Newsweek‘s cultural and fashion writer Dana Thomas’s book “Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster” (Amazon) comes to the conclusion you’d probably expect. For centuries, luxury was only obtainable by the truly, ostentatiously wealthy. That is, until 20th century businessmen discovered the rabid desire of the hoi polloi to soak up any brand that even hinted at a better life. So they took production out of the hands of fourth-generation craftsmen, cranked out second-rate leather handbags and luggage tags in third-world factories, and made luxury available to anyone with plastic. But you’ve probably intuited this all along. So don’t read this book for a deep psychological study into the subconscious motivators that persuade people to buy anything with an interlocked “LV” stamped on it. Buy it for Thomas’s terrific research into the fascinating origins of brands like Chanel and Prada, the rise of Rodeo Drive, and the nefarious forces behind the knockoff industry. Even to this guy—who proudly drives an ’84 Chevy S10 Pickup—Thomas’s descriptions fetishize authentic luxury like a Japanese tourist on shore leave in a Waikiki duty free.