I read this book the other day, and for the life of me I can't remember the name, and I wish I could. It's a fairly nasty but accurate book. It's the differenc

I read this book the other day, and for the life of me I can't remember the name, and I wish I could. It's a fairly nasty but accurate book. It's the difference between how the nouveaux rich and the bluebloods signal wealth. For instance, if you're newly lower upper class, you like splurging on nice kitchens and laundry facilities - stainless steel/granite countertops and new appliances with all the bells and whistles. If you are truly wealthy and have been for generations, you tend to not give a shit about your kitchen or your laundry facilities - that sort of thing is just for menials, as you're not spending any time in the kitchen, and you wouldn't be entertaining your guests there - that's what the dining room and parlour are for. One consequence of the Cultural Revolution in China is that none of the newly minted rich are truly bluebloods - wealth is only a few generations old. Hence the splurging on nice purses and nice cars. A truly wealthy person wouldn't be caught dead in the front seat of a Lamborghini - he owns the Bentley and pays for a driver to live with him so he doesn't have to bother with driving. Like I said, it's a truly insightful and as a consequence a nasty book. If I can find the title I'll update this post.