VIII. 1. Is life better for you now than it would have been 50 years ago? Are you happier and better off than the class of 1960? How do you know? 2. Is there value in beauty? Do you prefer things that are practical and useful or things that are aesthetically pleasing (nice to look at)? What’s more important to you, function or form (how something works, or how it looks)? Do you have any possessions you keep simply for their beauty?

First, read ch. viii. Then, below, write about the connections between the text and this topic. Be sure to include specifics and correctly incorporate and cite your quotes.