The story of the fierce battle for control of the world's leading luxury goods company, & of how Bernard Arnault, the son of a provincial French businessman, became head of LVMH Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton, controlling companies such as Givenchy, Dior, Moet & Christian Lacroix. He determined to merge Dior with the most glamorous names in luxury goods. He established a secret alliance with Guinness & assembled the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate. This is also the story of Arnault's bitter fight with his chief rival, Henry Racamier, with both men determined not to lose control of their business empires.

A biography of Bernard Arnault, from his obscure beginnings to head of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, France's leading luxury empire, with a stable of champagne, brandy and haute couture.

Jon Stobart and Johanna Ilmakunnas bring together a range of scholars from across mainland Europe and the UK to examine luxury and taste in early modern Europe. In the 18th century, debates raged about the economic, social and moral impacts of luxury, whilst taste was viewed as a refining influence and a marker of rank and status. This book takes a fresh, comparative approach to these ideas, drawing together new scholarship to examine three related areas in a wide variety of European contexts. Firstly, the deployment of luxury goods in displays of status and how these practices varied across space and time. Secondly, the processes of communicating and acquiring taste and luxury: how did people obtain tasteful and luxurious goods, and how did they recognise them as such? Thirdly, the ways in which ideas of taste and luxury crossed national, political and economic boundaries: what happened to established ideas of luxury and taste as goods moved from one country to another, and during times of political transformation? Through the analysis of case studies looking at consumption practices, material culture, political economy and retail marketing, A Taste for Luxury in Early Modern Europe challenges established readings of luxury and taste. This is a crucial volume for any historian seeking a more nuanced understanding of material culture, consumption and luxury in early modern Europe.

“With Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, [Dana] Thomas—who has been the cultural and fashion writer for Newsweek in Paris for 12 years—has written a crisp, witty social history that’s as entertaining as it is informative.” —New York Times From the author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes Once luxury was available only to the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations focused on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Award-winning journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don't want us to know. Deluxe is an uncompromising look behind the glossy façade that will enthrall anyone interested in fashion, finance, or culture.

Discusses the sense of taste and how it affects the body.

It is hard to find a corner of the world where celebrations are not linked to food in one way or another. Sharing a meal, cooking special dishes, and eating symbolic foods are rituals-almost inadvertent ones-that are present in all cultures and that make up the gamut of what is known as culinary specialties or ethnic food. This 224-page book is a complete tour through Colombian cuisine, illustrated with 199 exceptional color photographs by Hans Doring that enable us to appreciate the succulent appearance of each dish and of its various ingredients. Due to Colombia's geographical and cultural variety, this country has a vast culinary repertoire that is deep rooted in its history: the native Indian and the Spaniard traditions finely seasoned at times by a pinch of African and by the various influences of immigration. This book is a treasure chest of more than 133 recipes form the diverse regions of Colombia, described with just the right amount of detail to obtain a perfect meal.

The global coffee trade is a collision between the rich world and the poor world. A group of graduate students is about to experience that collision head-on. Angela, Alex, Rich, and Sofi a bring to their summer research project in Guatemala more than their share of grad-school baggage—along with clashing ideas about poverty and globalization. But as they follow the trail of coffee beans from the Guatemalan peasant grower to the American coffee drinker, what unfolds is not only a stunning research discovery, but an unforgettable journey of personal challenge and growth. Based on an actual research project on fair trade coffee funded by USAID, The Taste of Many Mountains is a brilliantly-staged novel about the global economy in which University of San Francisco economist Bruce Wydick examines the realities of the coffee trade from the perspective of young researchers struggling to understand the chasm between the world’s rich and poor. “Wydick’s first novel is brewed perfectly—full of rich body with double-shots of insight.” —Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado, President and CEO of Compassion International "This wonderfully enlightening book describes the Mayan culture in Guatemala and some of the sufferings these people have survived." —CBA Retailers + Resources Includes Reading Group Guide