Leo Lowenthal (1900-1993) was a sociologist known for his association with the Frankfurt School. After migrating to the United States, he held various positions, including research director for Voice of America, the Stanford Center for the Advanced Study of the Behavior Sciences, and finally settled in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.

• AcknowledgmentsPrefacePart I: Historical and Empirical Studies1 Historical Perspectives of Popular Culture 2 The Debate Over Art and Popular Culture: A SynopsisExcursus A: Notes on the Theater and the Sermon3 Eighteenth Century England: A Case StudyExcursus B: The Debate on Cultural Standards in Nineteenth Century England4 The Reception of Dostoevski in Pre–World War I Germany 5 The Biographical Fashion 6 The Triumph of Mass IdolsExcursus C: Some Thoughts on the 1937 Edition of International Who's WhoPart II: Contributions to the Philosophy of Communication7 On Sociology of Literature (1932) 8 On Sociology of Literature (1948) 9 Humanistic Perspectives of David Riesman's The Lonely Crowd 10 Popular Culture: A Humanistic and Sociological Concept