead of making a mere orderly treatise I have combined in each lesson theory and practice; also both vocal and physical work. The practical advantages in this plan are apparent in preserving the enthusiasm of the class by a change from one exercise to the other, in avoiding weariness of weak bodies or voices, and in keeping their skill nearly at a par with their knowledge, for if a pupil sees too many faults in his performance he is likely to give it up in disgust. Neither voice nor action should be cultivated without the other, for, in the first place. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

In The Theory Of The Leisure Class, His First And Best-Known Work, Thorstein Veblen Challenges Some Of Man S Most Cherished Standards Of Behavior And With Devastating Wit And Satire Exposes The Hollowness Of Many Of Our Canons Of Taste, Education, Dress And Culture. Veblen Uses The Leisure Class As His Example Because It Is This Class That Sets The Standards Followed By Every Level Of Society.The Sign Of Membership In The Leisure Class Is Exemption From Industrial Toil And The Mark Of Success Is Lavish Expenditure Conspicuous Consumption Is The Famous Term He Invented To Describe Spending Which Satisfies No Real Need But Is A Mark Of Prestige.The Process Veblen Criticized Continues Today The Same Worship Of An Empty Scale Of Values, The Same Urge To Prove Oneself Better Than One S Neighbor By The Conspicuous Accumulation Of Useless Objects And By Time And Money-Wasting Activities.