The Lonely Crowd

Published in 1950, 'The Lonely Crowd' is a seminal work by David Riesman, Reuel Denney, and Nathan Glazer that critiques post-WWII American society.

The book introduces three types of social character: the 'tradition-directed', 'inner-directed', and 'other-directed'.

It argues that the 'other-directed' type, characterized by conformity to external social norms, was becoming dominant in American culture, leading to a sense of alienation and inner desolation despite material prosperity.

The book had a significant impact on intellectual and cultural discourse, influencing the New Left and countercultural movements of the 1960s.